diff --git a/libcontainerd/container_linux.go b/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
index d6bfc22364..00129e5851 100644
--- a/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainerd/container_linux.go
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 	defer ctr.client.unlock(ctr.containerID)
 	switch e.Type {
 	case StateExit, StatePause, StateResume, StateOOM:
+		var waitRestart chan error
 		st := StateInfo{
 			CommonStateInfo: CommonStateInfo{
 				State:    e.Type,
@@ -166,8 +167,26 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 				st.State = StateRestart
 				ctr.restarting = true
 				ctr.client.deleteContainer(e.Id)
+				waitRestart = wait
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Remove process from list if we have exited
+		// We need to do so here in case the Message Handler decides to restart it.
+		switch st.State {
+		case StateExit:
+			ctr.clean()
+			ctr.client.deleteContainer(e.Id)
+		case StateExitProcess:
+			ctr.cleanProcess(st.ProcessID)
+		}
+		ctr.client.q.append(e.Id, func() {
+			if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(e.Id, st); err != nil {
+				logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: backend.StateChanged(): %v", err)
+			}
+			if st.State == StateRestart {
 				go func() {
-					err := <-wait
+					err := <-waitRestart
 					ctr.client.lock(ctr.containerID)
 					defer ctr.client.unlock(ctr.containerID)
 					ctr.restarting = false
@@ -187,21 +206,7 @@ func (ctr *container) handleEvent(e *containerd.Event) error {
 					}
 				}()
 			}
-		}
 
-		// Remove process from list if we have exited
-		// We need to do so here in case the Message Handler decides to restart it.
-		switch st.State {
-		case StateExit:
-			ctr.clean()
-			ctr.client.deleteContainer(e.Id)
-		case StateExitProcess:
-			ctr.cleanProcess(st.ProcessID)
-		}
-		ctr.client.q.append(e.Id, func() {
-			if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(e.Id, st); err != nil {
-				logrus.Errorf("libcontainerd: backend.StateChanged(): %v", err)
-			}
 			if e.Type == StatePause || e.Type == StateResume {
 				ctr.pauseMonitor.handle(e.Type)
 			}
diff --git a/libcontainerd/container_windows.go b/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
index 8e5328941f..4cd18c784b 100644
--- a/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
+++ b/libcontainerd/container_windows.go
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ func (ctr *container) waitProcessExitCode(process *process) int {
 // equivalent to (in the linux containerd world) where events come in for
 // state change notifications from containerd.
 func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) error {
+	var waitRestart chan error
 	logrus.Debugln("libcontainerd: waitExit() on pid", process.systemPid)
 
 	exitCode := ctr.waitProcessExitCode(process)
@@ -238,20 +239,7 @@ func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) err
 			} else if restart {
 				si.State = StateRestart
 				ctr.restarting = true
-				go func() {
-					err := <-wait
-					ctr.restarting = false
-					ctr.client.deleteContainer(ctr.friendlyName)
-					if err != nil {
-						si.State = StateExit
-						if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
-							logrus.Error(err)
-						}
-						logrus.Error(err)
-					} else {
-						ctr.client.Create(ctr.containerID, ctr.ociSpec, ctr.options...)
-					}
-				}()
+				waitRestart = wait
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -267,6 +255,22 @@ func (ctr *container) waitExit(process *process, isFirstProcessToStart bool) err
 	if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
 		logrus.Error(err)
 	}
+	if si.State == StateRestart {
+		go func() {
+			err := <-waitRestart
+			ctr.restarting = false
+			ctr.client.deleteContainer(ctr.friendlyName)
+			if err != nil {
+				si.State = StateExit
+				if err := ctr.client.backend.StateChanged(ctr.containerID, si); err != nil {
+					logrus.Error(err)
+				}
+				logrus.Error(err)
+			} else {
+				ctr.client.Create(ctr.containerID, ctr.ociSpec, ctr.options...)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
 
 	logrus.Debugf("libcontainerd: waitExit() completed OK, %+v", si)
 	return nil