diff --git a/checkpoint.go b/checkpoint.go
index a8a27f248bc..e6a58029883 100644
--- a/checkpoint.go
+++ b/checkpoint.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ checkpointed.`,
 		err = container.Checkpoint(options)
 		if err == nil && !(options.LeaveRunning || options.PreDump) {
 			// Destroy the container unless we tell CRIU to keep it.
-			destroy(container)
+			_ = destroy(container)
 		}
 		return err
 	},
diff --git a/delete.go b/delete.go
index 682101ccad8..12c3ce3e767 100644
--- a/delete.go
+++ b/delete.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func killContainer(container *libcontainer.Container) error {
 	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
 		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		if err := container.Signal(unix.Signal(0)); err != nil {
-			destroy(container)
+			_ = destroy(container)
 			return nil
 		}
 	}
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ status of "ubuntu01" as "stopped" the following will delete resources held for
 		}
 		switch s {
 		case libcontainer.Stopped:
-			destroy(container)
+			if err := destroy(container); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		case libcontainer.Created:
 			return killContainer(container)
 		default:
diff --git a/utils_linux.go b/utils_linux.go
index b88e886ffa0..86b33bd2cf4 100644
--- a/utils_linux.go
+++ b/utils_linux.go
@@ -87,10 +87,12 @@ func newProcess(p specs.Process) (*libcontainer.Process, error) {
 	return lp, nil
 }
 
-func destroy(container *libcontainer.Container) {
+func destroy(container *libcontainer.Container) error {
 	if err := container.Destroy(); err != nil {
 		logrus.Error(err)
+		return err
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // setupIO modifies the given process config according to the options.
@@ -293,7 +295,7 @@ func (r *runner) run(config *specs.Process) (int, error) {
 
 func (r *runner) destroy() {
 	if r.shouldDestroy {
-		destroy(r.container)
+		_ = destroy(r.container)
 	}
 }