diff --git a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
index b419878001..86508f9384 100644
--- a/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/api/handlers/compat/containers.go
@@ -233,8 +233,8 @@ func KillContainer(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 		if sig == 0 || syscall.Signal(sig) == syscall.SIGKILL {
-			var opts entities.WaitOptions
-			if _, err := containerEngine.ContainerWait(r.Context(), []string{name}, opts); err != nil {
+			if _, err := utils.WaitContainer(w, r); err != nil {
+
 				utils.Error(w, "Something went wrong.", http.StatusInternalServerError, err)
 				return
 			}
diff --git a/test/python/docker/test_containers.py b/test/python/docker/test_containers.py
index 01e049ed46..5c2a5fef2a 100644
--- a/test/python/docker/test_containers.py
+++ b/test/python/docker/test_containers.py
@@ -95,6 +95,15 @@ def test_stop_container(self):
         top.reload()
         self.assertIn(top.status, ("stopped", "exited"))
 
+    def test_kill_container(self):
+        top = self.client.containers.get(TestContainers.topContainerId)
+        self.assertEqual(top.status, "running")
+
+        # Kill a running container and validate the state
+        top.kill()
+        top.reload()
+        self.assertIn(top.status, ("stopped", "exited"))
+
     def test_restart_container(self):
         # Validate the container state
         top = self.client.containers.get(TestContainers.topContainerId)