diff --git a/src/container.c b/src/container.c
index a56f969..99b671c 100644
--- a/src/container.c
+++ b/src/container.c
@@ -402,9 +402,9 @@ static int container_setup_workdir(struct hyper_container *container)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int container_setup_tty(int fd, struct hyper_container *container)
+static int container_setup_tty(struct hyper_container *container)
 {
-	return hyper_dup_exec_tty(fd, &container->exec);
+	return hyper_dup_exec_tty(&container->exec);
 }
 
 static int hyper_rescan_scsi(void)
@@ -457,7 +457,6 @@ struct hyper_container_arg {
 	struct hyper_pod	*pod;
 	int			ipcns;
 	int			utsns;
-	int			pipe[2];
 };
 
 static int hyper_container_init(void *data)
@@ -617,7 +616,7 @@ static int hyper_container_init(void *data)
 
 	fflush(stdout);
 
-	if (container_setup_tty(arg->pipe[1], container) < 0) {
+	if (container_setup_tty(container) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stdout, "setup tty failed\n");
 		goto fail;
 	}
@@ -625,11 +624,15 @@ static int hyper_container_init(void *data)
 	execvp(container->exec.argv[0], container->exec.argv);
 	perror("exec container command failed");
 
-	_exit(-1);
+	 /* the exit codes follow the `chroot` standard,
+	    see docker/docs/reference/run.md#exit-status */
+	if (errno == ENOENT)
+		_exit(127);
+	else if (errno == EACCES)
+		_exit(126);
 
 fail:
-	hyper_send_type(arg->pipe[1], ERROR);
-	_exit(-1);
+	_exit(125);
 }
 
 static int hyper_setup_pty(struct hyper_container *c)
@@ -666,11 +669,9 @@ int hyper_start_container(struct hyper_container *container,
 		.pod	= pod,
 		.utsns	= utsns,
 		.ipcns	= ipcns,
-		.pipe	= {-1, -1},
 	};
 	int flags = CLONE_NEWNS | SIGCHLD;
 	char path[128];
-	uint32_t type;
 	void *stack;
 	int pid;
 
@@ -685,11 +686,6 @@ int hyper_start_container(struct hyper_container *container,
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
-	if (pipe2(arg.pipe, O_CLOEXEC) < 0) {
-		perror("create pipe between pod init execcmd failed");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
 	if (hyper_watch_exec_pty(&container->exec, pod) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "faile to watch container pty\n");
 		goto fail;
@@ -715,24 +711,13 @@ int hyper_start_container(struct hyper_container *container,
 		goto fail;
 	}
 
-	/* wait for ready message */
-	if (hyper_get_type(arg.pipe[0], &type) < 0 || type != READY) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "wait for container started failed\n");
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
 	container->exec.pid = pid;
 	list_add_tail(&container->exec.list, &pod->exec_head);
 	container->exec.ref++;
 
-	close(arg.pipe[0]);
-	close(arg.pipe[1]);
-
 	fprintf(stdout, "container %s,init pid %d,ref %d\n", container->id, pid, container->exec.ref);
 	return 0;
 fail:
-	close(arg.pipe[0]);
-	close(arg.pipe[1]);
 	close(container->ns);
 	hyper_reset_event(&container->exec.stdinev);
 	hyper_reset_event(&container->exec.stdoutev);
diff --git a/src/exec.c b/src/exec.c
index 97cfda4..2c0f121 100644
--- a/src/exec.c
+++ b/src/exec.c
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ int hyper_setup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int hyper_dup_exec_tty(int to, struct hyper_exec *e)
+int hyper_dup_exec_tty(struct hyper_exec *e)
 {
 	int ret = -1;
 
@@ -416,7 +416,6 @@ int hyper_dup_exec_tty(int to, struct hyper_exec *e)
 	}
 
 	fflush(stdout);
-	hyper_send_type(to, READY);
 
 	if (dup2(e->stdinfd, STDIN_FILENO) < 0) {
 		perror("dup tty device to stdin failed");
@@ -535,8 +534,7 @@ static int hyper_do_exec_cmd(void *data)
 	struct hyper_exec_arg *arg = data;
 	struct hyper_exec *exec = arg->exec;
 	struct hyper_pod *pod = arg->pod;
-	int pipe[2] = {-1, -1}, pid;
-	int ret = -1;
+	int pid, ret = -1;
 
 	if (exec->id) {
 		char path[512];
@@ -558,11 +556,6 @@ static int hyper_do_exec_cmd(void *data)
 		close(pidns);
 	}
 
-	if (pipe2(pipe, O_CLOEXEC) < 0) {
-		perror("create pipe in exec command failed");
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	if (hyper_watch_exec_pty(exec, pod) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "add pts master event failed\n");
 		goto out;
@@ -573,14 +566,6 @@ static int hyper_do_exec_cmd(void *data)
 		perror("fail to fork");
 		goto out;
 	} else if (pid > 0) {
-		uint32_t type;
-
-		if (hyper_get_type(pipe[0], &type) < 0 || type != READY) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "hyper init doesn't get execcmd ready message\n");
-			goto out;
-		}
-
-		fprintf(stdout, "hyper init get ready message\n");
 		exec->pid = pid;
 		//TODO combin ref++ and add to list.
 		list_add_tail(&exec->list, &pod->exec_head);
@@ -600,25 +585,26 @@ static int hyper_do_exec_cmd(void *data)
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
-	if (hyper_dup_exec_tty(pipe[1], exec) < 0) {
+	if (hyper_dup_exec_tty(exec) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "dup pts to exec stdio failed\n");
 		goto exit;
 	}
 
 	if (execvp(exec->argv[0], exec->argv) < 0) {
 		perror("exec failed");
-		goto exit;
+
+		 /* the exit codes follow the `chroot` standard,
+		    see docker/docs/reference/run.md#exit-status */
+		if (errno == ENOENT)
+			exit(127);
+		else if (errno == EACCES)
+			exit(126);
+
 	}
 
-	ret = 0;
 exit:
-	close(pipe[0]);
-	close(pipe[1]);
-	hyper_send_type(pipe[1], ERROR);
-	_exit(ret);
+	_exit(125);
 out:
-	close(pipe[0]);
-	close(pipe[1]);
 	hyper_send_type(arg->pipe[1], ret ? ERROR : READY);
 	_exit(ret);
 }
diff --git a/src/exec.h b/src/exec.h
index 3bb7b08..589668a 100644
--- a/src/exec.h
+++ b/src/exec.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ int hyper_exec_cmd(char *json, int length);
 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(int fd, struct hyper_exec *e);
+int hyper_dup_exec_tty(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);
 int hyper_setup_exec_user(struct hyper_exec *e);