diff --git a/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go b/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
index 4c31b45ea..4563f91e8 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/control/lifecycle.go
@@ -46,9 +46,35 @@ type Lifecycle struct {
 	// namespaces.
 	MountNamespacesMap map[string]*vfs.MountNamespace
 
-	// containerInitProcessMap is a map of container ID and the init(PID 1)
-	// threadgroup of the container.
-	containerInitProcessMap map[string]*kernel.ThreadGroup
+	// containerMap is a map of the container id and the container.
+	containerMap map[string]*Container
+}
+
+// containerState is the state of the container.
+type containerState int
+
+const (
+	// stateCreated is the state when the container was created. It is the
+	// initial state.
+	stateCreated containerState = iota
+
+	// stateRunning is the state when the container/application is running.
+	stateRunning
+
+	// stateStopped is the state when the container has exited.
+	stateStopped
+)
+
+// Container contains the set of parameters to represent a container.
+type Container struct {
+	// containerID.
+	containerID string
+
+	// tg is the init(PID 1) threadgroup of the container.
+	tg *kernel.ThreadGroup
+
+	// state is the current state of the container.
+	state containerState
 }
 
 // StartContainerArgs is the set of arguments to start a container.
@@ -104,6 +130,38 @@ func (args StartContainerArgs) String() string {
 	return strings.Join(a, " ")
 }
 
+func (l *Lifecycle) updateContainerState(containerID string, newState containerState) error {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+
+	c, ok := l.containerMap[containerID]
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("container %v not started", containerID)
+	}
+
+	switch newState {
+	case stateCreated:
+		// Impossible.
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid state transition: %v => %v", c.state, newState))
+
+	case stateRunning:
+		if c.state != stateCreated {
+			// Impossible.
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid state transition: %v => %v", c.state, newState))
+		}
+
+	case stateStopped:
+		// Valid state transition.
+
+	default:
+		// Invalid new state.
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("invalid new state: %v", newState))
+	}
+
+	c.state = newState
+	return nil
+}
+
 // StartContainer will start a new container in the sandbox.
 func (l *Lifecycle) StartContainer(args *StartContainerArgs, _ *uint32) error {
 	// Import file descriptors.
@@ -177,16 +235,24 @@ func (l *Lifecycle) StartContainer(args *StartContainerArgs, _ *uint32) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	c := &Container{
+		containerID: initArgs.ContainerID,
+		tg:          tg,
+		state:       stateCreated,
+	}
+
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	if l.containerMap == nil {
+		l.containerMap = make(map[string]*Container)
+	}
+	l.containerMap[initArgs.ContainerID] = c
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+
 	// Start the newly created process.
 	l.Kernel.StartProcess(tg)
 	log.Infof("Started the new container %v ", initArgs.ContainerID)
 
-	l.mu.Lock()
-	if l.containerInitProcessMap == nil {
-		l.containerInitProcessMap = make(map[string]*kernel.ThreadGroup)
-	}
-	l.containerInitProcessMap[initArgs.ContainerID] = tg
-	l.mu.Unlock()
+	l.updateContainerState(initArgs.ContainerID, stateRunning)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -212,11 +278,11 @@ func (l *Lifecycle) getInitContainerProcess(containerID string) (*kernel.ThreadG
 	l.mu.Lock()
 	defer l.mu.Unlock()
 
-	tg, ok := l.containerInitProcessMap[containerID]
+	c, ok := l.containerMap[containerID]
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("container %v not started", containerID)
 	}
-	return tg, nil
+	return c.tg, nil
 }
 
 // ContainerArgs is the set of arguments for container related APIs after
@@ -235,5 +301,30 @@ func (l *Lifecycle) WaitContainer(args *ContainerArgs, waitStatus *uint32) error
 
 	tg.WaitExited()
 	*waitStatus = uint32(tg.ExitStatus())
+	if err := l.updateContainerState(args.ContainerID, stateStopped); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// IsContainerRunning returns true if the container is running.
+func (l *Lifecycle) IsContainerRunning(args *ContainerArgs, isRunning *bool) error {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+
+	c, ok := l.containerMap[args.ContainerID]
+	if !ok || c.state != stateRunning {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// The state will not be updated to "stopped" if the
+	// WaitContainer(...) method is not called. In this case, check
+	// whether the number of non-exited tasks in tg is zero to get
+	// the correct state of the container.
+	if c.tg.Count() == 0 {
+		c.state = stateStopped
+		return nil
+	}
+	*isRunning = true
 	return nil
 }