diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/cgroups.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/cgroups.go
index c0a965923f9..10487fdd80c 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/cgroups.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/cgroups.go
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ type Manager interface {
 	// GetUnifiedPath returns the unified path when running in unified mode.
 	// The value corresponds to the all values of GetPaths() map.
 	//
-	// GetUnifiedPath returns error when running in hybrid mode as well as
+	// GetUnifiedPath panics when running in hybrid mode as well as
 	// in legacy mode.
-	GetUnifiedPath() (string, error)
+	GetUnifiedPath() string
 
 	// Sets the cgroup as configured.
 	Set(container *configs.Config) error
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/apply_raw.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/apply_raw.go
index 59ce5ea6b78..74283905c09 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/apply_raw.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs/apply_raw.go
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ func (m *Manager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
 	return paths
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	return "", errors.New("unified path is only supported when running in unified mode")
+func (m *Manager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	panic("GetUnifiedPath is only supported when running in unified mode")
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) GetStats() (*cgroups.Stats, error) {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
index fc469e10377..971ddf24766 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/fs2/fs2.go
@@ -164,22 +164,12 @@ func (m *manager) Destroy() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// 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,
-		"freezer": m.dirPath,
-	}
-	for c := range m.controllers {
-		paths[c] = m.dirPath
-	}
-	return paths
+	panic("GetPaths can only be used for cgroupv1")
 }
 
-func (m *manager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	return m.dirPath, nil
+func (m *manager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	return m.dirPath
 }
 
 func (m *manager) Set(container *configs.Config) error {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unsupported.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unsupported.go
index 5318a1e9188..30d97ad8f7f 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unsupported.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/unsupported.go
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ func (m *Manager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("Systemd not supported")
+func (m *Manager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	return ""
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) GetStats() (*cgroups.Stats, error) {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
index 8bac7ca23c9..8b3bc6bc802 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v1.go
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ func (m *LegacyManager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
 	return paths
 }
 
-func (m *LegacyManager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	return "", errors.New("unified path is only supported when running in unified mode")
+func (m *LegacyManager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	panic("GetUnifiedPath is only supported when running in unified mode")
 }
 
 func join(c *configs.Cgroup, subsystem string, pid int) (string, error) {
diff --git a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
index 77f7696e39b..6ba661b457c 100644
--- a/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
+++ b/libcontainer/cgroups/systemd/v2.go
@@ -144,8 +144,7 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Apply(pid int) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, err = m.GetUnifiedPath()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err = m.initPath(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := fs2.CreateCgroupPath(m.path, m.cgroups); err != nil {
@@ -175,26 +174,18 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Destroy() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// this method is for v1 backward compatibility and will be removed
+// must not be called for this controller
 func (m *unifiedManager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
-	_, _ = m.GetUnifiedPath()
-	paths := map[string]string{
-		"pids":    m.path,
-		"memory":  m.path,
-		"io":      m.path,
-		"cpu":     m.path,
-		"devices": m.path,
-		"cpuset":  m.path,
-		"freezer": m.path,
-	}
-	return paths
+	panic("GetPaths can only be used for cgroupv1")
 }
 
-func (m *unifiedManager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	m.mu.Lock()
-	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+func (m *unifiedManager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	return m.path
+}
+
+func (m *unifiedManager) initPath() error {
 	if m.path != "" {
-		return m.path, nil
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	c := m.cgroups
@@ -205,25 +196,24 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
 
 	slice, err := ExpandSlice(slice)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	path := filepath.Join(slice, getUnitName(c))
 	path, err = securejoin.SecureJoin(fs2.UnifiedMountpoint, path)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 	m.path = path
 
-	return m.path, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) fsManager() (cgroups.Manager, error) {
-	path, err := m.GetUnifiedPath()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := m.initPath(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return fs2.NewManager(m.cgroups, path, m.rootless)
+	return fs2.NewManager(m.cgroups, m.path, m.rootless)
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) Freeze(state configs.FreezerState) error {
@@ -235,19 +225,17 @@ func (m *unifiedManager) Freeze(state configs.FreezerState) error {
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) GetPids() ([]int, error) {
-	path, err := m.GetUnifiedPath()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := m.initPath(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return cgroups.GetPids(path)
+	return cgroups.GetPids(m.path)
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) GetAllPids() ([]int, error) {
-	path, err := m.GetUnifiedPath()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := m.initPath(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return cgroups.GetAllPids(path)
+	return cgroups.GetAllPids(m.path)
 }
 
 func (m *unifiedManager) GetStats() (*cgroups.Stats, error) {
diff --git a/libcontainer/container_linux.go b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
index 96bc66b2e63..aaaf838103f 100644
--- a/libcontainer/container_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/container_linux.go
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ type State struct {
 	// Set to true if BaseState.Config.RootlessEUID && BaseState.Config.RootlessCgroups
 	Rootless bool `json:"rootless"`
 
-	// Path to all the cgroups setup for a container. Key is cgroup subsystem name
-	// with the value as the path.
+	// Path to all the cgroups setup for a container. For cgroup v1,
+	// a key is cgroup subsystem name, and the value as the path.
+	// For cgroup v2, a key is the empty string, and the value
+	// is the unified cgroup path.
 	CgroupPaths map[string]string `json:"cgroup_paths"`
 
 	// NamespacePaths are filepaths to the container's namespaces. Key is the namespace type
@@ -551,9 +553,18 @@ func (c *linuxContainer) newSetnsProcess(p *Process, cmd *exec.Cmd, messageSockP
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	var paths map[string]string
+	if cgroups.IsCgroup2UnifiedMode() {
+		// there's only one path to enter, add it to the map
+		paths = make(map[string]string, 1)
+		paths[""] = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
+	} else {
+		paths = c.cgroupManager.GetPaths()
+	}
+
 	return &setnsProcess{
 		cmd:             cmd,
-		cgroupPaths:     c.cgroupManager.GetPaths(),
+		cgroupPaths:     paths,
 		rootlessCgroups: c.config.RootlessCgroups,
 		intelRdtPath:    state.IntelRdtPath,
 		messageSockPair: messageSockPair,
@@ -1023,11 +1034,7 @@ func (c *linuxContainer) Checkpoint(criuOpts *CriuOpts) error {
 	case true:
 		// cgroup v2 freezer is only supported since CRIU release 3.14
 		if c.checkCriuVersion(31400) == nil {
-			fcg, err = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
-			if err != nil {
-				// should not happen
-				return err
-			}
+			fcg = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
 		}
 	}
 	if fcg != "" {
@@ -1861,12 +1868,7 @@ func (c *linuxContainer) isPaused() (bool, error) {
 		filename = "freezer.state"
 		pausedState = "FROZEN"
 	} else {
-		var err error
-		fcg, err = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			// should not happen
-			return false, err
-		}
+		fcg = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
 		filename = "cgroup.freeze"
 		pausedState = "1"
 	}
@@ -1906,11 +1908,17 @@ func (c *linuxContainer) currentState() (*State, error) {
 			Created:              c.created,
 		},
 		Rootless:            c.config.RootlessEUID && c.config.RootlessCgroups,
-		CgroupPaths:         c.cgroupManager.GetPaths(),
 		IntelRdtPath:        intelRdtPath,
 		NamespacePaths:      make(map[configs.NamespaceType]string),
 		ExternalDescriptors: externalDescriptors,
 	}
+	if cgroups.IsCgroup2UnifiedMode() {
+		paths := make(map[string]string, 1)
+		paths[""] = c.cgroupManager.GetUnifiedPath()
+		state.CgroupPaths = paths
+	} else {
+		state.CgroupPaths = c.cgroupManager.GetPaths()
+	}
 	if pid > 0 {
 		for _, ns := range c.config.Namespaces {
 			state.NamespacePaths[ns.Type] = ns.GetPath(pid)
diff --git a/libcontainer/container_linux_test.go b/libcontainer/container_linux_test.go
index 583c1c0c2fd..1607267c1de 100644
--- a/libcontainer/container_linux_test.go
+++ b/libcontainer/container_linux_test.go
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ func (m *mockCgroupManager) GetPaths() map[string]string {
 	return m.paths
 }
 
-func (m *mockCgroupManager) GetUnifiedPath() (string, error) {
-	return m.unifiedPath, nil
+func (m *mockCgroupManager) GetUnifiedPath() string {
+	return m.unifiedPath
 }
 
 func (m *mockCgroupManager) Freeze(state configs.FreezerState) error {
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ func TestGetContainerState(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
 		pid                  = os.Getpid()
 		expectedMemoryPath   = "/sys/fs/cgroup/memory/myid"
+		expectedUnifiedPath  = "/sys/fs/cgroup/myid"
 		expectedNetworkPath  = fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/ns/net", pid)
 		expectedIntelRdtPath = "/sys/fs/resctrl/myid"
 	)
@@ -228,9 +229,12 @@ func TestGetContainerState(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			// cgroupv1
 			paths: map[string]string{
 				"memory": expectedMemoryPath,
 			},
+			// cgroupv2
+			unifiedPath: expectedUnifiedPath,
 		},
 		intelRdtManager: &mockIntelRdtManager{
 			stats: &intelrdt.Stats{
@@ -255,8 +259,16 @@ func TestGetContainerState(t *testing.T) {
 	if paths == nil {
 		t.Fatal("cgroup paths should not be nil")
 	}
-	if memPath := paths["memory"]; memPath != expectedMemoryPath {
-		t.Fatalf("expected memory path %q but received %q", expectedMemoryPath, memPath)
+	if cgroups.IsCgroup2UnifiedMode() {
+		// cgroupv2
+		if path := paths[""]; path != expectedUnifiedPath {
+			t.Fatalf("expected memory path %q but received %q", expectedUnifiedPath, path)
+		}
+	} else {
+		// cgroupv1
+		if memPath := paths["memory"]; memPath != expectedMemoryPath {
+			t.Fatalf("expected memory path %q but received %q", expectedMemoryPath, memPath)
+		}
 	}
 	if intelrdt.IsCatEnabled() || intelrdt.IsMbaEnabled() {
 		intelRdtPath := state.IntelRdtPath