diff --git a/cli/delete.go b/cli/delete.go
index c2ce52a468..641ef3727a 100644
--- a/cli/delete.go
+++ b/cli/delete.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/kata-containers/runtime/pkg/katautils"
 	vc "github.com/kata-containers/runtime/virtcontainers"
@@ -75,6 +76,11 @@ func delete(ctx context.Context, containerID string, force bool) error {
 			kataLog.Warnf("Failed to get container, force will not fail: %s", err)
 			return nil
 		}
+		if err.Error() == syscall.ENOENT.Error() {
+			kataLog.WithField("container", containerID).Info("skipping delete as container does not exist")
+			katautils.DelContainerIDMapping(ctx, containerID)
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/cli/kill.go b/cli/kill.go
index 60fa41e09e..259a72dd52 100644
--- a/cli/kill.go
+++ b/cli/kill.go
@@ -108,8 +108,11 @@ func kill(ctx context.Context, containerID, signal string, all bool) error {
 
 	// Checks the MUST and MUST NOT from OCI runtime specification
 	status, sandboxID, err := getExistingContainerInfo(ctx, containerID)
-
 	if err != nil {
+		if err.Error() == syscall.ENOENT.Error() {
+			kataLog.WithField("container", containerID).Info("skipping kill as container does not exist")
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}