diff --git a/internal/oci/container.go b/internal/oci/container.go
index 559c8f8c9a7..c86707cffcf 100644
--- a/internal/oci/container.go
+++ b/internal/oci/container.go
@@ -553,7 +553,10 @@ func (c *Container) Spoofed() bool {
 // If a stop is currently happening, it also sends the new timeout
 // along the stopTimeoutChan, allowing the in-progress stop
 // to stop faster, or ignore the new stop timeout.
-func (c *Container) SetAsStopping(timeout int64) {
+// In this case, it also returns true, signifying the caller doesn't have to
+// Do any stop related cleanup, as the original caller (alreadyStopping=false)
+// will do said cleanup.
+func (c *Container) SetAsStopping(timeout int64) (alreadyStopping bool) {
 	// First, need to check if the container is already stopping
 	c.stopLock.Lock()
 	defer c.stopLock.Unlock()
@@ -567,12 +570,13 @@ func (c *Container) SetAsStopping(timeout int64) {
 		case <-c.stoppedChan: // This case is to avoid waiting forever once another routine has finished.
 		case <-c.stopStoppingChan: // This case is to avoid deadlocking with SetAsNotStopping.
 		}
-		return
+		return true
 	}
 	// Regardless, set the container as actively stopping.
 	c.stopping = true
 	// And reset the stopStoppingChan
 	c.stopStoppingChan = make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	return false
 }
 
 // SetAsNotStopping unsets the stopping field indicating to new callers that the container
diff --git a/internal/oci/runtime_oci.go b/internal/oci/runtime_oci.go
index 6295ff9acae..08a7a6eb13b 100644
--- a/internal/oci/runtime_oci.go
+++ b/internal/oci/runtime_oci.go
@@ -692,7 +692,9 @@ func WaitContainerStop(ctx context.Context, c *Container, timeout time.Duration,
 
 // StopContainer stops a container. Timeout is given in seconds.
 func (r *runtimeOCI) StopContainer(ctx context.Context, c *Container, timeout int64) (retErr error) {
-	c.SetAsStopping(timeout)
+	if c.SetAsStopping(timeout) {
+		return nil
+	}
 	defer func() {
 		if retErr != nil {
 			// Failed to stop, set stopping to false.
diff --git a/test/ctr.bats b/test/ctr.bats
index 3e7577dac9f..74c9a14d737 100644
--- a/test/ctr.bats
+++ b/test/ctr.bats
@@ -926,3 +926,16 @@ function check_oci_annotation() {
 	pod_id=$(crictl runp "$TESTDATA"/sandbox_config.json)
 	! crictl create "$pod_id" "$TESTDIR/config" "$TESTDATA"/sandbox_config.json
 }
+
+@test "ctr stop timeouts should decrease" {
+	start_crio
+	jq '	  .command'='["/bin/sh", "-c", "trap \"echo hi\" INT; /bin/sleep 6000"]' \
+		"$TESTDATA"/container_config.json > "$newconfig"
+
+	ctr_id=$(crictl run "$newconfig" "$TESTDATA"/sandbox_config.json)
+	for i in {150..1}; do
+		crictl stop --timeout "$i" "$ctr_id" &
+		sleep .1
+	done
+	crictl stop "$ctr_id"
+}