diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_init.c b/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
index f2011f9fb..bcdfcc389 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
@@ -92,6 +92,86 @@ static struct arguments my_args = {
 	.shortopts = short_options
 };
 
+static void prevent_forking(void)
+{
+	FILE *f;
+	char name[PATH_MAX], path[PATH_MAX];
+	int ret;
+
+	f = fopen("/proc/self/cgroup", "r");
+	if (!f) {
+		SYSERROR("opening /proc/self/cgroup");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	while (!feof(f)) {
+		int fd;
+
+		if (2 != fscanf(f, "%*d:%[^:]:%s", name, path)) {
+			ERROR("didn't scan the right number of things");
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		if (strcmp(name, "pids"))
+			continue;
+
+		ret = snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "/sys/fs/cgroup/pids/%s/pids.max", path);
+		if (ret < 0 || ret >= sizeof(path)) {
+			ERROR("failed snprintf");
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		fd = open(name, O_WRONLY);
+		if (fd < 0) {
+			SYSERROR("open");
+			goto out;
+		}
+
+		if (write(fd, "1", 1) != 1)
+			SYSERROR("write");
+
+		close(fd);
+		break;
+	}
+
+out:
+	fclose(f);
+}
+
+static void kill_children(pid_t pid)
+{
+	FILE *f;
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/proc/%d/task/%d/children", pid, pid);
+	if (ret < 0 || ret >= sizeof(path)) {
+		ERROR("failed snprintf");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	f = fopen(path, "r");
+	if (!f) {
+		SYSERROR("couldn't open %s", path);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	while (!feof(f)) {
+		pid_t pid;
+
+		if (fscanf(f, "%d ", &pid) != 1) {
+			ERROR("couldn't scan pid");
+			fclose(f);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		kill_children(pid);
+		kill(pid, SIGKILL);
+	}
+
+	fclose(f);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int i, ret;
@@ -258,18 +338,28 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case SIGTERM:
 			if (!shutdown) {
 				shutdown = 1;
-				ret = kill(-1, SIGTERM);
-				if (ret < 0)
-					DEBUG("%s - Failed to send SIGTERM to "
-					      "all children", strerror(errno));
+				prevent_forking();
+				if (getpid() != 1) {
+					kill_children(getpid());
+				} else {
+					ret = kill(-1, SIGTERM);
+					if (ret < 0)
+						DEBUG("%s - Failed to send SIGTERM to "
+						      "all children", strerror(errno));
+				}
 				alarm(1);
 			}
 			break;
 		case SIGALRM:
-			ret = kill(-1, SIGKILL);
-			if (ret < 0)
-				DEBUG("%s - Failed to send SIGKILL to all "
-				      "children", strerror(errno));
+			prevent_forking();
+			if (getpid() != 1) {
+				kill_children(getpid());
+			} else {
+				ret = kill(-1, SIGTERM);
+				if (ret < 0)
+					DEBUG("%s - Failed to send SIGTERM to "
+					      "all children", strerror(errno));
+			}
 			break;
 		default:
 			ret = kill(pid, was_interrupted);