diff --git a/dokku b/dokku
index 21a78925c..962c1f95e 100755
--- a/dokku
+++ b/dokku
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ case "$1" in
 
     is_image_buildstep_based "$IMAGE" && DOKKU_BUILDSTEP=true
     DOKKU_SCALE_FILE="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/DOKKU_SCALE"
-    oldids=$(get_container_ids $APP)
+    oldids=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
 
     while read line || [ -n "$line" ]
     do
diff --git a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/commands b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/commands
index 7613eeb7a..0e12adfb2 100755
--- a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/commands
+++ b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/commands
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ case "$1" in
 
     for dokku_app in $dokku_apps; do
       APP=$(basename $dokku_app)
-      DOKKU_APP_CIDS=$(get_container_ids $APP)
+      DOKKU_APP_CIDS=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
       DOCKER_RUNNING_CONTAINERS=$(docker ps -q --no-trunc)
       if [[ -n $DOKKU_APP_CIDS ]]; then
         for DOKKU_APP_CID in $DOKKU_APP_CIDS; do
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ case "$1" in
     APP="$2";
 
     if (is_deployed $APP); then
-      CONTAINER_IDS=( $(get_container_ids $APP) )
+      CONTAINER_IDS=( $(get_app_container_ids $APP) )
       LAST_CONTAINER_ID=${CONTAINER_IDS[${#CONTAINER_IDS[@]} - 1]}
 
       if [[ $3 == "-t" ]]; then
diff --git a/plugins/apps/commands b/plugins/apps/commands
index 1a50ab119..415956341 100755
--- a/plugins/apps/commands
+++ b/plugins/apps/commands
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ case "$1" in
     echo "Destroying $APP (including all add-ons)"
 
     pluginhook pre-delete $APP
-    DOKKU_APP_CIDS=$(get_container_ids $APP)
+    DOKKU_APP_CIDS=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
     if [[ -n $DOKKU_APP_CIDS ]]; then
       for ID in $DOKKU_APP_CIDS;do
         docker stop $ID > /dev/null || true
diff --git a/plugins/checks/check-deploy b/plugins/checks/check-deploy
index 7ebc73139..9a12db51a 100755
--- a/plugins/checks/check-deploy
+++ b/plugins/checks/check-deploy
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ if [[ -z "$DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_IP" ]] && [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/IP" ]]; then
   DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_IP=$(< "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/IP")
 fi
 if [[ -z "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID" ]]; then
-  DOKKU_APP_CIDS=( $(get_container_ids $APP) )
+  DOKKU_APP_CIDS=( $(get_app_container_ids $APP) )
   DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID=${DOKKU_APP_CIDS[0]}
 fi
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ if [[ ! -s "${TMPDIR}/CHECKS" ]] || [[ "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_TYPE" != "web" ]];
   dokku_log_info1 "Waiting for $DOKKU_DEFAULT_WAIT seconds ..."
   sleep $DOKKU_DEFAULT_WAIT
 
-  docker ps -q --no-trunc | grep -q "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID" || dokku_log_fail "App container failed to start!!"
+  ! (is_container_running $DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID) && dokku_log_fail "App container failed to start!!"
   dokku_log_info1 "Default container check successful!" && exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/plugins/common/functions b/plugins/common/functions
index c5d900fc2..be01f811e 100755
--- a/plugins/common/functions
+++ b/plugins/common/functions
@@ -178,16 +178,7 @@ copy_from_image() {
   fi
 }
 
-is_deployed() {
-  APP="$1"
-  if [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER" ]] || [[ $(ls $DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER.* &> /dev/null; echo $?) -eq 0 ]];then
-    return 0
-  else
-    return 1
-  fi
-}
-
-get_container_ids() {
+get_app_container_ids() {
   APP="$1"
   verify_app_name $APP
   [[ -f $DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER ]] && DOKKU_CIDS+=$(< $DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER)
@@ -204,9 +195,53 @@ get_container_ids() {
 
 get_dockerfile_exposed_port() {
   local DOCKERFILE_PORT=$(grep "^EXPOSE \+[[:digit:]]\+\(\/tcp\)\? *$" $1 | head -1 | sed 's/EXPOSE \+\([[:digit:]]\+\)\(\/tcp\)\?.*/\1/' || true)
-  if [[ -n "$DOCKERFILE_PORT" ]]; then
-    echo "$DOCKERFILE_PORT"
+  echo "$DOCKERFILE_PORT"
+}
+
+get_app_running_container_ids() {
+  local APP=$1
+  verify_app_name $APP
+
+  ! (is_deployed $APP) && dokku_log_fail "App $APP has not been deployed"
+  local CIDS=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
+
+  for CID in $CIDS;do
+    local APP_CONTAINER_STATUS=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}}' "$CID" || true)
+    [[ "$APP_CONTAINER_STATUS" == "true" ]] && local APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS+="$CID "
+  done
+
+  echo "$APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS"
+}
+
+is_deployed() {
+  APP="$1"
+  if [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER" ]] || [[ $(ls $DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/CONTAINER.* &> /dev/null; echo $?) -eq 0 ]];then
+    return 0
   else
-    echo ""
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+is_container_running () {
+  local CID=$1
+  local CONTAINER_STATUS=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}}' "$CID" || true)
+
+  if [[ "$CONTAINER_STATUS" == "true" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+is_app_running() {
+  local APP="$1"
+  verify_app_name $APP
+
+  local APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_app_running_container_ids $APP)
+
+  if [[ -n "$APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
   fi
 }
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/commands b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/commands
index e7e602a2b..98d23a10a 100755
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/commands
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/commands
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ case "$1" in
       shopt -u nullglob
     fi
 
-    DOKKU_APP_CIDS=($(get_container_ids $APP))
+    DOKKU_APP_CIDS=($(get_app_container_ids $APP))
     docker cp "${DOKKU_APP_CID[0]}:/app/nginx.conf.template" "$APP_NGINX_TEMPLATE" 2> /dev/null || true
 
     [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/ENV" ]] && source $DOKKU_ROOT/ENV
diff --git a/plugins/ps/commands b/plugins/ps/commands
index f5b824643..d19f0ec37 100755
--- a/plugins/ps/commands
+++ b/plugins/ps/commands
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ case "$1" in
     [[ -z $2 ]] && echo "Please specify an app to run the command on" && exit 1
     verify_app_name "$2"
 
-    APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_container_ids $APP)
+    APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
     ! (is_deployed $APP) && echo "App $APP has not been deployed" && exit 0
 
     for CID in $CONTAINER_IDS; do
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@ case "$1" in
 
   ps:start)
     [[ -z $2 ]] && echo "Please specify an app to run the command on" && exit 1
-    verify_app_name "$2"
-
-    APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=( $(get_container_ids $APP) )
+    verify_app_name "$2"; APP="$2"
     ! (is_deployed $APP) && echo "App $APP has not been deployed" && exit 0
 
-    if [[ "$(docker ps -q --no-trunc| grep -q ${CONTAINER_IDS[0]}; echo $?)" != "0" ]]; then
+    if ! (is_app_running $APP); then
       release_and_deploy $APP
     else
       echo "App $APP already running"
@@ -34,15 +32,13 @@ case "$1" in
     [[ -z $2 ]] && echo "Please specify an app to run the command on" && exit 1
     verify_app_name "$2"
 
-    APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_container_ids $APP)
+    APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_app_container_ids $APP)
     ! (is_deployed $APP) && echo "App $APP has not been deployed" && exit 0
 
-    CONTAINER_IDS_EGREP_PATTERN=$(echo $CONTAINER_IDS | xargs | sed -e "s: :|:g")
-    if [[ "$(docker ps -q --no-trunc| egrep -q $CONTAINER_IDS_EGREP_PATTERN; echo $?)" = "0" ]]; then
+    DOKKU_APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_app_running_container_ids $APP)
+    if [[ -n "$DOKKU_APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS" ]]; then
       echo "Stopping $APP ..."
-      for CID in $CONTAINER_IDS;do
-        docker stop $CID > /dev/null
-      done
+      docker stop $DOKKU_APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS > /dev/null || true
     else
       echo "App $APP already stopped"
     fi