diff --git a/src/api.h b/src/api.h
index 453c1f47..43421b67 100644
--- a/src/api.h
+++ b/src/api.h
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ enum {
 	PROCESSASYNCEVENT,
 };
 
+// "hyperstart" is the special container ID for adding processes.
+//
+// The processes will be execve()-ed in the same namespaces as the
+// hyperstart(init) process rather than in any container.
+// This operation is "hyperstart-exec"
+#define HYPERSTART_EXEC_CONTAINER "hyperstart"
+
 /*
  * control message format
  * | ctrl id | length  | payload (length-8)      |
diff --git a/src/container.h b/src/container.h
index 91a7f95c..bcfc948e 100644
--- a/src/container.h
+++ b/src/container.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define _CONTAINER_H_
 
 #include "exec.h"
+#include "api.h"
 
 struct volume {
 	char	*device;
@@ -61,4 +62,7 @@ void hyper_cleanup_container(struct hyper_container *container, struct hyper_pod
 void hyper_cleanup_containers(struct hyper_pod *pod);
 void hyper_free_container(struct hyper_container *c);
 
+static inline int hyper_has_container(struct hyper_pod *pod, const char *id) {
+	return strcmp(id, HYPERSTART_EXEC_CONTAINER) == 0 || hyper_find_container(pod, id) != NULL;
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/src/exec.c b/src/exec.c
index 114ff6d9..9c36b103 100644
--- a/src/exec.c
+++ b/src/exec.c
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ int hyper_exec_cmd(struct hyper_pod *pod, char *json, int length)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (hyper_find_container(pod, exec->container_id) == NULL) {
+	if (!hyper_has_container(pod, exec->container_id)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "call hyper_exec_cmd, no such container: %s\n", exec->container_id);
 		hyper_free_exec(exec);
 		return -1;
@@ -646,6 +646,11 @@ int hyper_run_process(struct hyper_exec *exec)
 		perror("fork prerequisite process failed");
 		goto close_tty;
 	} else if (pid == 0) {
+		if (strcmp(exec->container_id, HYPERSTART_EXEC_CONTAINER) == 0) {
+			hyper_send_type(pipe[1], getpid());
+			hyper_exec_process(exec, &io);
+			_exit(125);
+		}
 		hyper_do_exec_cmd(exec, pipe[1], &io);
 	}
 	fprintf(stdout, "prerequisite process pid %d\n", pid);
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index b8666e2c..c83d8952 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -472,6 +472,22 @@ static int hyper_setup_shared(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 }
 #endif
 
+static int hyper_setup_virtual_hyperstart_exec_container(struct hyper_pod *pod)
+{
+	if (hyper_mkdir("/tmp/hyper/" HYPERSTART_EXEC_CONTAINER, 0755) < 0) {
+		perror("create virtual hyperstart-exec container directory failed");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	// for creating ptymaster when adding process with terminal=true
+	if (symlink("/dev/pts", "/tmp/hyper/" HYPERSTART_EXEC_CONTAINER "/devpts") < 0) {
+		perror("create virtual hyperstart-exec container's /dev symlink failed");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int hyper_setup_pod(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 {
 	/* create sandbox directory */
@@ -505,6 +521,10 @@ static int hyper_setup_pod(struct hyper_pod *pod)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (hyper_setup_virtual_hyperstart_exec_container(pod) < 0) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -599,7 +619,7 @@ static int hyper_new_container(struct hyper_pod *pod, char *json, int length)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (hyper_find_container(pod, c->id) != NULL) {
+	if (hyper_has_container(pod, c->id)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "container id conflicts");
 		hyper_cleanup_container(c, pod);
 		return -1;