diff --git a/libcontainer/container_linux.go b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
index b498e33bce2..67232dfa11f 100644
--- a/libcontainer/container_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ func (c *Container) OCIState() (*specs.State, error) {
 	return c.currentOCIState()
 }
 
+// ignoreCgroupError filters out cgroup-related errors that can be ignored,
+// because the container is stopped and its cgroup is gone.
+func (c *Container) ignoreCgroupError(err error) error {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) && c.runType() == Stopped && !c.cgroupManager.Exists() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 // Processes returns the PIDs inside this container. The PIDs are in the
 // namespace of the calling process.
 //
@@ -119,18 +131,8 @@ func (c *Container) OCIState() (*specs.State, error) {
 // unless the container state is PAUSED in which case every PID in the slice is
 // valid.
 func (c *Container) Processes() ([]int, error) {
-	var pids []int
-	status, err := c.currentStatus()
-	if err != nil {
-		return pids, err
-	}
-	// for systemd cgroup, the unit's cgroup path will be auto removed if container's all processes exited
-	if status == Stopped && !c.cgroupManager.Exists() {
-		return pids, nil
-	}
-
-	pids, err = c.cgroupManager.GetAllPids()
-	if err != nil {
+	pids, err := c.cgroupManager.GetAllPids()
+	if err = c.ignoreCgroupError(err); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to get all container pids: %w", err)
 	}
 	return pids, nil
@@ -363,11 +365,12 @@ func (c *Container) Signal(s os.Signal, all bool) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if all {
-		// for systemd cgroup, the unit's cgroup path will be auto removed if container's all processes exited
 		if status == Stopped && !c.cgroupManager.Exists() {
+			// Avoid calling signalAllProcesses which may print
+			// a warning trying to freeze a non-existing cgroup.
 			return nil
 		}
-		return signalAllProcesses(c.cgroupManager, s)
+		return c.ignoreCgroupError(signalAllProcesses(c.cgroupManager, s))
 	}
 	// to avoid a PID reuse attack
 	if status == Running || status == Created || status == Paused {