diff --git a/weaver/weave b/weaver/weave
index 8ba2b3ac..e673f9f9 100755
--- a/weaver/weave
+++ b/weaver/weave
@@ -114,22 +114,43 @@ configure_container_networking() {
     NSPID=$DOCKERPID
 
     [ ! -d /var/run/netns ] && mkdir -p /var/run/netns
-    [ -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID ] && rm -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID
+    rm -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID
     ln -s /proc/$NSPID/ns/net /var/run/netns/$NSPID
 
+    EXITCODE=1
     LOCAL_IFNAME="v${CONTAINER_IFNAME}pl${NSPID}"
     GUEST_IFNAME="v${CONTAINER_IFNAME}pg${NSPID}"
-    ip link add name $LOCAL_IFNAME mtu $MTU type veth peer name $GUEST_IFNAME mtu $MTU
-    ip link set $LOCAL_IFNAME master $BRIDGE
-    ip link set $LOCAL_IFNAME up
-    ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME netns $NSPID
-    ip netns exec $NSPID ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME name $CONTAINER_IFNAME
-    ip netns exec $NSPID ip addr add $2 dev $CONTAINER_IFNAME
-    ip netns exec $NSPID ip link set $CONTAINER_IFNAME up
+    IP_TMPFILE=/tmp/weave_ip_output_$$
+    rm -f $IP_TMPFILE
+    if ip link add name $LOCAL_IFNAME mtu $MTU type veth peer name $GUEST_IFNAME mtu $MTU >$IP_TMPFILE 2>&1 ; then
+        if  (ip link set $LOCAL_IFNAME master $BRIDGE &&
+                ip link set $LOCAL_IFNAME up &&
+                ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME netns $NSPID) >$IP_TMPFILE 2>&1
+        then
+            (ip netns exec $NSPID ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME name $CONTAINER_IFNAME &&
+                ip netns exec $NSPID ip addr add $2 dev $CONTAINER_IFNAME &&
+                ip netns exec $NSPID ip link set $CONTAINER_IFNAME up &&
+                check_command_and_run ethtool ip netns exec $NSPID ethtool -K $3 tx off >/dev/null) >$IP_TMPFILE 2>&1 &&
+            EXITCODE=0
+        else
+            # failed before we assigned the veth to the container's namespace - delete it
+            ip link del $LOCAL_IFNAME type veth || true
+        fi
+    fi
 
-    check_command_and_run ethtool ip netns exec $NSPID ethtool -K $3 tx off >/dev/null
+    if [ "$EXITCODE" -ne 0 ] ; then
+        if ! ps -p $DOCKERPID >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+            echo "Container $1 died" >&2
+        else
+            echo "Failure during network configuration for container $1:" >&2
+            cat $IP_TMPFILE >&2
+        fi
+    fi
 
-    [ -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID ] && rm -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID
+    rm -f $IP_TMPFILE
+    rm -f /var/run/netns/$NSPID
+
+    return $EXITCODE
 }
 
 case "$COMMAND" in