diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/create.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/create.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fb5e5050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/create.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package fs2
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// CreateCgroupPath creates cgroupv2 path, enabling all the
+// available controllers in the process.
+func CreateCgroupPath(path string) (Err error) {
+	const file = UnifiedMountpoint + "/cgroup.controllers"
+	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	ctrs := bytes.Fields(content)
+	res := append([]byte("+"), bytes.Join(ctrs, []byte(" +"))...)
+
+	current := "/sys/fs"
+	elements := strings.Split(path, "/")
+	for i, e := range elements[3:] {
+		current = filepath.Join(current, e)
+		if i > 0 {
+			if err := os.Mkdir(current, 0755); err != nil {
+				if !os.IsExist(err) {
+					return err
+				}
+			} else {
+				// If the directory was created, be sure it is not left around on errors.
+				current := current
+				defer func() {
+					if Err != nil {
+						os.Remove(current)
+					}
+				}()
+			}
+		}
+		if i < len(elements[3:])-1 {
+			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(current, "cgroup.subtree_control"), res, 0755); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
index 4f047bd5..f32f647d 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
@@ -37,38 +37,38 @@ func NewManager(config *configs.Cgroup, dirPath string, rootless bool) (cgroups.
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	controllers, err := detectControllers(dirPath)
-	if err != nil && !rootless {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
 	m := &manager{
-		config:      config,
-		dirPath:     dirPath,
-		controllers: controllers,
-		rootless:    rootless,
+		config:   config,
+		dirPath:  dirPath,
+		rootless: rootless,
 	}
 	return m, nil
 }
 
-func detectControllers(dirPath string) (map[string]struct{}, error) {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(dirPath, 0755); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+func (m *manager) getControllers() error {
+	if m.controllers != nil {
+		return nil
 	}
-	controllersPath := filepath.Join(dirPath, "cgroup.controllers")
-	controllersData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(controllersPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+
+	file := filepath.Join(m.dirPath, "cgroup.controllers")
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(file)
+	if err != nil && !m.rootless {
+		return err
 	}
-	controllersFields := strings.Fields(string(controllersData))
-	controllers := make(map[string]struct{}, len(controllersFields))
-	for _, c := range controllersFields {
-		controllers[c] = struct{}{}
+	fields := strings.Fields(string(data))
+	m.controllers = make(map[string]struct{}, len(fields))
+	for _, c := range fields {
+		m.controllers[c] = struct{}{}
 	}
-	return controllers, nil
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (m *manager) Apply(pid int) error {
+	if err := CreateCgroupPath(m.dirPath); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if err := cgroups.WriteCgroupProc(m.dirPath, pid); err != nil && !m.rootless {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ func (m *manager) GetStats() (*cgroups.Stats, error) {
 	)
 
 	st := cgroups.NewStats()
+	if err := m.getControllers(); err != nil {
+		return st, err
+	}
 
 	// pids (since kernel 4.5)
 	if _, ok := m.controllers["pids"]; ok {
@@ -144,6 +147,7 @@ func (m *manager) Destroy() error {
 
 // GetPaths is for compatibility purpose and should be removed in future
 func (m *manager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
+	_ = m.getControllers()
 	paths := map[string]string{
 		// pseudo-controller for compatibility
 		"devices": m.dirPath,
@@ -163,6 +167,9 @@ func (m *manager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
 	if container == nil || container.Cgroups == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if err := m.getControllers(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	var errs []error
 	// pids (since kernel 4.5)
 	if _, ok := m.controllers["pids"]; ok {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unified_hierarchy.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unified_hierarchy.go
index 9f4a4e5a..18280371 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unified_hierarchy.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unified_hierarchy.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 package systemd
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"math"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -153,7 +151,7 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := createCgroupsv2Path(m.path); err != nil {
+	if err := fs2.CreateCgroupPath(m.path); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -224,43 +222,6 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
 	return m.path, nil
 }
 
-func createCgroupsv2Path(path string) (Err error) {
-	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile("/sys/fs/cgroup/cgroup.controllers")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	ctrs := bytes.Fields(content)
-	res := append([]byte("+"), bytes.Join(ctrs, []byte(" +"))...)
-
-	current := "/sys/fs"
-	elements := strings.Split(path, "/")
-	for i, e := range elements[3:] {
-		current = filepath.Join(current, e)
-		if i > 0 {
-			if err := os.Mkdir(current, 0755); err != nil {
-				if !os.IsExist(err) {
-					return err
-				}
-			} else {
-				// If the directory was created, be sure it is not left around on errors.
-				current := current
-				defer func() {
-					if Err != nil {
-						os.Remove(current)
-					}
-				}()
-			}
-		}
-		if i < len(elements[3:])-1 {
-			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(current, "cgroup.subtree_control"), res, 0755); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (m *unifiedManager) fsManager() (cgroups.Manager, error) {
 	path, err := m.GetUnifiedPath()
 	if err != nil {