diff --git a/plugins/checks/check-deploy b/plugins/checks/check-deploy
index 55d9b0bf5..4871b03b8 100755
--- a/plugins/checks/check-deploy
+++ b/plugins/checks/check-deploy
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ if [[ ! -s "${TMPDIR}/CHECKS" ]] || [[ "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_TYPE" != "web" ]];
   dokku_log_info1 "Waiting for $DOKKU_DEFAULT_WAIT seconds ..."
   sleep $DOKKU_DEFAULT_WAIT
 
-  docker top "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID" &>/dev/null || dokku_log_fail "App container failed to start!!"
+  DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}}' "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_ID" || true)
+  [[ "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS" != "true" ]] && dokku_log_fail "App container failed to start!!"
   dokku_log_info1 "Default container check successful!" && exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/plugins/ps/commands b/plugins/ps/commands
index f5b824643..ca467c514 100755
--- a/plugins/ps/commands
+++ b/plugins/ps/commands
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ case "$1" in
     APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=( $(get_container_ids $APP) )
     ! (is_deployed $APP) && echo "App $APP has not been deployed" && exit 0
 
-    if [[ "$(docker ps -q --no-trunc| grep -q ${CONTAINER_IDS[0]}; echo $?)" != "0" ]]; then
+    DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}}' "${CONTAINER_IDS[0]}" || true)
+    if [[ "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS" != "true" ]]; then
       release_and_deploy $APP
     else
       echo "App $APP already running"
@@ -37,12 +38,14 @@ case "$1" in
     APP="$2"; CONTAINER_IDS=$(get_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
+    for CID in $CONTAINER_IDS;do
+      DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}}' "$CID" || true)
+      [[ "$DOKKU_APP_CONTAINER_STATUS" == "true" ]] && DOKKU_APP_RUNNING_CONTAINER_IDS+="$CID "
+    done
+
+    if [[ -n "$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