diff --git a/cmd/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/task_hcs.go b/cmd/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/task_hcs.go
index 0e00292e70..87b922b494 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/task_hcs.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-shim-runhcs-v1/task_hcs.go
@@ -171,6 +171,18 @@ func createContainer(
 		if shimOpts != nil {
 			opts.ScaleCPULimitsToSandbox = shimOpts.ScaleCpuLimitsToSandbox
 		}
+		// Serialize the per-container bring-up (layer mount + hive-merge + guest
+		// container create) into a single confidential WCOW UVM. Concurrent
+		// container starts in a multi-container CG otherwise issue overlapping
+		// guest mount/create operations that the confidential guest cannot
+		// handle, triggering a guest reset that drops the GCS bridge
+		// ("bridge closed: use of closed network connection"). Serializing makes
+		// the starts effectively one-at-a-time, which is reliable. Only taken for
+		// confidential containers; createContainer is shared with LCOW.
+		if parent != nil && parent.HasConfidentialPolicy() {
+			parent.LockContainerCreate()
+			defer parent.UnlockContainerCreate()
+		}
 		container, resources, err = hcsoci.CreateContainer(ctx, opts)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
diff --git a/internal/uvm/combine_layers.go b/internal/uvm/combine_layers.go
index 760f20dbc1..bca882d8f7 100644
--- a/internal/uvm/combine_layers.go
+++ b/internal/uvm/combine_layers.go
@@ -10,6 +10,22 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Microsoft/hcsshim/internal/protocol/guestresource"
 )
 
+// LockContainerCreate acquires the per-UVM lock that serializes a container's
+// bring-up (block-CIM mount + scratch SCSI attach + CombineLayers/hive-merge +
+// guest container create). It is intended for confidential containers: concurrent
+// container starts otherwise issue overlapping guest mount/create operations into
+// the single confidential UVM, which the guest cannot handle and responds to with
+// a guest reset that drops the GCS bridge.
+// Callers must pair this with UnlockContainerCreate (typically via defer).
+func (uvm *UtilityVM) LockContainerCreate() {
+	uvm.containerCreateLock.Lock()
+}
+
+// UnlockContainerCreate releases the lock acquired by LockContainerCreate.
+func (uvm *UtilityVM) UnlockContainerCreate() {
+	uvm.containerCreateLock.Unlock()
+}
+
 // CombineLayersWCOW combines `layerPaths` with `containerRootPath` into the
 // container file system.
 //
diff --git a/internal/uvm/types.go b/internal/uvm/types.go
index 45755b8643..d7938ed3bd 100644
--- a/internal/uvm/types.go
+++ b/internal/uvm/types.go
@@ -144,6 +144,15 @@ type UtilityVM struct {
 	blockCIMMounts    map[string]*UVMMountedBlockCIMs
 	blockCIMMountLock sync.Mutex
 
+	// containerCreateLock serializes the per-container bring-up (block-CIM
+	// mount + scratch SCSI attach + CombineLayers/hive-merge + guest container
+	// create) into a single UVM. It is only taken for confidential containers
+	// (see createContainer): concurrent container starts in a confidential WCOW
+	// UVM otherwise issue overlapping guest mount/create operations that the
+	// guest cannot handle, causing a guest reset that drops the GCS bridge
+	// ("bridge closed: use of closed network connection").
+	containerCreateLock sync.Mutex
+
 	logForwardingEnabled     bool   // Indicates whether to forward logs from the UVM to the host
 	defaultLogSourcesEnabled bool   // Specifies whether addition of default list of ETW providers should be disabled
 	logSources               string // ETW providers to enable for log forwarding