diff --git a/libcontainer/process_linux.go b/libcontainer/process_linux.go
index 94fe99c0589..d6fe0fad023 100644
--- a/libcontainer/process_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/process_linux.go
@@ -644,9 +644,16 @@ func (p *initProcess) start() (retErr error) {
 	if err := p.createNetworkInterfaces(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error creating network interfaces: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := p.updateSpecState(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error updating spec state: %w", err)
+
+	// initConfig.SpecState is only needed to run hooks that are executed
+	// inside a container, i.e. CreateContainer and StartContainer.
+	if p.config.Config.HasHook(configs.CreateContainer, configs.StartContainer) {
+		p.config.SpecState, err = p.container.currentOCIState()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error getting current state: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
+
 	if err := utils.WriteJSON(p.comm.initSockParent, p.config); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error sending config to init process: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -829,16 +836,6 @@ func (p *initProcess) startTime() (uint64, error) {
 	return stat.StartTime, err
 }
 
-func (p *initProcess) updateSpecState() error {
-	s, err := p.container.currentOCIState()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	p.config.SpecState = s
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (p *initProcess) createNetworkInterfaces() error {
 	for _, config := range p.config.Config.Networks {
 		strategy, err := getStrategy(config.Type)
diff --git a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
index f7cd95dd189..158e03c56d9 100644
--- a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
@@ -195,11 +195,12 @@ func prepareRootfs(pipe *syncSocket, iConfig *initConfig) (err error) {
 		return &os.PathError{Op: "chdir", Path: config.Rootfs, Err: err}
 	}
 
-	s := iConfig.SpecState
-	s.Pid = unix.Getpid()
-	s.Status = specs.StateCreating
-	if err := iConfig.Config.Hooks.Run(configs.CreateContainer, s); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if s := iConfig.SpecState; s != nil {
+		s.Pid = unix.Getpid()
+		s.Status = specs.StateCreating
+		if err := iConfig.Config.Hooks.Run(configs.CreateContainer, s); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if config.NoPivotRoot {
diff --git a/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go b/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
index ec2e814370a..fa8b2888472 100644
--- a/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/standard_init_linux.go
@@ -268,11 +268,12 @@ func (l *linuxStandardInit) Init() error {
 	// https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/v4.9/fs/exec.c#L1290-L1318
 	_ = l.fifoFile.Close()
 
-	s := l.config.SpecState
-	s.Pid = unix.Getpid()
-	s.Status = specs.StateCreated
-	if err := l.config.Config.Hooks.Run(configs.StartContainer, s); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if s := l.config.SpecState; s != nil {
+		s.Pid = unix.Getpid()
+		s.Status = specs.StateCreated
+		if err := l.config.Config.Hooks.Run(configs.StartContainer, s); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	if l.dmzExe != nil {