diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/container-executor.c b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/container-executor.c
index 3de736529a..d69acf33ab 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/container-executor.c
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/container-executor.c
@@ -1610,7 +1610,7 @@ int exec_container(const char *command_file) {
                   }
                 } else {
                   if (rc < 0) {
-                    if (errno==5) {
+                    if (errno == EIO) {
                       fprintf(stderr, "Remote Connection Closed.\n");
                       exit(0);
                     } else {
@@ -1644,21 +1644,21 @@ int exec_container(const char *command_file) {
     tcsetattr (fds, TCSANOW, &new_term_settings);
 
     // The slave side of the PTY becomes the standard input and outputs of the child process
-    close(0); // Close standard input (current terminal)
-    close(1); // Close standard output (current terminal)
-    close(2); // Close standard error (current terminal)
+    close(STDIN_FILENO); // Close standard input (current terminal)
+    close(STDOUT_FILENO); // Close standard output (current terminal)
+    close(STDERR_FILENO); // Close standard error (current terminal)
 
     if (dup(fds) == -1) {
       // PTY becomes standard input (0)
-      exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
+      _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
     }
     if (dup(fds) == -1) {
       // PTY becomes standard output (1)
-      exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
+      _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
     }
     if (dup(fds) == -1) {
       // PTY becomes standard error (2)
-      exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
+      _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
     }
 
     // Now the original file descriptor is useless
@@ -1669,8 +1669,8 @@ int exec_container(const char *command_file) {
       setsid();
     } else {
       exit_code = set_user(user);
-      if (exit_code!=0) {
-        goto cleanup;
+      if (exit_code != 0) {
+        _exit(exit_code);
       }
     }
 
@@ -1679,24 +1679,20 @@ int exec_container(const char *command_file) {
     ioctl(0, TIOCSCTTY, 1);
     if (docker) {
       ret = execvp(binary, args);
+      fprintf(ERRORFILE, "exec failed - %s\n", strerror(errno));
+      _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
     } else {
       if (change_user(user_detail->pw_uid, user_detail->pw_gid) != 0) {
-        exit_code = DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED;
-        goto cleanup;
+        _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
       }
       ret = chdir(workdir);
       if (ret != 0) {
-        exit_code = DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED;
-        goto cleanup;
+        fprintf(ERRORFILE, "chdir failed - %s", strerror(errno));
+        _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
       }
-      ret = execve(binary, args, env);
-    }
-    if (ret != 0) {
-      fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Couldn't execute the container launch with args %s - %s\n",
-            binary, strerror(errno));
-      exit_code = DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED;
-    } else {
-      exit_code = 0;
+      execve(binary, args, env);
+      fprintf(ERRORFILE, "exec failed - %s\n", strerror(errno));
+      _exit(DOCKER_EXEC_FAILED);
     }
   }
 
@@ -1708,7 +1704,8 @@ cleanup:
   free_values(args);
   free_values(env);
   free_configuration(&command_config);
-  return exit_code;
+
+  return exit_code; // we reach this point only if an error occurs
 }
 
 int exec_docker_command(char *docker_command, char **argv, int argc) {
@@ -2113,14 +2110,14 @@ int launch_docker_container_as_user(const char * user, const char *app_id,
     if (so_fd == NULL) {
       fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Could not append to %s\n", so);
       exit_code = UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
-      goto cleanup;
+      _exit(exit_code);
     }
     FILE* se_fd = fopen(se, "a+");
     if (se_fd == NULL) {
       fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Could not append to %s\n", se);
       exit_code = UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
       fclose(so_fd);
-      goto cleanup;
+      _exit(exit_code);
     }
     // if entry point is enabled, clone docker command output
     // to stdout.txt and stderr.txt for yarn.
@@ -2130,19 +2127,19 @@ int launch_docker_container_as_user(const char * user, const char *app_id,
       if (dup2(fileno(so_fd), fileno(stdout)) == -1) {
         fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Could not append to stdout.txt\n");
         fclose(so_fd);
-        return UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
+        _exit(UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT);
       }
       if (dup2(fileno(se_fd), fileno(stderr)) == -1) {
         fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Could not append to stderr.txt\n");
         fclose(se_fd);
-        return UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
+        _exit(UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT);
       }
     }
     fclose(so_fd);
     fclose(se_fd);
     execvp(docker_binary, docker_command);
     fprintf(ERRORFILE, "failed to execute docker command! error: %s\n", strerror(errno));
-    return UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
+    _exit(UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT);
   } else {
     if (use_entry_point) {
       int pid = 0;
@@ -2332,16 +2329,14 @@ int launch_container_as_user(const char *user, const char *app_id,
   // setsid
   pid_t pid = setsid();
   if (pid == -1) {
-    exit_code = SETSID_OPER_FAILED;
-    goto cleanup;
+    _exit(SETSID_OPER_FAILED);
   }
 
   fprintf(LOGFILE, "Writing pid file...\n");
   // write pid to pidfile
   if (pid_file == NULL
       || write_pid_to_file_as_nm(pid_file, pid) != 0) {
-    exit_code = WRITE_PIDFILE_FAILED;
-    goto cleanup;
+    _exit(WRITE_PIDFILE_FAILED);
   }
 
 #ifdef __linux
@@ -2354,8 +2349,7 @@ int launch_container_as_user(const char *user, const char *app_id,
          *cgroup_ptr != NULL; ++cgroup_ptr) {
       if (strcmp(*cgroup_ptr, "none") != 0 &&
             write_pid_to_cgroup_as_root(*cgroup_ptr, pid) != 0) {
-        exit_code = WRITE_CGROUP_FAILED;
-        goto cleanup;
+        _exit(WRITE_CGROUP_FAILED);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -2368,7 +2362,7 @@ int launch_container_as_user(const char *user, const char *app_id,
     container_file_source, cred_file_source, keystore_file_source, truststore_file_source);
   if (exit_code != 0) {
     fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Could not create local files and directories\n");
-    goto cleanup;
+    _exit(exit_code);
   }
 
   fprintf(LOGFILE, "Launching container...\n");
@@ -2385,13 +2379,10 @@ int launch_container_as_user(const char *user, const char *app_id,
 #endif
   umask(0027);
 
-  if (execlp(script_file_dest, script_file_dest, NULL) != 0) {
-    fprintf(LOGFILE, "Couldn't execute the container launch file %s - %s\n",
-            script_file_dest, strerror(errno));
-    exit_code = UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT;
-    goto cleanup;
-  }
-  exit_code = 0;
+  execlp(script_file_dest, script_file_dest, NULL);
+  fprintf(LOGFILE, "Couldn't execute the container launch file %s - %s\n",
+          script_file_dest, strerror(errno));
+  _exit(UNABLE_TO_EXECUTE_CONTAINER_SCRIPT);
 
   cleanup:
     free(exit_code_file);
@@ -2982,7 +2973,7 @@ static int run_traffic_control(const char *opts[], char *command_file) {
     execv(TC_BIN, (char**)args);
     //if we reach here, exec failed
     fprintf(LOGFILE, "failed to execute tc command! error: %s\n", strerror(errno));
-    return TRAFFIC_CONTROL_EXECUTION_FAILED;
+    _exit(TRAFFIC_CONTROL_EXECUTION_FAILED);
   }
 }
 
@@ -3233,7 +3224,7 @@ int remove_docker_container(char**argv, int argc) {
 
   if (child_pid == 0) { // child
     int rc = exec_docker_command("rm", args, 2);
-    exit_code = rc; // Only get here if exec fails
+    _exit(rc);
   } else { // parent
     exit_code = wait_and_get_exit_code(child_pid);
     if (exit_code != 0) {
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/runc/runc.c b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/runc/runc.c
index cde6d8add0..0b252de403 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/runc/runc.c
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/runc/runc.c
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ int run_runc_container(const char* command_file) {
   pid_t child_pid = fork();
   if (child_pid == 0) {
     exec_runc(rlc->container_id, runc_config_path, rlc->pid_file);
-    exit(1);  // just in case exec_runc returns somehow
+    _exit(1);  // just in case exec_runc returns somehow
   } else if (child_pid == -1) {
     fprintf(ERRORFILE, "Error cannot fork: %s\n", strerror(errno));
     rc = OUT_OF_MEMORY;
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/util.h b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/util.h
index b984a2337a..920888f1ef 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/util.h
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/util.h
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ enum errorcodes {
   DOCKER_SERVICE_MODE_DISABLED = 75,
   ERROR_RUNC_SETUP_FAILED = 76,
   ERROR_RUNC_RUN_FAILED = 77,
-  ERROR_RUNC_REAP_LAYER_MOUNTS_FAILED = 78
+  ERROR_RUNC_REAP_LAYER_MOUNTS_FAILED = 78,
+  ERROR_DOCKER_CONTAINER_EXEC_FAILED = 79
 };
 
 /* Macros for min/max. */
diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/utils/docker-util.c b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/utils/docker-util.c
index f35fd88bfb..8bc66b30f6 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/utils/docker-util.c
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/native/container-executor/impl/utils/docker-util.c
@@ -1169,7 +1169,8 @@ static int check_privileges(const char *user) {
     int child_pid = fork();
     if (child_pid == 0) {
       execl("/usr/bin/sudo", "sudo", "-U", user, "-n", "-l", "docker", NULL);
-      exit(INITIALIZE_USER_FAILED);
+      fprintf(ERRORFILE, "could not invoke docker with sudo - %s\n", strerror(errno));
+      _exit(INITIALIZE_USER_FAILED);
     } else {
       while ((waitid = waitpid(child_pid, &statval, 0)) != child_pid) {
         if (waitid == -1 && errno != EINTR) {