diff --git a/daemon/container_operations_unix.go b/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
index 64cbee005e..40240d427a 100644
--- a/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
+++ b/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) getIpcContainer(id string) (*container.Container, error) {
 	return ctr, nil
 }
 
-func (daemon *Daemon) getPidContainer(ctr *container.Container) (*container.Container, error) {
-	id := ctr.HostConfig.PidMode.Container()
+func (daemon *Daemon) getPIDContainer(id string) (*container.Container, error) {
 	ctr, err := daemon.GetContainer(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errdefs.InvalidParameter(err)
diff --git a/daemon/oci_linux.go b/daemon/oci_linux.go
index 520c673237..68d9423fa1 100644
--- a/daemon/oci_linux.go
+++ b/daemon/oci_linux.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func WithNamespaces(daemon *Daemon, c *container.Container) coci.SpecOpts {
 		}
 		switch {
 		case pidMode.IsContainer():
-			pc, err := daemon.getPidContainer(c)
+			pc, err := daemon.getPIDContainer(pidMode.Container())
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to join PID namespace")
 			}