diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index b40e686..27f22c8 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ int hyper_start_containers(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int hyper_setup_container(struct hyper_pod *pod)
+static int hyper_setup_pod_init(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 {
 	int stacksize = getpagesize() * 4;
 	int flags = CLONE_NEWPID | CLONE_NEWNS | CLONE_NEWIPC |
@@ -461,11 +461,6 @@ static int hyper_setup_container(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (hyper_start_containers(pod) < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "start containers failed\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	ret = 0;
 out:
 	close(arg.ctl_pipe[1]);
@@ -587,7 +582,7 @@ static int hyper_setup_pod(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (hyper_setup_container(pod) < 0) {
+	if (hyper_setup_pod_init(pod) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "start container failed\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -641,6 +636,12 @@ static int hyper_start_pod(char *json, int length)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (hyper_start_containers(pod) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "start containers failed\n");
+		hyper_destroy_pod(pod);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }