@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ type remote struct {

 	logger    *logrus.Entry

 	daemonWaitCh  chan struct{}

-	daemonStartCh chan struct{}

+	daemonStartCh chan error

 	daemonStopCh  chan struct{}

 	rootDir     string

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func Start(ctx context.Context, rootDir, stateDir string, opts ...DaemonOpt) (Da

 		pluginConfs:   pluginConfigs{make(map[string]interface{})},

 		daemonPid:     -1,

 		logger:        logrus.WithField("module", "libcontainerd"),

-		daemonStartCh: make(chan struct{}),

+		daemonStartCh: make(chan error, 1),

 		daemonStopCh:  make(chan struct{}),

 	}

@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ func Start(ctx context.Context, rootDir, stateDir string, opts ...DaemonOpt) (Da

 	select {

 	case <-time.After(startupTimeout):

 		return nil, errors.New("timeout waiting for containerd to start")

-	case <-r.daemonStartCh:

+	case err := <-r.daemonStartCh:

+		if err != nil {

+			return nil, err

+		}

 	}

 	return r, nil

@@ -263,7 +266,11 @@ func (r *remote) monitorDaemon(ctx context.Context) {

 			os.RemoveAll(r.GRPC.Address)

 			if err := r.startContainerd(); err != nil {

-				r.logger.WithError(err).Error("failed starting containerd")

+				if !started {

+					r.daemonStartCh <- err

+					return

+				}

+				r.logger.WithError(err).Error("failed restarting containerd")

 				delay = time.After(50 * time.Millisecond)

 				continue

 			}