diff --git a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_cgo.go b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_cgo.go
index f575fba2e4..eb8dcc65cb 100644
--- a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_cgo.go
+++ b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_cgo.go
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ package unshare
 //   _containers_unshare();
 // }
 import "C"
+
+func unshareWithNoCGO(c *Cmd) {}
diff --git a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_gccgo.go b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_gccgo.go
index 818983474e..ac3df75a05 100644
--- a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_gccgo.go
+++ b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_gccgo.go
@@ -23,3 +23,5 @@ func init() {
 		C.init()
 	}
 }
+
+func unshareWithNoCGO(c *Cmd) {}
diff --git a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_linux.go b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_linux.go
index 7cb069c78c..b071f1f8cd 100644
--- a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_linux.go
+++ b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_linux.go
@@ -161,6 +161,9 @@ func (c *Cmd) Start() (retErr error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	// Additional steps are required when CGO is not available
+	unshareWithNoCGO(c)
+
 	// Start the new process.
 	err = c.Cmd.Start()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_nocgo.go b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_nocgo.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82a7c74c2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage/pkg/unshare/unshare_nocgo.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+//go:build linux && !cgo
+
+package unshare
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func unshareWithNoCGO(c *Cmd) {
+	if c.Cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
+		c.Cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{}
+	}
+	attr := c.Cmd.SysProcAttr
+	if c.UnshareFlags&syscall.CLONE_NEWUSER != 0 {
+		attr.Cloneflags = uintptr(c.UnshareFlags)
+		attr.GidMappingsEnableSetgroups = c.GidMappingsEnableSetgroups
+		if c.Ctty != nil {
+			index := len(c.Cmd.ExtraFiles)
+			c.Cmd.ExtraFiles = append(c.Cmd.ExtraFiles, c.Ctty)
+			attr.Ctty = index
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func parseIntContainersUnshareEnv(name string) int {
+	env := os.Getenv(name)
+	if env == "" {
+		return -1
+	}
+	_ = os.Unsetenv(name)
+	v, err := strconv.Atoi(env)
+	if err != nil {
+		return -1
+	}
+	return v
+}
+
+func init() {
+	flags := parseIntContainersUnshareEnv("_Containers-unshare")
+	if flags == -1 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if pidFD := parseIntContainersUnshareEnv("_Containers-pid-pipe"); pidFD > -1 {
+		pidFile := os.NewFile(uintptr(pidFD), "")
+		_, err := fmt.Fprintf(pidFile, "%d", os.Getpid())
+		if err != nil {
+			bailOnError(err, "Write pid failed")
+		}
+		_ = pidFile.Close()
+	}
+	if continueFD := parseIntContainersUnshareEnv("_Containers-continue-pipe"); continueFD > -1 {
+		continueFile := os.NewFile(uintptr(continueFD), "")
+		buf := make([]byte, 2048)
+		n, err := continueFile.Read(buf)
+		if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			bailOnError(err, "Read containers continue pipe")
+		}
+		if n > 0 {
+			bailOnError(fmt.Errorf(string(buf)), "Unexpected containers continue pipe read")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if setSid := parseIntContainersUnshareEnv("_Containers-setsid"); setSid == 1 {
+		_, err := syscall.Setsid()
+		if err != nil {
+			bailOnError(err, "Error during setsid")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if flags&syscall.CLONE_NEWUSER != 0 {
+		if err := syscall.Setresuid(0, 0, 0); err != nil {
+			bailOnError(err, "Setresuid failed")
+		}
+		if err := syscall.Setresgid(0, 0, 0); err != nil {
+			bailOnError(err, "Setresgid failed")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Re-invoke the execve system call to obtain capabilities.
+	err := syscall.Exec("/proc/self/exe", os.Args, os.Environ())
+	if err != nil {
+		bailOnError(err, "syscall.Exec %s", "/proc/self/exe")
+	}
+}