diff --git a/cgroup/cgroup_test.go b/cgroup/cgroup_test.go
index 4ac82cdf..d9145a07 100644
--- a/cgroup/cgroup_test.go
+++ b/cgroup/cgroup_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cgroup
 
 import (
+	"os"
 	"path"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -236,3 +237,17 @@ func TestContainerByCgroup(t *testing.T) {
 	as.Equal("ba7b10d15d16e10e3de7a2dcd408a3d971169ae303f46cfad4c5453c6326fee2", id)
 	as.Nil(err)
 }
+
+// The registry relies on a process in systemd's /init.scope, or in the root
+// cgroup, having an empty Id: it is not cached as ignored, so its exec after
+// systemd moves it to a unit's cgroup is seen.
+func TestInitScopeAndRootHaveEmptyId(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, content := range []string{"0::/init.scope\n", "0::/\n"} {
+		f := path.Join(t.TempDir(), "cgroup")
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(f, []byte(content), 0644))
+		cg, err := NewFromProcessCgroupFile(f)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, "", cg.Id, content)
+		assert.Equal(t, ContainerTypeStandaloneProcess, cg.ContainerType, content)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/containers/registry.go b/containers/registry.go
index a873797a..96e85255 100644
--- a/containers/registry.go
+++ b/containers/registry.go
@@ -640,7 +640,12 @@ func (r *Registry) getOrCreateContainer(pid uint32) *Container {
 	}
 	id := calcId(cg, md)
 	if id == "" {
-		if cg.Id == "/init.scope" && pid != 1 {
+		// systemd forks a unit's process inside its own /init.scope and
+		// moves it to the unit's cgroup before exec. Caching the pid as
+		// ignored here would drop that exec, and a unit that does nothing
+		// else would never be detected. /init.scope and the root cgroup
+		// both parse to an empty Id (cgroup.go skips them).
+		if cg.Id == "" && pid != 1 {
 			klog.V(5).InfoS("ignoring without persisting", "cg", cg.Id, "pid", pid)
 		} else {
 			klog.V(5).InfoS("ignoring", "cg", cg.Id, "pid", pid)