diff --git a/libcontainer/factory_linux.go b/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
index 7942533b..5eb561f6 100644
--- a/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/factory_linux.go
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ func InitArgs(args ...string) func(*LinuxFactory) error {
 			if lp, err := exec.LookPath(name); err == nil {
 				name = lp
 			}
+		} else {
+			abs, err := filepath.Abs(name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			name = abs
 		}
 		l.InitPath = name
 		l.InitArgs = append([]string{name}, args[1:]...)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 144b6b3d..d4f507b9 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -97,12 +96,6 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(status)
 	}
 
-	//allow for relative path for the runC binary
-	if absPath, err := filepath.Abs(os.Args[0]); err != nil {
-		logrus.Fatal("Cannot convert runc path to absolute: %v", err)
-	} else {
-		os.Args[0] = absPath
-	}
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
 		logrus.Fatal(err)
 	}