diff --git a/weave b/weave
index b2da6ed8..fe071c42 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -951,23 +951,14 @@ stop() {
 }
 
 # Given a container name or short ID in $1, ensure the specified
-# container is running and then print its full ID to stdout. If
-# it's not running or doesn't exist, print an error to stderr and
+# container exists and then print its full ID to stdout. If
+# it doesn't exist, print an error to stderr and
 # return with an indicative non-zero exit code.
 container_id() {
-    if ! status=$(docker inspect --format='{{.State.Running}} {{.Id}}' $1 2>/dev/null) ; then
+    if ! docker inspect --format='{{.Id}}' $1 2>/dev/null ; then
         echo "Error: No such container: $1" >&2
         return 1
     fi
-    case "$status" in
-        true*)
-            echo "${status#true }"
-            ;;
-        *)
-            echo "$1 container is not running." >&2
-            return 2
-            ;;
-    esac
 }
 
 container_ip() {
@@ -1033,7 +1024,7 @@ wait_for_status() {
     shift
     while true ; do
         "$@" GET /status >/dev/null 2>&1 && return 0
-        if ! container_id $container >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+        if ! check_running $container >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
             echo $(death_msg $container) >&2
             return 1
         fi
@@ -1286,6 +1277,7 @@ collect_dns_add_remove_args() {
     [ $# -eq 0 -a \( -n "$C" -o \( $IP_COUNT -gt 0 -a -n "$FQDN" \) \) ] || usage
     check_running $CONTAINER_NAME
     if [ -n "$C" ] ; then
+        check_running $C
         CONTAINER=$(container_id $C)
         [ $IP_COUNT -gt 0 ] || IP_ARGS=$(with_container_addresses echo_ips $CONTAINER)
     fi