diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
index 4a213ac734..997b60d61a 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
@@ -243,6 +243,11 @@ func KillContainer(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if len(report) > 0 && report[0].Err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(report[0].Err, define.ErrCtrStateInvalid) ||
+			errors.Is(report[0].Err, define.ErrCtrStopped) {
+			utils.Error(w, http.StatusConflict, report[0].Err)
+			return
+		}
 		utils.InternalServerError(w, report[0].Err)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/test/apiv2/20-containers.at b/test/apiv2/20-containers.at
index c0005c8c52..92074b0b28 100644
--- a/test/apiv2/20-containers.at
+++ b/test/apiv2/20-containers.at
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ t POST "containers/foo/attach?logs=true&stream=false" 200 \
   $'\001\031'$mytext
 t POST "containers/foo/kill" 204
 
-podman run -v /tmp:/tmp $IMAGE true
+podman run --replace --name=foo -v /tmp:/tmp $IMAGE true
+# cannot kill non-running container
+t POST "containers/foo/kill" 409
+t POST "libpod/containers/foo/kill" 409
 
 t GET libpod/containers/json 200 length=0