diff --git a/conmon/conmon.c b/conmon/conmon.c
index e33dd7bfbfb..279d7a154ec 100644
--- a/conmon/conmon.c
+++ b/conmon/conmon.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ static char *runtime_path = NULL;
 static char *bundle_path = NULL;
 static char *pid_file = NULL;
 static bool systemd_cgroup = false;
+static bool exec = false;
 static GOptionEntry entries[] =
 {
   { "terminal", 't', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &terminal, "Terminal", NULL },
@@ -84,12 +85,13 @@ static GOptionEntry entries[] =
   { "bundle", 'b', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &bundle_path, "Bundle path", NULL },
   { "pidfile", 'p', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &pid_file, "PID file", NULL },
   { "systemd-cgroup", 's', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &systemd_cgroup, "Enable systemd cgroup manager", NULL },
+  { "exec", 'e', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &exec, "Exec a command in a running container", NULL },
   { NULL }
 };
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret, runtime_status;
 	char cwd[PATH_MAX];
 	char default_pid_file[PATH_MAX];
 	GError *err = NULL;
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct termios t;
 	struct epoll_event ev;
 	struct epoll_event evlist[MAX_EVENTS];
-	int child_pipe = -1;
+	int sync_pipe_fd = -1;
 	char *sync_pipe, *endptr;
 	int len;
 	GError *error = NULL;
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (runtime_path == NULL)
 		nexit("Runtime path not provided. Use --runtime");
 
-	if (bundle_path == NULL) {
+	if (bundle_path == NULL && !exec) {
 		if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd)) == NULL) {
 			nexit("Failed to get working directory");
 		}
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	sync_pipe = getenv("_OCI_SYNCPIPE");
 	if (sync_pipe) {
 		errno = 0;
-		child_pipe = strtol(sync_pipe, &endptr, 10);
+		sync_pipe_fd = strtol(sync_pipe, &endptr, 10);
 		if (errno != 0 || *endptr != '\0')
 			pexit("unable to parse _OCI_SYNCPIPE");
 	}
@@ -184,23 +186,41 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	}
 
-	/* Create the container */
 	cmd = g_string_new(runtime_path);
-	if (systemd_cgroup) {
-		g_string_append_printf(cmd, " --systemd-cgroup");
-	}
-	g_string_append_printf(cmd, " create %s --bundle %s --pid-file %s",
-			       cid, bundle_path, pid_file);
-	if (terminal) {
-		g_string_append_printf(cmd, " --console %s", slname);
+	if (!exec) {
+		/* Create the container */
+		if (systemd_cgroup) {
+			g_string_append_printf(cmd, " --systemd-cgroup");
+		}
+		g_string_append_printf(cmd, " create %s --bundle %s --pid-file %s",
+				       cid, bundle_path, pid_file);
+		if (terminal) {
+			g_string_append_printf(cmd, " --console %s", slname);
+		}
+	} else {
+		int i;
+
+		/* Exec the command */
+		if (terminal) {
+			g_string_append_printf(cmd, " exec -d --pid-file %s --console %s %s",
+					       pid_file, slname, cid);
+		} else {
+			g_string_append_printf(cmd, " exec -d --pid-file %s %s",
+					       pid_file, cid);
+		}
+
+		for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+			g_string_append_printf(cmd, " %s", argv[i]);
+		}
 	}
-	ret = system(cmd->str);
-	if (ret != 0) {
+
+	runtime_status = system(cmd->str);
+	if (runtime_status != 0) {
 		nexit("Failed to create container");
 	}
 
 	/* Read the pid so we can wait for the process to exit */
-	g_file_get_contents("pidfile", &contents, NULL, &err);
+	g_file_get_contents(pid_file, &contents, NULL, &err);
 	if (err) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to read pidfile: %s\n", err->message);
 		g_error_free(err);
@@ -211,9 +231,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	printf("container PID: %d\n", cpid);
 
 	/* Send the container pid back to parent */
-	if (child_pipe > 0) {
+	if (sync_pipe_fd > 0  && !exec) {
 		len = snprintf(buf, BUF_SIZE, "{\"pid\": %d}\n", cpid);
-		if (len < 0 || write(child_pipe, buf, len) != len) {
+		if (len < 0 || write(sync_pipe_fd, buf, len) != len) {
 			pexit("unable to send container pid to parent");
 		}
 	}
@@ -303,25 +323,52 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* Wait for the container process and record its exit code */
 	while ((pid = waitpid(-1, &status, 0)) > 0) {
-		printf("PID %d exited\n", pid);
+		int exit_status = WEXITSTATUS(status);
+
+		printf("PID %d exited with status %d\n", pid, exit_status);
 		if (pid == cpid) {
-			_cleanup_free_ char *status_str = NULL;
-			ret = asprintf(&status_str, "%d", status);
-			if (ret < 0) {
-				pexit("Failed to allocate memory for status");
-			}
-			g_file_set_contents("exit", status_str,
-					    strlen(status_str), &err);
-			if (err) {
-				fprintf(stderr,
-					"Failed to write %s to exit file: %s\n",
-					status_str, err->message);
-				g_error_free(err);
-				exit(1);
+			if (!exec) {
+				_cleanup_free_ char *status_str = NULL;
+				ret = asprintf(&status_str, "%d", exit_status);
+				if (ret < 0) {
+					pexit("Failed to allocate memory for status");
+				}
+				g_file_set_contents("exit", status_str,
+						    strlen(status_str), &err);
+				if (err) {
+					fprintf(stderr,
+						"Failed to write %s to exit file: %s\n",
+						status_str, err->message);
+					g_error_free(err);
+					exit(1);
+				}
+			} else {
+				/* Send the command exec exit code back to the parent */
+				if (sync_pipe_fd > 0) {
+					len = snprintf(buf, BUF_SIZE, "{\"exit_code\": %d}\n", exit_status);
+					if (len < 0 || write(sync_pipe_fd, buf, len) != len) {
+						pexit("unable to send exit status");
+						exit(1);
+					}
+				}
 			}
 			break;
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (exec && pid < 0 && errno == ECHILD && sync_pipe_fd > 0) {
+		/*
+		 * waitpid failed and set errno to ECHILD:
+		 * The runtime exec call did not create any child
+		 * process and we can send the system() exit code
+		 * to the parent.
+		 */
+		len = snprintf(buf, BUF_SIZE, "{\"exit_code\": %d}\n", WEXITSTATUS(runtime_status));
+		if (len < 0 || write(sync_pipe_fd, buf, len) != len) {
+			pexit("unable to send exit status");
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
 	return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/oci/oci.go b/oci/oci.go
index eb0edbbbf58..c155ed79cc7 100644
--- a/oci/oci.go
+++ b/oci/oci.go
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ type syncInfo struct {
 	Pid int `json:"pid"`
 }
 
+// exitCodeInfo is used to return the monitored process exit code to the daemon
+type exitCodeInfo struct {
+	ExitCode int32 `json:"exit_code"`
+}
+
 // Name returns the name of the OCI Runtime
 func (r *Runtime) Name() string {
 	return r.name
@@ -177,16 +182,61 @@ func (e ExecSyncError) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("command error: %+v, stdout: %s, stderr: %s, exit code %d", e.Err, e.Stdout.Bytes(), e.Stderr.Bytes(), e.ExitCode)
 }
 
+func prepareExec() (pidFile, parentPipe, childPipe *os.File, err error) {
+	parentPipe, childPipe, err = os.Pipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
+	}
+
+	pidFile, err = ioutil.TempFile("", "pidfile")
+	if err != nil {
+		parentPipe.Close()
+		childPipe.Close()
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 // ExecSync execs a command in a container and returns it's stdout, stderr and return code.
 func (r *Runtime) ExecSync(c *Container, command []string, timeout int64) (resp *ExecSyncResponse, err error) {
-	args := []string{"exec", c.name}
+	pidFile, parentPipe, childPipe, err := prepareExec()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, ExecSyncError{
+			ExitCode: -1,
+			Err:      err,
+		}
+	}
+	defer parentPipe.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		if e := os.Remove(pidFile.Name()); e != nil {
+			logrus.Warnf("could not remove temporary PID file %s", pidFile.Name())
+		}
+	}()
+
+	var args []string
+	args = append(args, "-c", c.name)
+	args = append(args, "-r", r.path)
+	args = append(args, "-p", pidFile.Name())
+	args = append(args, "-e")
+	if c.terminal {
+		args = append(args, "-t")
+	}
+
 	args = append(args, command...)
-	cmd := exec.Command(r.Path(), args...)
+
+	cmd := exec.Command(r.conmonPath, args...)
+
 	var stdoutBuf, stderrBuf bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout = &stdoutBuf
 	cmd.Stderr = &stderrBuf
+	cmd.ExtraFiles = append(cmd.ExtraFiles, childPipe)
+	// 0, 1 and 2 are stdin, stdout and stderr
+	cmd.Env = append(r.conmonEnv, fmt.Sprintf("_OCI_SYNCPIPE=%d", 3))
+
 	err = cmd.Start()
 	if err != nil {
+		childPipe.Close()
 		return nil, ExecSyncError{
 			Stdout:   stdoutBuf,
 			Stderr:   stderrBuf,
@@ -195,6 +245,9 @@ func (r *Runtime) ExecSync(c *Container, command []string, timeout int64) (resp
 		}
 	}
 
+	// We don't need childPipe on the parent side
+	childPipe.Close()
+
 	if timeout > 0 {
 		done := make(chan error, 1)
 		go func() {
@@ -260,7 +313,27 @@ func (r *Runtime) ExecSync(c *Container, command []string, timeout int64) (resp
 					Err:      err,
 				}
 			}
+		}
+	}
 
+	var ec *exitCodeInfo
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(parentPipe).Decode(&ec); err != nil {
+		return nil, ExecSyncError{
+			Stdout:   stdoutBuf,
+			Stderr:   stderrBuf,
+			ExitCode: -1,
+			Err:      err,
+		}
+	}
+
+	logrus.Infof("Received container exit code: %v", ec.ExitCode)
+
+	if ec.ExitCode != 0 {
+		return nil, ExecSyncError{
+			Stdout:   stdoutBuf,
+			Stderr:   stderrBuf,
+			ExitCode: ec.ExitCode,
+			Err:      fmt.Errorf("container workload exited with error %v", ec.ExitCode),
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -335,7 +408,7 @@ func (r *Runtime) UpdateStatus(c *Container) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("status code conversion failed: %v", err)
 		}
-		c.state.ExitCode = int32(utils.StatusToExitCode(statusCode))
+		c.state.ExitCode = int32(statusCode)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/test/ctr.bats b/test/ctr.bats
index 1d351c8786c..257c43c2cc9 100644
--- a/test/ctr.bats
+++ b/test/ctr.bats
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ function teardown() {
 	run ocic ctr execsync --id "$ctr_id" doesnotexist
 	echo "$output"
 	[ "$status" -ne 0 ]
-	[[ "$output" =~ "executable file not found in" ]]
 
 	cleanup_ctrs
 	cleanup_pods
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index fd3544fd965..5323d290a73 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -125,8 +125,3 @@ func dockerRemove(container string) error {
 	_, err := ExecCmd("docker", "rm", container)
 	return err
 }
-
-// StatusToExitCode converts wait status code to an exit code
-func StatusToExitCode(status int) int {
-	return ((status) & 0xff00) >> 8
-}