diff --git a/src/exec.c b/src/exec.c
index dae3437..5b0b595 100644
--- a/src/exec.c
+++ b/src/exec.c
@@ -631,28 +631,38 @@ static void hyper_free_exec(struct hyper_exec *exec)
 int hyper_exec_cmd(char *json, int length)
 {
 	struct hyper_exec *exec;
-	struct hyper_pod *pod = &global_pod;
-	int pipe[2] = {-1, -1};
-	int pid, ret = -1;
-	uint32_t type;
 
 	fprintf(stdout, "call hyper_exec_cmd, json %s, len %d\n", json, length);
 
 	exec = hyper_parse_execcmd(json, length);
 	if (exec == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "parse exec cmd failed\n");
-		goto out;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
+	int ret = hyper_run_process(exec);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		hyper_free_exec(exec);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int hyper_run_process(struct hyper_exec *exec)
+{
+	struct hyper_pod *pod = &global_pod;
+	int pipe[2] = {-1, -1};
+	int pid, ret = -1;
+	uint32_t type;
+
 	if (exec->argv == NULL) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "cmd is %p, seq %" PRIu64 ", container %s\n",
 			exec->argv, exec->seq, exec->id);
-		goto free_exec;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (hyper_setup_exec_tty(exec) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "setup exec tty failed\n");
-		goto free_exec;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	if (hyper_watch_exec_pty(exec, pod) < 0) {
@@ -699,8 +709,6 @@ close_tty:
 	close(exec->stdinfd);
 	close(exec->stdoutfd);
 	close(exec->stderrfd);
-free_exec:
-	hyper_free_exec(exec);
 	goto out;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/exec.h b/src/exec.h
index f176262..54e35cf 100644
--- a/src/exec.h
+++ b/src/exec.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ int hyper_release_exec(struct hyper_exec *, struct hyper_pod *);
 int hyper_container_execcmd(struct hyper_pod *pod);
 int hyper_setup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e);
 int hyper_dup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e);
+int hyper_run_process(struct hyper_exec *e);
 void hyper_exec_process(struct hyper_exec *e);
 struct hyper_exec *hyper_find_exec_by_pid(struct list_head *head, int pid);
 struct hyper_exec *hyper_find_exec_by_seq(struct hyper_pod *pod, uint64_t seq);