diff --git a/pkg/katautils/create.go b/pkg/katautils/create.go
index 63fab5c859..630b32c991 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/create.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/create.go
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func HandleFactory(ctx context.Context, vci vc.VC, runtimeConfig *oci.RuntimeCon
 // of the same pod the already existing volume is reused.
 func SetEphemeralStorageType(ociSpec oci.CompatOCISpec) oci.CompatOCISpec {
 	for idx, mnt := range ociSpec.Mounts {
-		if IsEphemeralStorage(mnt.Source) {
+		if vc.IsEphemeralStorage(mnt.Source) {
 			ociSpec.Mounts[idx].Type = "ephemeral"
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/katautils/utils.go b/pkg/katautils/utils.go
index ae3ccecd36..12ab107fad 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/utils.go
@@ -14,12 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
-
-	vc "github.com/kata-containers/runtime/virtcontainers"
-)
-
-const (
-	k8sEmptyDir = "kubernetes.io~empty-dir"
 )
 
 // FileExists test is a file exiting or not
@@ -31,28 +25,6 @@ func FileExists(path string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// IsEphemeralStorage returns true if the given path
-// to the storage belongs to kubernetes ephemeral storage
-//
-// This method depends on a specific path used by k8s
-// to detect if it's of type ephemeral. As of now,
-// this is a very k8s specific solution that works
-// but in future there should be a better way for this
-// method to determine if the path is for ephemeral
-// volume type
-func IsEphemeralStorage(path string) bool {
-	splitSourceSlice := strings.Split(path, "/")
-	if len(splitSourceSlice) > 1 {
-		storageType := splitSourceSlice[len(splitSourceSlice)-2]
-		if storageType == k8sEmptyDir {
-			if _, fsType, _ := vc.GetDevicePathAndFsType(path); fsType == "tmpfs" {
-				return true
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 // ResolvePath returns the fully resolved and expanded value of the
 // specified path.
 func ResolvePath(path string) (string, error) {
diff --git a/virtcontainers/container.go b/virtcontainers/container.go
index 75fcdc98f2..f77662beda 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/container.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/container.go
@@ -477,8 +477,10 @@ func (c *Container) mountSharedDirMounts(hostSharedDir, guestSharedDir string) (
 	var sharedDirMounts []Mount
 	var ignoredMounts []Mount
 	for idx, m := range c.mounts {
-		if isSystemMount(m.Destination) && !IsDockerVolume(m.Source) {
-			continue
+		if isSystemMount(m.Destination) {
+			if !(IsDockerVolume(m.Source) || Isk8sHostEmptyDir(m.Source)) {
+				continue
+			}
 		}
 
 		if m.Type != "bind" {
diff --git a/virtcontainers/mount.go b/virtcontainers/mount.go
index 6dc6b62f38..73406b51af 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/mount.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/mount.go
@@ -342,3 +342,49 @@ func IsDockerVolume(path string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+const (
+	k8sEmptyDir = "kubernetes.io~empty-dir"
+)
+
+// IsEphemeralStorage returns true if the given path
+// to the storage belongs to kubernetes ephemeral storage
+//
+// This method depends on a specific path used by k8s
+// to detect if it's of type ephemeral. As of now,
+// this is a very k8s specific solution that works
+// but in future there should be a better way for this
+// method to determine if the path is for ephemeral
+// volume type
+func IsEphemeralStorage(path string) bool {
+	if !isEmptyDir(path) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if _, fsType, _ := GetDevicePathAndFsType(path); fsType == "tmpfs" {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+func Isk8sHostEmptyDir(path string) bool {
+	if !isEmptyDir(path) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if _, fsType, _ := GetDevicePathAndFsType(path); fsType != "tmpfs" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func isEmptyDir(path string) bool {
+	splitSourceSlice := strings.Split(path, "/")
+	if len(splitSourceSlice) > 1 {
+		storageType := splitSourceSlice[len(splitSourceSlice)-2]
+		if storageType == k8sEmptyDir {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/mount_test.go b/virtcontainers/mount_test.go
index f39fa3c489..7d0b3c4768 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/mount_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/mount_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -18,6 +20,11 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+const (
+	testDisabledNeedRoot = "Test disabled as requires root user"
+	testDirMode          = os.FileMode(0750)
+)
+
 func TestIsSystemMount(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		mnt      string
@@ -289,6 +296,39 @@ func TestIsDockerVolume(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, isDockerVolume)
 
 	path = "/var/lib/testdir"
-	isDockerVolume := IsDockerVolume(path)
+	isDockerVolume = IsDockerVolume(path)
 	assert.False(t, isDockerVolume)
 }
+
+func TestIsEphemeralStorage(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
+		t.Skip(testDisabledNeedRoot)
+	}
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir(testDir, "foo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	sampleEphePath := filepath.Join(dir, k8sEmptyDir, "tmp-volume")
+	err = os.MkdirAll(sampleEphePath, testDirMode)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+	err = syscall.Mount("tmpfs", sampleEphePath, "tmpfs", 0, "")
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	defer syscall.Unmount(sampleEphePath, 0)
+
+	isEphe := IsEphemeralStorage(sampleEphePath)
+	assert.True(t, isEphe)
+
+	isHostEmptyDir := Isk8sHostEmptyDir(sampleEphePath)
+	assert.False(t, isHostEmptyDir)
+
+	sampleEphePath = "/var/lib/kubelet/pods/366c3a75-4869-11e8-b479-507b9ddd5ce4/volumes/cache-volume"
+	isEphe = IsEphemeralStorage(sampleEphePath)
+	assert.False(t, isEphe)
+
+	isHostEmptyDir = Isk8sHostEmptyDir(sampleEphePath)
+	assert.False(t, isHostEmptyDir)
+}