diff --git a/cli/delete.go b/cli/delete.go
index 19dc4fb7a2..c2ce52a468 100644
--- a/cli/delete.go
+++ b/cli/delete.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func delete(ctx context.Context, containerID string, force bool) error {
 
 	switch containerType {
 	case vc.PodSandbox:
-		if err := deleteSandbox(ctx, sandboxID); err != nil {
+		if err := deleteSandbox(ctx, sandboxID, force); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	case vc.PodContainer:
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func delete(ctx context.Context, containerID string, force bool) error {
 	return katautils.DelContainerIDMapping(ctx, containerID)
 }
 
-func deleteSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) error {
+func deleteSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) error {
 	span, _ := katautils.Trace(ctx, "deleteSandbox")
 	defer span.Finish()
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func deleteSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) error {
 	}
 
 	if oci.StateToOCIState(status.State.State) != oci.StateStopped {
-		if _, err := vci.StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID); err != nil {
+		if _, err := vci.StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID, force); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cli/kill.go b/cli/kill.go
index 4c93ecf02f..60fa41e09e 100644
--- a/cli/kill.go
+++ b/cli/kill.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func kill(ctx context.Context, containerID, signal string, all bool) error {
 
 	switch containerType {
 	case vc.PodSandbox:
-		_, err = vci.StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID)
+		_, err = vci.StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID, signum == syscall.SIGKILL)
 	case vc.PodContainer:
 		_, err = vci.StopContainer(ctx, sandboxID, containerID)
 	default:
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go b/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
index b704b17454..c9c7a15b5e 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/utils.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func cleanupContainer(ctx context.Context, sid, cid, bundlePath string) error {
 	}
 
 	if len(sandbox.GetAllContainers()) == 0 {
-		err = sandbox.Stop()
+		err = sandbox.Stop(true)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.WithError(err).WithField("sandbox", sid).Warn("failed to stop sandbox")
 			return err
diff --git a/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go b/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go
index d36408dd5b..92cf23963b 100644
--- a/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go
+++ b/containerd-shim-v2/wait.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func wait(s *service, c *container, execID string) (int32, error) {
 		// sandbox.
 
 		if c.cType.IsSandbox() {
-			if err = s.sandbox.Stop(); err != nil {
+			if err = s.sandbox.Stop(true); err != nil {
 				logrus.WithField("sandbox", s.sandbox.ID()).Error("failed to stop sandbox")
 			}
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/api.go b/virtcontainers/api.go
index 8605b978f4..76c2a96190 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/api.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/api.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func StartSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error) {
 
 // StopSandbox is the virtcontainers sandbox stopping entry point.
 // StopSandbox will talk to the given agent to stop an existing sandbox and destroy all containers within that sandbox.
-func StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error) {
+func StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (VCSandbox, error) {
 	span, ctx := trace(ctx, "StopSandbox")
 	defer span.Finish()
 
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error) {
 	defer s.releaseStatelessSandbox()
 
 	// Stop it.
-	err = s.Stop()
+	err = s.Stop(force)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ func statusContainer(sandbox *Sandbox, containerID string) (ContainerStatus, err
 						"state": container.state.State,
 						"pid":   container.process.Pid}).
 						Info("container isn't running")
-					if err := container.stop(); err != nil {
+					if err := container.stop(true); err != nil {
 						return ContainerStatus{}, err
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/api_test.go b/virtcontainers/api_test.go
index 371900800d..68a2bc8803 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/api_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/api_test.go
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func TestStopSandboxNoopAgentSuccessful(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.NotNil(p)
 
-	vp, err := StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID())
+	vp, err := StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID(), false)
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.NotNil(vp)
 }
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ func TestStopSandboxKataAgentSuccessful(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.NotNil(p)
 
-	p, err = StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID())
+	p, err = StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID(), false)
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.NotNil(p)
 }
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ func TestStopSandboxFailing(t *testing.T) {
 	sandboxDir := store.SandboxConfigurationRootPath(testSandboxID)
 	os.Remove(sandboxDir)
 
-	p, err := StopSandbox(context.Background(), testSandboxID)
+	p, err := StopSandbox(context.Background(), testSandboxID, false)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Nil(t, p)
 }
@@ -1461,7 +1461,7 @@ func createStartStopDeleteSandbox(b *testing.B, sandboxConfig SandboxConfig) {
 	}
 
 	// Stop sandbox
-	_, err = StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID())
+	_, err = StopSandbox(ctx, p.ID(), false)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Fatalf("Could not stop sandbox: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/container.go b/virtcontainers/container.go
index a8e7dc91c4..4b25a0a472 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/container.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/container.go
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ func (c *Container) start() error {
 	if err := c.sandbox.agent.startContainer(c.sandbox, c); err != nil {
 		c.Logger().WithError(err).Error("Failed to start container")
 
-		if err := c.stop(); err != nil {
+		if err := c.stop(true); err != nil {
 			c.Logger().WithError(err).Warn("Failed to stop container")
 		}
 		return err
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ func (c *Container) start() error {
 	return c.setContainerState(types.StateRunning)
 }
 
-func (c *Container) stop() error {
+func (c *Container) stop(force bool) error {
 	span, _ := c.trace("stop")
 	defer span.Finish()
 
@@ -999,7 +999,7 @@ func (c *Container) stop() error {
 	// return an error, but instead try to kill it forcefully.
 	if err := waitForShim(c.process.Pid); err != nil {
 		// Force the container to be killed.
-		if err := c.kill(syscall.SIGKILL, true); err != nil {
+		if err := c.kill(syscall.SIGKILL, true); err != nil && !force {
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ func (c *Container) stop() error {
 		// to succeed. Indeed, we have already given a second chance
 		// to the container by trying to kill it with SIGKILL, there
 		// is no reason to try to go further if we got an error.
-		if err := waitForShim(c.process.Pid); err != nil {
+		if err := waitForShim(c.process.Pid); err != nil && !force {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -1045,15 +1045,15 @@ func (c *Container) stop() error {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	if err := c.sandbox.agent.stopContainer(c.sandbox, *c); err != nil {
+	if err := c.sandbox.agent.stopContainer(c.sandbox, *c); err != nil && !force {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := c.detachDevices(); err != nil {
+	if err := c.detachDevices(); err != nil && !force {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := c.removeDrive(); err != nil {
+	if err := c.removeDrive(); err != nil && !force {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/implementation.go b/virtcontainers/implementation.go
index 865a84271d..fd91535444 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/implementation.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/implementation.go
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ func (impl *VCImpl) StartSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandb
 }
 
 // StopSandbox implements the VC function of the same name.
-func (impl *VCImpl) StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error) {
-	return StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID)
+func (impl *VCImpl) StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (VCSandbox, error) {
+	return StopSandbox(ctx, sandboxID, force)
 }
 
 // RunSandbox implements the VC function of the same name.
diff --git a/virtcontainers/interfaces.go b/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
index 8ce0e22fa3..38dfc5f4ed 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/interfaces.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type VC interface {
 	RunSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxConfig SandboxConfig) (VCSandbox, error)
 	StartSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error)
 	StatusSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (SandboxStatus, error)
-	StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string) (VCSandbox, error)
+	StopSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, force bool) (VCSandbox, error)
 
 	CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, sandboxID string, containerConfig ContainerConfig) (VCSandbox, VCContainer, error)
 	DeleteContainer(ctx context.Context, sandboxID, containerID string) (VCContainer, error)
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type VCSandbox interface {
 	SetAnnotations(annotations map[string]string) error
 
 	Start() error
-	Stop() error
+	Stop(force bool) error
 	Pause() error
 	Resume() error
 	Release() error
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
index 2c00d23f82..3d770db8fd 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/vcmock/sandbox.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) Start() error {
 }
 
 // Stop implements the VCSandbox function of the same name.
-func (s *Sandbox) Stop() error {
+func (s *Sandbox) Stop(force bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/sandbox.go b/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
index 0d43a279d7..fc60c6ab94 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) StopContainer(containerID string) (VCContainer, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Stop it.
-	if err := c.stop(); err != nil {
+	if err := c.stop(false); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -1427,7 +1427,8 @@ func (s *Sandbox) Start() error {
 
 // Stop stops a sandbox. The containers that are making the sandbox
 // will be destroyed.
-func (s *Sandbox) Stop() error {
+// When force is true, ignore guest related stop failures.
+func (s *Sandbox) Stop(force bool) error {
 	span, _ := s.trace("stop")
 	defer span.Finish()
 
@@ -1441,12 +1442,12 @@ func (s *Sandbox) Stop() error {
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range s.containers {
-		if err := c.stop(); err != nil {
+		if err := c.stop(force); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := s.stopVM(); err != nil {
+	if err := s.stopVM(); err != nil && !force {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -1455,7 +1456,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) Stop() error {
 	}
 
 	// Remove the network.
-	if err := s.removeNetwork(); err != nil {
+	if err := s.removeNetwork(); err != nil && !force {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go b/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
index df731dcc9b..2450900023 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/sandbox_test.go
@@ -1350,7 +1350,7 @@ func TestSandboxStopStopped(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx:   context.Background(),
 		state: types.SandboxState{State: types.StateStopped},
 	}
-	err := s.Stop()
+	err := s.Stop(false)
 
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 }