diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/dockertools/manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/dockertools/manager.go
index b1740f2074..d94428cea6 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/dockertools/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/dockertools/manager.go
@@ -892,3 +892,22 @@ func (dm *DockerManager) PortForward(pod *kubecontainer.Pod, port uint16, stream
 	command.Stdout = stream
 	return command.Run()
 }
+
+// KillContainer kills a container identified by containerID.
+// Internally, it invokes docker's StopContainer API with a timeout of 10s.
+// TODO(yifan): Use new ContainerID type.
+func (dm *DockerManager) KillContainer(containerID types.UID) error {
+	ID := string(containerID)
+	glog.V(2).Infof("Killing container with id %q", ID)
+	dm.readinessManager.RemoveReadiness(ID)
+	err := dm.client.StopContainer(ID, 10)
+
+	ref, ok := dm.containerRefManager.GetRef(ID)
+	if !ok {
+		glog.Warningf("No ref for pod '%v'", ID)
+	} else {
+		// TODO: pass reason down here, and state, or move this call up the stack.
+		dm.recorder.Eventf(ref, "killing", "Killing %v", ID)
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 269b8a581d..b51439585f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) runContainer(pod *api.Pod, container *api.Container, netMode,
 	if container.Lifecycle != nil && container.Lifecycle.PostStart != nil {
 		handlerErr := kl.handlerRunner.Run(id, pod, container, container.Lifecycle.PostStart)
 		if handlerErr != nil {
-			kl.killContainerByID(id)
+			kl.containerManager.KillContainer(types.UID(id))
 			return dockertools.DockerID(""), fmt.Errorf("failed to call event handler: %v", handlerErr)
 		}
 	}
@@ -909,26 +909,6 @@ func parseResolvConf(reader io.Reader) (nameservers []string, searches []string,
 	return nameservers, searches, nil
 }
 
-// Kill a docker container
-func (kl *Kubelet) killContainer(c *kubecontainer.Container) error {
-	return kl.killContainerByID(string(c.ID))
-}
-
-func (kl *Kubelet) killContainerByID(ID string) error {
-	glog.V(2).Infof("Killing container with id %q", ID)
-	kl.readinessManager.RemoveReadiness(ID)
-	err := kl.dockerClient.StopContainer(ID, 10)
-
-	ref, ok := kl.containerRefManager.GetRef(ID)
-	if !ok {
-		glog.Warningf("No ref for pod '%v'", ID)
-	} else {
-		// TODO: pass reason down here, and state, or move this call up the stack.
-		kl.recorder.Eventf(ref, "killing", "Killing %v", ID)
-	}
-	return err
-}
-
 // createPodInfraContainer starts the pod infra container for a pod. Returns the docker container ID of the newly created container.
 func (kl *Kubelet) createPodInfraContainer(pod *api.Pod) (dockertools.DockerID, error) {
 
@@ -1029,7 +1009,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) killPod(pod kubecontainer.Pod) error {
 					errs <- err
 				}
 			}
-			err := kl.killContainer(container)
+			err := kl.containerManager.KillContainer(container.ID)
 			if err != nil {
 				glog.Errorf("Failed to delete container: %v; Skipping pod %q", err, pod.ID)
 				errs <- err
@@ -1340,7 +1320,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, runningPod kubecont
 			_, keep := containerChanges.containersToKeep[dockertools.DockerID(container.ID)]
 			if !keep {
 				glog.V(3).Infof("Killing unwanted container %+v", container)
-				err = kl.killContainer(container)
+				err = kl.containerManager.KillContainer(container.ID)
 				if err != nil {
 					glog.Errorf("Error killing container: %v", err)
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 0bdd7a6785..4867ce9d04 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -368,19 +368,18 @@ func TestKillContainerWithError(t *testing.T) {
 			Names: []string{"/k8s_bar_qux_new_5678_42"},
 		},
 	}
-	fakeDocker := &dockertools.FakeDockerClient{
-		Errors:        make(map[string]error),
-		ContainerList: append([]docker.APIContainers{}, containers...),
-	}
 	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t)
 	kubelet := testKubelet.kubelet
+	fakeDocker := testKubelet.fakeDocker
+	fakeDocker.ContainerList = containers
+
 	for _, c := range fakeDocker.ContainerList {
 		kubelet.readinessManager.SetReadiness(c.ID, true)
 	}
 	kubelet.dockerClient = fakeDocker
 	c := apiContainerToContainer(fakeDocker.ContainerList[0])
 	fakeDocker.Errors["stop"] = fmt.Errorf("sample error")
-	err := kubelet.killContainer(&c)
+	err := kubelet.containerManager.KillContainer(c.ID)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected error, found nil")
 	}
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@ func TestKillContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	c := apiContainerToContainer(fakeDocker.ContainerList[0])
-	err := kubelet.killContainer(&c)
+	err := kubelet.containerManager.KillContainer(c.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}