diff --git a/command_linux.go b/command_linux.go
index 8a30f67..302c64d 100644
--- a/command_linux.go
+++ b/command_linux.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package runc
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
@@ -29,7 +30,21 @@ func (r *Runc) command(context context.Context, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	if command == "" {
 		command = DefaultCommand
 	}
+	if r.CommandFile != nil {
+		// Use the file's name as argv[0] and for the initial path; it may be
+		// a path that no longer exists on disk. finalizeCommand replaces
+		// cmd.Path with /proc/self/fd/<n> before the process is started.
+		if name := r.CommandFile.Name(); name != "" {
+			command = name
+		}
+	}
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(context, command, append(r.args(), args...)...)
+	if r.CommandFile != nil {
+		// Suppress any path-lookup error: the binary will be exec'd via
+		// /proc/self/fd/<n> (set by finalizeCommand) so accessibility of the
+		// original path at this point doesn't matter.
+		cmd.Err = nil
+	}
 	cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{
 		Setpgid: r.Setpgid,
 	}
@@ -41,6 +56,26 @@ func (r *Runc) command(context context.Context, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	return cmd
 }
 
+// finalizeCommand sets cmd.Path to /proc/self/fd/<n> and appends
+// r.CommandFile to cmd.ExtraFiles so that the runc binary is executed
+// from the open file descriptor rather than by filesystem path. This is
+// semantically equivalent to execveat(fd, "", argv, env, AT_EMPTY_PATH).
+//
+// Appending the file last preserves the FD positions of any ExtraFiles
+// already present (e.g. for --preserve-fds or --status-fd), which are
+// therefore unaffected by use of CommandFile.
+//
+// Must be called after all modifications to cmd.ExtraFiles are complete
+// and before cmd.Start(). startCommand calls it automatically.
+func (r *Runc) finalizeCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+	if r.CommandFile == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	fdNum := 3 + len(cmd.ExtraFiles)
+	cmd.ExtraFiles = append(cmd.ExtraFiles, r.CommandFile)
+	cmd.Path = fmt.Sprintf("/proc/self/fd/%d", fdNum)
+}
+
 func filterEnv(in []string, names ...string) []string {
 	out := make([]string, 0, len(in))
 loop0:
diff --git a/command_linux_test.go b/command_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8982f37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package runc
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestCommandFileRun verifies that CommandFile can be used in place of
+// Command to execute a binary by open file descriptor.
+func TestCommandFileRun(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	f, err := os.Open("/bin/true")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /bin/true: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	r := &Runc{CommandFile: f}
+	status, err := r.Run(ctx, "fake-id", "fake-bundle", &CreateOpts{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exit 0, got %d", status)
+	}
+
+	f2, err := os.Open("/bin/false")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /bin/false: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f2.Close()
+
+	r2 := &Runc{CommandFile: f2}
+	status, err = r2.Run(ctx, "fake-id", "fake-bundle", &CreateOpts{})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil error from /bin/false, got nil")
+	}
+	if status != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exit 1, got %d", status)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCommandFileRunAfterUnlink is the key "path never needed" test: it copies
+// a binary to a temporary file, opens it, removes the path, then verifies that
+// execution still succeeds via the open file descriptor alone. This mirrors
+// the execveat(fd, "", argv, env, AT_EMPTY_PATH) semantics.
+func TestCommandFileRunAfterUnlink(t *testing.T) {
+	tmp, err := copyBinary(t, "/bin/true")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("copy /bin/true: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Open(tmp)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open temp binary: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	// Remove the path — the binary is now only reachable through the FD.
+	if err := os.Remove(tmp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("remove temp binary: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	r := &Runc{CommandFile: f}
+	status, err := r.Run(ctx, "fake-id", "fake-bundle", &CreateOpts{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error after unlink: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("want exit 0 after unlink, got %d", status)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFinalizeCommandFDNumbering verifies that finalizeCommand appends the
+// binary FD after any pre-existing ExtraFiles, keeping their FD positions
+// intact. This ensures --preserve-fds and --status-fd accounting is correct.
+func TestFinalizeCommandFDNumbering(t *testing.T) {
+	f, err := os.Open("/bin/true")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /bin/true: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	r := &Runc{CommandFile: f}
+	cmd := r.command(context.Background(), "run")
+
+	// Simulate two pre-existing ExtraFiles (e.g. from --preserve-fds).
+	d1, err := os.Open("/dev/null")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /dev/null: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer d1.Close()
+	d2, err := os.Open("/dev/null")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /dev/null: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer d2.Close()
+	cmd.ExtraFiles = []*os.File{d1, d2}
+
+	r.finalizeCommand(cmd)
+
+	// d1 → FD 3, d2 → FD 4, binary → FD 5.
+	const wantPath = "/proc/self/fd/5"
+	if cmd.Path != wantPath {
+		t.Errorf("cmd.Path = %q; want %q", cmd.Path, wantPath)
+	}
+	if n := len(cmd.ExtraFiles); n != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("len(ExtraFiles) = %d; want 3", n)
+	}
+	if cmd.ExtraFiles[2] != f {
+		t.Error("CommandFile not appended last to ExtraFiles")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFinalizeCommandNoExtraFiles verifies that finalizeCommand places the
+// binary at FD 3 when there are no other ExtraFiles.
+func TestFinalizeCommandNoExtraFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	f, err := os.Open("/bin/true")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open /bin/true: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	r := &Runc{CommandFile: f}
+	cmd := r.command(context.Background(), "run")
+
+	r.finalizeCommand(cmd)
+
+	const wantPath = "/proc/self/fd/3"
+	if cmd.Path != wantPath {
+		t.Errorf("cmd.Path = %q; want %q", cmd.Path, wantPath)
+	}
+	if n := len(cmd.ExtraFiles); n != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("len(ExtraFiles) = %d; want 1", n)
+	}
+	if cmd.ExtraFiles[0] != f {
+		t.Error("CommandFile not placed at ExtraFiles[0]")
+	}
+}
+
+// copyBinary copies the ELF binary at src to a fresh temporary file and
+// marks it executable. The caller is responsible for cleanup.
+func copyBinary(t *testing.T, src string) (string, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(src)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	tmp, err := os.CreateTemp("", "runc-cmdfile-test-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if _, err := tmp.Write(data); err != nil {
+		tmp.Close()
+		os.Remove(tmp.Name())
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if err := tmp.Close(); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(tmp.Name())
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(tmp.Name(), 0o755); err != nil {
+		os.Remove(tmp.Name())
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return tmp.Name(), nil
+}
diff --git a/command_other.go b/command_other.go
index a4adbe1..cbbd550 100644
--- a/command_other.go
+++ b/command_other.go
@@ -33,3 +33,7 @@ func (r *Runc) command(context context.Context, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	cmd.Env = os.Environ()
 	return cmd
 }
+
+// finalizeCommand is a no-op on non-Linux platforms.
+// CommandFile-based execution via /proc/self/fd/<n> is only supported on Linux.
+func (r *Runc) finalizeCommand(_ *exec.Cmd) {}
diff --git a/runc.go b/runc.go
index 61646df..255db8e 100644
--- a/runc.go
+++ b/runc.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ var DefaultCommand = "runc"
 // Runc is the client to the runc cli
 type Runc struct {
 	// Command overrides the name of the runc binary. If empty, DefaultCommand
-	// is used.
+	// is used. On Linux, CommandFile takes precedence over this field when set.
 	Command   string
 	Root      string
 	Debug     bool
@@ -91,6 +91,18 @@ type Runc struct {
 	SystemdCgroup bool
 	Rootless      *bool // nil stands for "auto"
 	ExtraArgs     []string
+
+	// CommandFile is an open file for the runc binary. On Linux, when set,
+	// each invocation executes the binary via /proc/self/fd/<n> so the
+	// original file path need not remain accessible after the file is opened.
+	// This is semantically equivalent to execveat(fd, "", argv, env,
+	// AT_EMPTY_PATH): the binary is identified solely by its open file
+	// descriptor, not by any filesystem path.
+	//
+	// CommandFile takes precedence over Command and DefaultCommand on Linux.
+	// The caller is responsible for keeping the file open for the lifetime of
+	// the Runc instance. Ignored on non-Linux platforms.
+	CommandFile *os.File
 }
 
 // List returns all containers created inside the provided runc root directory
@@ -170,6 +182,7 @@ func (o *CreateOpts) args() (out []string, err error) {
 }
 
 func (r *Runc) startCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) (chan Exit, error) {
+	r.finalizeCommand(cmd)
 	if r.PdeathSignal != 0 {
 		return Monitor.StartLocked(cmd)
 	}