diff --git a/cmd/nerdctl/container/container_run_restart_linux_test.go b/cmd/nerdctl/container/container_run_restart_linux_test.go
index 17761188e39..8423fd6389d 100644
--- a/cmd/nerdctl/container/container_run_restart_linux_test.go
+++ b/cmd/nerdctl/container/container_run_restart_linux_test.go
@@ -382,3 +382,75 @@ func TestRunRestartStatusLabel(t *testing.T) {
 
 	testCase.Run(t)
 }
+
+func TestRunRestartAlwaysStop(t *testing.T) {
+	testCase := nerdtest.Setup()
+	if !nerdtest.IsDocker() {
+		testCase.Require = nerdtest.ContainerdPlugin("io.containerd.internal.v1", "restart", []string{"always"})
+	}
+
+	testCase.Setup = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) {
+		helpers.Ensure("run", "-d", "--restart=always", "--name", data.Identifier(), testutil.CommonImage, "sleep", "infinity")
+		helpers.Ensure("stop", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Cleanup = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) {
+		helpers.Anyhow("rm", "-f", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Command = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) test.TestableCommand {
+		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+		return helpers.Command("inspect", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Expected = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) *test.Expected {
+		return &test.Expected{
+			ExitCode: expect.ExitCodeSuccess,
+			Output: expect.JSON([]dockercompat.Container{}, func(dc []dockercompat.Container, t tig.T) {
+				assert.Equal(t, 1, len(dc))
+				assert.Assert(t, dc[0].State != nil && dc[0].State.Status == "exited")
+				if !nerdtest.IsDocker() {
+					assert.Equal(t, "stopped", dc[0].Config.Labels[restart.StatusLabel])
+				}
+			}),
+		}
+	}
+
+	testCase.Run(t)
+}
+
+func TestRunRestartAlwaysKill(t *testing.T) {
+	testCase := nerdtest.Setup()
+	if !nerdtest.IsDocker() {
+		testCase.Require = nerdtest.ContainerdPlugin("io.containerd.internal.v1", "restart", []string{"always"})
+	}
+
+	testCase.Setup = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) {
+		helpers.Ensure("run", "-d", "--restart=always", "--name", data.Identifier(), testutil.CommonImage, "sleep", "infinity")
+		helpers.Ensure("kill", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Cleanup = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) {
+		helpers.Anyhow("rm", "-f", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Command = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) test.TestableCommand {
+		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+		return helpers.Command("inspect", data.Identifier())
+	}
+
+	testCase.Expected = func(data test.Data, helpers test.Helpers) *test.Expected {
+		return &test.Expected{
+			ExitCode: expect.ExitCodeSuccess,
+			Output: expect.JSON([]dockercompat.Container{}, func(dc []dockercompat.Container, t tig.T) {
+				assert.Equal(t, 1, len(dc))
+				assert.Assert(t, dc[0].State != nil && dc[0].State.Status == "exited")
+				if !nerdtest.IsDocker() {
+					assert.Equal(t, "stopped", dc[0].Config.Labels[restart.StatusLabel])
+				}
+			}),
+		}
+	}
+
+	testCase.Run(t)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/container/kill.go b/pkg/cmd/container/kill.go
index d42a7cd8c82..8c17821ce92 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/container/kill.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/container/kill.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/moby/sys/signal"
 
 	containerd "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/client"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/runtime/restart"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/pkg/cio"
 	"github.com/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/containerd/go-cni"
@@ -88,6 +89,13 @@ func killContainer(ctx context.Context, container containerd.Container, signal s
 	if err := containerutil.UpdateExplicitlyStoppedLabel(ctx, container, true); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if l, err := container.Labels(ctx); err == nil {
+		if _, ok := l[restart.PolicyLabel]; ok {
+			if err := containerutil.UpdateStatusLabel(ctx, container, containerd.Stopped); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	task, err := container.Task(ctx, cio.Load)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/containerutil/containerutil.go b/pkg/containerutil/containerutil.go
index fa27533f080..c991ec552da 100644
--- a/pkg/containerutil/containerutil.go
+++ b/pkg/containerutil/containerutil.go
@@ -363,6 +363,12 @@ func Stop(ctx context.Context, container containerd.Container, timeout *time.Dur
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	if _, ok := l[restart.PolicyLabel]; ok {
+		if err := UpdateStatusLabel(ctx, container, containerd.Stopped); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	ipc, err := ipcutil.DecodeIPCLabel(l[labels.IPC])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err