diff --git a/executor/runcexecutor/executor_linux.go b/executor/runcexecutor/executor_linux.go
index 91d6cd785cca..b01040ce9f0d 100644
--- a/executor/runcexecutor/executor_linux.go
+++ b/executor/runcexecutor/executor_linux.go
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 package runcexecutor
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -28,10 +23,10 @@ func updateRuncFieldsForHostOS(runtime *runc.Runc) {
 }
 
 func (w *runcExecutor) run(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, process executor.ProcessInfo) error {
-	return w.callWithIO(ctx, id, bundle, process, func(ctx context.Context, pidfile string, io runc.IO) error {
+	return w.callWithIO(ctx, id, bundle, process, func(ctx context.Context, started chan<- int, io runc.IO) error {
 		_, err := w.runc.Run(ctx, id, bundle, &runc.CreateOpts{
 			NoPivot: w.noPivot,
-			PidFile: pidfile,
+			Started: started,
 			IO:      io,
 		})
 		return err
@@ -39,29 +34,22 @@ func (w *runcExecutor) run(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, process execu
 }
 
 func (w *runcExecutor) exec(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, specsProcess *specs.Process, process executor.ProcessInfo) error {
-	return w.callWithIO(ctx, id, bundle, process, func(ctx context.Context, pidfile string, io runc.IO) error {
+	return w.callWithIO(ctx, id, bundle, process, func(ctx context.Context, started chan<- int, io runc.IO) error {
 		return w.runc.Exec(ctx, id, *specsProcess, &runc.ExecOpts{
-			PidFile: pidfile,
+			Started: started,
 			IO:      io,
 		})
 	})
 }
 
-type runcCall func(ctx context.Context, pidfile string, io runc.IO) error
+type runcCall func(ctx context.Context, started chan<- int, io runc.IO) error
 
 func (w *runcExecutor) callWithIO(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, process executor.ProcessInfo, call runcCall) error {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	pidfile, err := ioutil.TempFile(bundle, "*.pid")
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to create pidfile")
-	}
-	defer os.Remove(pidfile.Name())
-	pidfile.Close()
-
 	if !process.Meta.Tty {
-		return call(ctx, pidfile.Name(), &forwardIO{stdin: process.Stdin, stdout: process.Stdout, stderr: process.Stderr})
+		return call(ctx, nil, &forwardIO{stdin: process.Stdin, stdout: process.Stdout, stderr: process.Stderr})
 	}
 
 	ptm, ptsName, err := console.NewPty()
@@ -117,37 +105,26 @@ func (w *runcExecutor) callWithIO(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, proces
 		})
 	}
 
+	started := make(chan int, 1)
+
 	eg.Go(func() error {
-		// need to poll until the pidfile has the pid written to it
-		pidfileCtx, timeout := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
+		startedCtx, timeout := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
 		defer timeout()
-
 		var runcProcess *os.Process
-		for {
-			st, err := os.Stat(pidfile.Name())
-			if err == nil && st.Size() > 0 {
-				pid, err := runc.ReadPidFile(pidfile.Name())
-				if err != nil {
-					return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to read pid file: %s", pidfile.Name())
-				}
-				// pid will be for the process in process.Meta, not the parent runc process.
-				// We need to send SIGWINCH to the runc process, not the process.Meta process.
-				ppid, err := getppid(pid)
-				if err != nil {
-					return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to find runc process (parent of %d)", pid)
-				}
-				runcProcess, err = os.FindProcess(ppid)
-				if err != nil {
-					return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to find process for pid %d", ppid)
-				}
-				break
+		select {
+		case <-startedCtx.Done():
+			return errors.New("runc started message never received")
+		case pid, ok := <-started:
+			if !ok {
+				return errors.New("runc process failed to send pid")
 			}
-			select {
-			case <-pidfileCtx.Done():
-				return errors.New("pidfile never updated")
-			case <-time.After(100 * time.Microsecond):
+			runcProcess, err = os.FindProcess(pid)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to find runc process for pid %d", pid)
 			}
+			defer runcProcess.Release()
 		}
+
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -179,24 +156,5 @@ func (w *runcExecutor) callWithIO(ctx context.Context, id, bundle string, proces
 		runcIO.stderr = pts
 	}
 
-	return call(ctx, pidfile.Name(), runcIO)
-}
-
-const PPidStatusPrefix = "PPid:\t"
-
-func getppid(pid int) (int, error) {
-	fh, err := os.Open(fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/status", pid))
-	if err != nil {
-		return -1, err
-	}
-
-	defer fh.Close()
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(fh)
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		line := scanner.Text()
-		if strings.HasPrefix(line, PPidStatusPrefix) {
-			return strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimPrefix(line, PPidStatusPrefix))
-		}
-	}
-	return -1, errors.Errorf("PPid line not found in /proc/%d/status", pid)
+	return call(ctx, started, runcIO)
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ee7bfa15ec7e..9fc21873ea3e 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/containerd/containerd v1.4.1-0.20200903181227-d4e78200d6da
 	github.com/containerd/continuity v0.0.0-20200710164510-efbc4488d8fe
 	github.com/containerd/go-cni v1.0.1
-	github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201017060547-8c4be61c2e34
+	github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201020171139-16b287bc67d0
 	github.com/containerd/stargz-snapshotter v0.0.0-20200903042824-2ee75e91f8f9
 	github.com/containerd/typeurl v1.0.1
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.1.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4b05c7c57bbb..c98a47237214 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ github.com/containerd/go-cni v1.0.1/go.mod h1:+vUpYxKvAF72G9i1WoDOiPGRtQpqsNW/ZH
 github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20180907222934-5a6d9f37cfa3/go.mod h1:IV7qH3hrUgRmyYrtgEeGWJfWbgcHL9CSRruz2Vqcph0=
 github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20200220073739-7016d3ce2328 h1:PRTagVMbJcCezLcHXe8UJvR1oBzp2lG3CEumeFOLOds=
 github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20200220073739-7016d3ce2328/go.mod h1:PpyHrqVs8FTi9vpyHwPwiNEGaACDxT/N/pLcvMSRA9g=
-github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201017060547-8c4be61c2e34 h1:jFRg/hwx0DPpcg23MNusAppCDJa5nndN3/RAxSblN58=
-github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201017060547-8c4be61c2e34/go.mod h1:1CDPys/h0SMZoki7dv3bPQ1wJWnmaeZIO026WPts2xM=
+github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201020171139-16b287bc67d0 h1:e+50zk22gvHLJKe8+d+xSMyA88PPQk/XfWuUw1BdnPA=
+github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201020171139-16b287bc67d0/go.mod h1:cNU0ZbCgCQVZK4lgG3P+9tn9/PaJNmoDXPpoJhDR+Ok=
 github.com/containerd/stargz-snapshotter v0.0.0-20200903042824-2ee75e91f8f9 h1:JEcj3rNCg0Ho5t9kiOa4LV/vaNXbRQ9l2PIRzz2LWCQ=
 github.com/containerd/stargz-snapshotter v0.0.0-20200903042824-2ee75e91f8f9/go.mod h1:f+gZLtYcuNQWxucWyfVEQXSBoGbXNpQ76+XWVMgp+34=
 github.com/containerd/ttrpc v0.0.0-20190828154514-0e0f228740de/go.mod h1:PvCDdDGpgqzQIzDW1TphrGLssLDZp2GuS+X5DkEJB8o=
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.mod b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.mod
index 6329c7683a4d..f69c26fd68fb 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.mod
+++ b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.mod
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ module github.com/containerd/go-runc
 go 1.13
 
 require (
-	github.com/containerd/console v0.0.0-20191206165004-02ecf6a7291e
-	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.1
-	github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1
-	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.6.0
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191210023423-ac6580df4449
+	github.com/containerd/console v1.0.1
+	github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.2
+	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
+	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.7.0
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200916030750-2334cc1a136f
 )
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.sum b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.sum
index 47ecf5ad2191..afc9198e09ae 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.sum
+++ b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/go.sum
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
-github.com/containerd/console v0.0.0-20191206165004-02ecf6a7291e h1:GdiIYd8ZDOrT++e1NjhSD4rGt9zaJukHm4rt5F4mRQc=
-github.com/containerd/console v0.0.0-20191206165004-02ecf6a7291e/go.mod h1:8Pf4gM6VEbTNRIT26AyyU7hxdQU3MvAvxVI0sc00XBE=
+github.com/containerd/console v1.0.1 h1:u7SFAJyRqWcG6ogaMAx3KjSTy1e3hT9QxqX7Jco7dRc=
+github.com/containerd/console v1.0.1/go.mod h1:XUsP6YE/mKtz6bxc+I8UiKKTP04qjQL4qcS3XoQ5xkw=
+github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
-github.com/konsorten/go-windows-terminal-sequences v1.0.3/go.mod h1:T0+1ngSBFLxvqU3pZ+m/2kptfBszLMUkC4ZK/EgS/cQ=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.1 h1:wY4pOY8fBdSIvs9+IDHC55thBuEulhzfSgKeC1yFvzQ=
-github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.1/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1 h1:iURUrRGxPUNPdy5/HRSm+Yj6okJ6UtLINN0Q9M4+h3I=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.2 h1:UfAcuLBJB9Coz72x1hgl8O5RVzTdNiaglX6v2DM6FI0=
+github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec v1.0.2/go.mod h1:jwyrGlmzljRJv/Fgzds9SsS/C5hL+LL3ko9hs6T5lQ0=
+github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 h1:FEBLx1zS214owpjy7qsBeixbURkuhQAwrK5UwLGTwt4=
+github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
+github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
-github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.6.0 h1:UBcNElsrwanuuMsnGSlYmtmgbb23qDR5dG+6X6Oo89I=
-github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.6.0/go.mod h1:7uNnSEd1DgxDLC74fIahvMZmmYsHGZGEOFrfsX/uA88=
+github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.7.0 h1:ShrD1U9pZB12TX0cVy0DtePoCH97K8EtX+mg7ZARUtM=
+github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.7.0/go.mod h1:yWOB1SBYBC5VeMP7gHvWumXLIWorT60ONWic61uBYv0=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.2.2 h1:bSDNvY7ZPG5RlJ8otE/7V6gMiyenm9RtJ7IUVIAoJ1w=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.2.2/go.mod h1:a8OnRcib4nhh0OaRAV+Yts87kKdq0PP7pXfy6kDkUVs=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190422165155-953cdadca894/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191120155948-bd437916bb0e/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191210023423-ac6580df4449 h1:gSbV7h1NRL2G1xTg/owz62CST1oJBmxy4QpMMregXVQ=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191210023423-ac6580df4449/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20191026070338-33540a1f6037/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200916030750-2334cc1a136f h1:6Sc1XOXTulBN6imkqo6XoAXDEzoQ4/ro6xy7Vn8+rOM=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200916030750-2334cc1a136f/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/runc.go b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/runc.go
index 2a515d2a2183..f5f03ae95eb4 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/runc.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/containerd/go-runc/runc.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ const (
 
 // List returns all containers created inside the provided runc root directory
 func (r *Runc) List(context context.Context) ([]*Container, error) {
-	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "list", "--format=json"), false)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "list", "--format=json"), false, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func (r *Runc) List(context context.Context) ([]*Container, error) {
 
 // State returns the state for the container provided by id
 func (r *Runc) State(context context.Context, id string) (*Container, error) {
-	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "state", id), true)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "state", id), true, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ type CreateOpts struct {
 	NoPivot       bool
 	NoNewKeyring  bool
 	ExtraFiles    []*os.File
+	Started       chan<- int
 }
 
 func (o *CreateOpts) args() (out []string, err error) {
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ func (r *Runc) Create(context context.Context, id, bundle string, opts *CreateOp
 	cmd.ExtraFiles = opts.ExtraFiles
 
 	if cmd.Stdout == nil && cmd.Stderr == nil {
-		data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true)
+		data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true, nil)
 		defer putBuf(data)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ type ExecOpts struct {
 	PidFile       string
 	ConsoleSocket ConsoleSocket
 	Detach        bool
+	Started       chan<- int
 }
 
 func (o *ExecOpts) args() (out []string, err error) {
@@ -197,6 +199,9 @@ func (o *ExecOpts) args() (out []string, err error) {
 // Exec executes an additional process inside the container based on a full
 // OCI Process specification
 func (r *Runc) Exec(context context.Context, id string, spec specs.Process, opts *ExecOpts) error {
+	if opts.Started != nil {
+		defer close(opts.Started)
+	}
 	f, err := ioutil.TempFile(os.Getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"), "runc-process")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -220,7 +225,7 @@ func (r *Runc) Exec(context context.Context, id string, spec specs.Process, opts
 		opts.Set(cmd)
 	}
 	if cmd.Stdout == nil && cmd.Stderr == nil {
-		data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true)
+		data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true, opts.Started)
 		defer putBuf(data)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -231,6 +236,9 @@ func (r *Runc) Exec(context context.Context, id string, spec specs.Process, opts
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if opts.Started != nil {
+		opts.Started <- cmd.Process.Pid
+	}
 	if opts != nil && opts.IO != nil {
 		if c, ok := opts.IO.(StartCloser); ok {
 			if err := c.CloseAfterStart(); err != nil {
@@ -248,6 +256,9 @@ func (r *Runc) Exec(context context.Context, id string, spec specs.Process, opts
 // Run runs the create, start, delete lifecycle of the container
 // and returns its exit status after it has exited
 func (r *Runc) Run(context context.Context, id, bundle string, opts *CreateOpts) (int, error) {
+	if opts.Started != nil {
+		defer close(opts.Started)
+	}
 	args := []string{"run", "--bundle", bundle}
 	if opts != nil {
 		oargs, err := opts.args()
@@ -264,6 +275,9 @@ func (r *Runc) Run(context context.Context, id, bundle string, opts *CreateOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, err
 	}
+	if opts.Started != nil {
+		opts.Started <- cmd.Process.Pid
+	}
 	status, err := Monitor.Wait(cmd, ec)
 	if err == nil && status != 0 {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("%s did not terminate successfully: %w", cmd.Args[0], &ExitError{status})
@@ -387,7 +401,7 @@ func (r *Runc) Resume(context context.Context, id string) error {
 
 // Ps lists all the processes inside the container returning their pids
 func (r *Runc) Ps(context context.Context, id string) ([]int, error) {
-	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "ps", "--format", "json", id), true)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "ps", "--format", "json", id), true, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -401,7 +415,7 @@ func (r *Runc) Ps(context context.Context, id string) ([]int, error) {
 
 // Top lists all the processes inside the container returning the full ps data
 func (r *Runc) Top(context context.Context, id string, psOptions string) (*TopResults, error) {
-	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "ps", "--format", "table", id, psOptions), true)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "ps", "--format", "table", id, psOptions), true, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -613,7 +627,7 @@ type Version struct {
 
 // Version returns the runc and runtime-spec versions
 func (r *Runc) Version(context context.Context) (Version, error) {
-	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "--version"), false)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(r.command(context, "--version"), false, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Version{}, err
@@ -685,7 +699,7 @@ func (r *Runc) runOrError(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 		}
 		return err
 	}
-	data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true)
+	data, err := cmdOutput(cmd, true, nil)
 	defer putBuf(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err, data.String())
@@ -695,7 +709,7 @@ func (r *Runc) runOrError(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 
 // callers of cmdOutput are expected to call putBuf on the returned Buffer
 // to ensure it is released back to the shared pool after use.
-func cmdOutput(cmd *exec.Cmd, combined bool) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
+func cmdOutput(cmd *exec.Cmd, combined bool, started chan<- int) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
 	b := getBuf()
 
 	cmd.Stdout = b
@@ -706,6 +720,9 @@ func cmdOutput(cmd *exec.Cmd, combined bool) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if started != nil {
+		started <- cmd.Process.Pid
+	}
 
 	status, err := Monitor.Wait(cmd, ec)
 	if err == nil && status != 0 {
diff --git a/vendor/modules.txt b/vendor/modules.txt
index f12b736cda84..8b0c3ec5c742 100644
--- a/vendor/modules.txt
+++ b/vendor/modules.txt
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ github.com/containerd/continuity/sysx
 github.com/containerd/fifo
 # github.com/containerd/go-cni v1.0.1
 github.com/containerd/go-cni
-# github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201017060547-8c4be61c2e34
+# github.com/containerd/go-runc v0.0.0-20201020171139-16b287bc67d0
 github.com/containerd/go-runc
 # github.com/containerd/stargz-snapshotter v0.0.0-20200903042824-2ee75e91f8f9
 github.com/containerd/stargz-snapshotter/cache