diff --git a/cr-restore.c b/cr-restore.c
index fd76aed03..b5078445b 100644
--- a/cr-restore.c
+++ b/cr-restore.c
@@ -1062,19 +1062,48 @@ static void restore_sid(void)
 
 static void restore_pgid(void)
 {
-	pid_t pgid;
+	/*
+	 * Unlike sessions, process groups (a.k.a. pgids) can be joined
+	 * by any task, provided the task with pid == pgid (group leader)
+	 * exists. Thus, in order to restore pgid we must make sure that
+	 * group leader was born and created the group, then join one.
+	 *
+	 * We do this _before_ finishing the forking stage to make sure
+	 * helpers are still with us.
+	 */
 
-	pr_info("Restoring %d to %d pgid\n", current->pid.virt, current->pgid);
+	pid_t pgid, my_pgid = current->pgid;
+
+	pr_info("Restoring %d to %d pgid\n", current->pid.virt, my_pgid);
 
 	pgid = getpgrp();
-	if (current->pgid == pgid)
+	if (my_pgid == pgid)
 		return;
 
+	if (my_pgid != current->pid.virt) {
+		struct pstree_item *leader;
+
+		/*
+		 * Wait for leader to become such.
+		 * Missing leader means we're going to crtools
+		 * group (-j option).
+		 */
+
+		leader = current->rst->pgrp_leader;
+		if (leader) {
+			BUG_ON(my_pgid != leader->pid.virt);
+			futex_wait_until(&leader->rst->pgrp_set, 1);
+		}
+	}
+
 	pr_info("\twill call setpgid, mine pgid is %d\n", pgid);
-	if (setpgid(0, current->pgid) != 0) {
+	if (setpgid(0, my_pgid) != 0) {
 		pr_perror("Can't restore pgid (%d/%d->%d)", current->pid.virt, pgid, current->pgid);
 		exit(1);
 	}
+
+	if (my_pgid == current->pid.virt)
+		futex_set_and_wake(&current->rst->pgrp_set, 1);
 }
 
 static int mount_proc(void)
@@ -1240,26 +1269,12 @@ static int restore_task_with_children(void *_arg)
 
 	if (unmap_guard_pages())
 		exit(1);
-	/*
-	 * Unlike sessions, process groups (a.k.a. pgids) can be joined
-	 * by any task, provided the task with pid == pgid (group leader)
-	 * exists. Thus, in order to restore pgid we must make sure that
-	 * group leader was born (stage barrier below), created the group
-	 * (the 1st restore_pgid below) and then join one (the 2nd call
-	 * to restore_pgid).
-	 */
 
-	if (current->pgid == current->pid.virt)
-		restore_pgid();
+	restore_pgid();
 
 	if (restore_finish_stage(CR_STATE_FORKING) < 0)
 		exit(1);
 
-	if (current->pgid != current->pid.virt)
-		restore_pgid();
-
-	restore_finish_stage(CR_STATE_RESTORE_PGID);
-
 	if (current->state == TASK_HELPER)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -1274,7 +1289,6 @@ static inline int stage_participants(int next_stage)
 	case CR_STATE_RESTORE_NS:
 		return 1;
 	case CR_STATE_FORKING:
-	case CR_STATE_RESTORE_PGID:
 		return task_entries->nr_tasks + task_entries->nr_helpers;
 	case CR_STATE_RESTORE:
 	case CR_STATE_RESTORE_SIGCHLD:
@@ -1472,10 +1486,6 @@ static int restore_root_task(struct pstree_item *init)
 
 	timing_stop(TIME_FORK);
 
-	ret = restore_switch_stage(CR_STATE_RESTORE_PGID);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		goto out_kill;
-
 	ret = restore_switch_stage(CR_STATE_RESTORE);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out_kill;
diff --git a/include/crtools.h b/include/crtools.h
index 76b4f6be2..149525e3d 100644
--- a/include/crtools.h
+++ b/include/crtools.h
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ struct rst_info {
 
 	int service_fd_id;
 	struct fdt		*fdt;
+
+	union {
+		struct pstree_item	*pgrp_leader;
+		futex_t			pgrp_set;
+	};
 };
 
 static inline int in_vma_area(struct vma_area *vma, unsigned long addr)
diff --git a/include/restorer.h b/include/restorer.h
index 9d9e7f4b7..18a82d89a 100644
--- a/include/restorer.h
+++ b/include/restorer.h
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ enum {
 	CR_STATE_FAIL		= -1,
 	CR_STATE_RESTORE_NS	= 0, /* is used for executing "setup-namespace" scripts */
 	CR_STATE_FORKING,
-	CR_STATE_RESTORE_PGID,
 	CR_STATE_RESTORE,
 	CR_STATE_RESTORE_SIGCHLD,
 	/*
diff --git a/pstree.c b/pstree.c
index ebf106d1a..fbd69ffea 100644
--- a/pstree.c
+++ b/pstree.c
@@ -520,8 +520,10 @@ static int prepare_pstree_ids(void)
 				break;
 		}
 
-		if (gleader)
+		if (gleader) {
+			item->rst->pgrp_leader = gleader;
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * If the PGID is eq to current one -- this
@@ -541,6 +543,7 @@ static int prepare_pstree_ids(void)
 		helper->parent = item;
 		list_add(&helper->sibling, &item->children);
 		task_entries->nr_helpers++;
+		item->rst->pgrp_leader = helper;
 
 		pr_info("Add a helper %d for restoring PGID %d\n",
 				helper->pid.virt, helper->pgid);