diff --git a/pkg/proc/reaper_unsupported.go b/pkg/proc/proc.go
similarity index 76%
rename from pkg/proc/reaper_unsupported.go
rename to pkg/proc/proc.go
index 75644fa5a8..c9491af299 100644
--- a/pkg/proc/reaper_unsupported.go
+++ b/pkg/proc/proc.go
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ package proc
 
 // StartReaper has no effect on non-linux platforms.
 // Support for other unices will be added.
-func StartReaper() {
+func StartReaper(period time.Duration) {
 }
diff --git a/pkg/proc/proc_linux.go b/pkg/proc/proc_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df77fbc71b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/proc/proc_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package proc
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"syscall"
+	"time"
+
+	"k8s.io/klog"
+)
+
+// parseProcForZombies parses the current procfs mounted at /proc
+// to find processes in the zombie state.
+func parseProcForZombies() ([]int, error) {
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir("/proc")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var zombies []int
+	for _, file := range files {
+		processID, err := strconv.Atoi(file.Name())
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
+		stateFilePath := filepath.Join("/proc", file.Name(), "status")
+		fd, err := os.Open(stateFilePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("Failed to open %v for getting process status: %v", stateFilePath, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		defer fd.Close()
+		fs := bufio.NewScanner(fd)
+		for fs.Scan() {
+			line := fs.Text()
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "State:") {
+				if strings.Contains(line, "zombie") {
+					zombies = append(zombies, processID)
+				}
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return zombies, nil
+}
+
+// StartReaper starts a goroutine to reap processes periodically if called
+// from a pid 1 process.
+// If period is 0, then it is defaulted to 5 seconds.
+// A caller can adjust the period depending on how many and how frequently zombie
+// processes are created and need to be reaped.
+func StartReaper(period time.Duration) {
+	if os.Getpid() == 1 {
+		const defaultReaperPeriodSeconds = 5
+		if period == 0 {
+			period = defaultReaperPeriodSeconds * time.Second
+		}
+		go func() {
+			var zs []int
+			var err error
+			for {
+				zs, err = parseProcForZombies()
+				if err != nil {
+					klog.Errorf("Failed to parse proc filesystem to find processes to reap: %v", err)
+					continue
+				}
+				time.Sleep(period)
+				for _, z := range zs {
+					cpid, err := syscall.Wait4(z, nil, syscall.WNOHANG, nil)
+					if err != nil {
+						klog.Errorf("Unable to reap process pid %v: %v", cpid, err)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/proc/reaper.go b/pkg/proc/reaper.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 21f5f71ff5..0000000000
--- a/pkg/proc/reaper.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-// +build linux
-
-package proc
-
-import (
-	"os"
-	"os/signal"
-	"syscall"
-
-	"k8s.io/klog"
-)
-
-// StartReaper starts a goroutine to reap processes if called from a process
-// that has pid 1.
-func StartReaper() {
-	if os.Getpid() == 1 {
-		klog.V(4).Infof("Launching reaper")
-		go func() {
-			sigs := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
-			signal.Notify(sigs, syscall.SIGCHLD)
-			for {
-				// Wait for a child to terminate
-				sig := <-sigs
-				klog.V(4).Infof("Signal received: %v", sig)
-				for {
-					// Reap processes
-					cpid, _ := syscall.Wait4(-1, nil, syscall.WNOHANG, nil)
-					if cpid < 1 {
-						break
-					}
-
-					klog.V(4).Infof("Reaped process with pid %d", cpid)
-				}
-			}
-		}()
-	}
-}