diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/fs.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/fs.go
index f9034f09f..3de8f9d58 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/fs.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/fs.go
@@ -233,11 +233,7 @@ func (m *manager) Destroy() error {
 	}
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()
-	if err := cgroups.RemovePaths(m.paths); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	m.paths = make(map[string]string)
-	return nil
+	return cgroups.RemovePaths(m.paths)
 }
 
 func (m *manager) Path(subsys string) string {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
index c3cc9c8b3..2d92dc279 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
@@ -223,17 +223,14 @@ func (m *legacyManager) Destroy() error {
 	}
 	unitName := getUnitName(m.cgroups)
 
-	err = stopUnit(dbusConnection, unitName)
+	stopErr := stopUnit(dbusConnection, unitName)
 	// Both on success and on error, cleanup all the cgroups we are aware of.
 	// Some of them were created directly by Apply() and are not managed by systemd.
 	if err := cgroups.RemovePaths(m.paths); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	m.paths = make(map[string]string)
-	return nil
+
+	return stopErr
 }
 
 func (m *legacyManager) Path(subsys string) string {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/utils.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/utils.go
index 6e88b5dff..222a513ee 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/utils.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/utils.go
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ func RemovePaths(paths map[string]string) (err error) {
 			}
 		}
 		if len(paths) == 0 {
+			paths = make(map[string]string)
 			return nil
 		}
 	}