diff --git a/libpod/stats.go b/libpod/stats.go
index 6f0360ef10..2532b35c2f 100644
--- a/libpod/stats.go
+++ b/libpod/stats.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func (c *Container) GetContainerStats(previousStats *define.ContainerStats) (*de
 		}
 	}
 
-	if c.state.State != define.ContainerStateRunning {
+	if c.state.State != define.ContainerStateRunning && c.state.State != define.ContainerStatePaused {
 		return stats, define.ErrCtrStateInvalid
 	}
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (c *Container) GetContainerStats(previousStats *define.ContainerStats) (*de
 	stats.MemLimit = getMemLimit(cgroupStats.Memory.Usage.Limit)
 	stats.MemPerc = (float64(stats.MemUsage) / float64(stats.MemLimit)) * 100
 	stats.PIDs = 0
-	if conState == define.ContainerStateRunning {
+	if conState == define.ContainerStateRunning || conState == define.ContainerStatePaused {
 		stats.PIDs = cgroupStats.Pids.Current
 	}
 	stats.BlockInput, stats.BlockOutput = calculateBlockIO(cgroupStats)
diff --git a/test/e2e/pause_test.go b/test/e2e/pause_test.go
index ea7a96428f..2e5e07de9b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/pause_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/pause_test.go
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman pause", func() {
 		Expect(result).To(ExitWithError())
 		Expect(podmanTest.NumberOfContainersRunning()).To(Equal(0))
 		Expect(strings.ToLower(podmanTest.GetContainerStatus())).To(ContainSubstring(createdState))
+
+		// check we can read stats for a paused container
+		result = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"stats", "--no-stream", cid})
+		result.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(result).To(ExitWithError())
 	})
 
 	It("podman pause a running container by id", func() {