diff --git a/crates/runc-shim/src/main.rs b/crates/runc-shim/src/main.rs
index 2998f2f8..492d3422 100644
--- a/crates/runc-shim/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/runc-shim/src/main.rs
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 */
 
 use std::env;
-use tokio::runtime::Builder;
+
 use containerd_shim::{asynchronous::run, parse};
+use tokio::runtime::Builder;
 
 mod cgroup_memory;
 mod common;
diff --git a/crates/runc-shim/src/task.rs b/crates/runc-shim/src/task.rs
index eec1237d..b9041a7a 100644
--- a/crates/runc-shim/src/task.rs
+++ b/crates/runc-shim/src/task.rs
@@ -250,20 +250,21 @@ where
         let exec_id_opt = req.exec_id().as_option();
         let (pid, exit_status, exited_at) = container.delete(exec_id_opt).await?;
         self.factory.cleanup(&self.namespace, container).await?;
+
+        let ts = convert_to_timestamp(exited_at);
+        // if we deleted an init task, send the task delete event
         if req.exec_id().is_empty() {
             containers.remove(req.id());
+            self.send_event(TaskDelete {
+                container_id: id,
+                pid: pid as u32,
+                exit_status: exit_status as u32,
+                exited_at: Some(ts.clone()).into(),
+                ..Default::default()
+            })
+            .await;
         }
 
-        let ts = convert_to_timestamp(exited_at);
-        self.send_event(TaskDelete {
-            container_id: id,
-            pid: pid as u32,
-            exit_status: exit_status as u32,
-            exited_at: Some(ts.clone()).into(),
-            ..Default::default()
-        })
-        .await;
-
         let mut resp = DeleteResponse::new();
         resp.set_exited_at(ts);
         resp.set_pid(pid as u32);