diff --git a/libpod/container_exec.go b/libpod/container_exec.go
index 42f6eae9e4..ea90533d19 100644
--- a/libpod/container_exec.go
+++ b/libpod/container_exec.go
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ func (c *Container) execAttachSocketPath(sessionID string) (string, error) {
 
 // execExitFileDir gets the path to the container's exit file
 func (c *Container) execExitFileDir(sessionID string) string {
-	return filepath.Join(c.execBundlePath(sessionID), "exit")
+	return filepath.Join(c.execPersistDir(sessionID), "exit")
 }
 
 // execPersistDir gets the path to the container's persist directory
@@ -918,12 +918,6 @@ func (c *Container) createExecBundle(sessionID string) (retErr error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(c.execExitFileDir(sessionID), execDirPermission); err != nil {
-		// The directory is allowed to exist
-		if !os.IsExist(err) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("creating OCI runtime exit file path %s: %w", c.execExitFileDir(sessionID), err)
-		}
-	}
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(c.execPersistDir(sessionID), execDirPermission); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("creating OCI runtime persist directory path %s: %w", c.execPersistDir(sessionID), err)
 	}
diff --git a/libpod/container_internal.go b/libpod/container_internal.go
index c7efd18e4b..17094b8604 100644
--- a/libpod/container_internal.go
+++ b/libpod/container_internal.go
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ func (c *Container) oomFilePath() (string, error) {
 	return c.ociRuntime.OOMFilePath(c)
 }
 
+func (c *Container) persistDir() (string, error) {
+	return c.ociRuntime.PersistDir(c)
+}
+
 // Wait for the container's exit file to appear.
 // When it does, update our state based on it.
 func (c *Container) waitForExitFileAndSync() error {
@@ -757,22 +761,12 @@ func (c *Container) removeConmonFiles() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s winsz file: %w", c.ID(), err)
 	}
 
-	// Remove the exit file so we don't leak memory in tmpfs
-	exitFile, err := c.exitFilePath()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if err := os.Remove(exitFile); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s exit file: %w", c.ID(), err)
-	}
-
-	// Remove the oom file
-	oomFile, err := c.oomFilePath()
+	persistDir, err := c.persistDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := os.Remove(oomFile); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s oom file: %w", c.ID(), err)
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(persistDir); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("removing container %s persist dir with exit & oom files: %w", c.ID(), err)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/libpod/oci.go b/libpod/oci.go
index e0d7406339..d3661e9443 100644
--- a/libpod/oci.go
+++ b/libpod/oci.go
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ type OCIRuntime interface { //nolint:interfacebloat
 	// exec session in the given container.
 	// TODO: Probably should be made internal.
 	ExecAttachSocketPath(ctr *Container, sessionID string) (string, error)
+
+	// PersistDir is the path to a container's dir for oom & exit files.
+	PersistDir(ctr *Container) (string, error)
 	// ExitFilePath is the path to a container's exit file.
 	// All runtime implementations must create an exit file when containers
 	// exit, containing the exit code of the container (as a string).
diff --git a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
index 8aa103fb49..ca7995a048 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
@@ -848,12 +848,21 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) AttachSocketPath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
 	return filepath.Join(ctr.bundlePath(), "attach"), nil
 }
 
+// PersistDir returns the persit dir containing oom & exit files for containers.
+func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) PersistDir(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
+	if ctr == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("must provide a valid container to get persist dir: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+}
+
 // ExitFilePath is the path to a container's exit file.
 func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) ExitFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
 	if ctr == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("must provide a valid container to get exit file path: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
 	}
-	return filepath.Join(r.exitsDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID()), nil
 }
 
 // OOMFilePath is the path to a container's oom file.
diff --git a/libpod/oci_missing.go b/libpod/oci_missing.go
index 98eb91ef8d..69a72150d2 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_missing.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_missing.go
@@ -208,6 +208,15 @@ func (r *MissingRuntime) ExecAttachSocketPath(ctr *Container, sessionID string)
 	return "", r.printError()
 }
 
+// PersistDir returns the persit dir containing oom & exit files for containers.
+func (r *MissingRuntime) PersistDir(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
+	if ctr == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("must provide a valid container to get persist dir: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+}
+
 // ExitFilePath returns the exit file path for containers.
 // Here, we mimic what ConmonOCIRuntime does, because there is a chance that the
 // container in question is still running happily (config file modified to
@@ -217,13 +226,26 @@ func (r *MissingRuntime) ExitFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
 	if ctr == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("must provide a valid container to get exit file path: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
 	}
-	return filepath.Join(r.exitsDir, ctr.ID()), nil
+
+	persistDir, err := r.PersistDir(ctr)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(persistDir, "exit"), nil
 }
 
 // OOMFilePath returns the oom file path for a container.
 // The oom file will only exist if the container was oom killed.
 func (r *MissingRuntime) OOMFilePath(ctr *Container) (string, error) {
-	return filepath.Join(r.persistDir, ctr.ID(), "oom"), nil
+	persistDir, err := r.PersistDir(ctr)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(persistDir, "oom"), nil
 }
 
 // RuntimeInfo returns information on the missing runtime