diff --git a/pkg/sentry/platform/systrap/subprocess.go b/pkg/sentry/platform/systrap/subprocess.go
index 0de9fb592..3a4416385 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/platform/systrap/subprocess.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/platform/systrap/subprocess.go
@@ -609,7 +609,11 @@ func (t *thread) unexpectedStubExit() {
 		// these cases, we don't need to panic. There is no reasons to
 		// think that something wrong in gVisor.
 		log.Warningf("The ptrace stub process %v has been killed by SIGKILL.", t.tgid)
-		sighandling.KillItself()
+		err := sighandling.KillItself()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.dumpAndPanic(fmt.Sprintf(
+				"failed to kill the process %d:%d: %v", t.tgid, t.tid, err))
+		}
 	}
 	t.dumpAndPanic(fmt.Sprintf("wait failed: the process %d:%d exited: %x (err %v)", t.tgid, t.tid, msg, err))
 }