diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/49794-docker_container-network-mode.yml b/changelogs/fragments/49794-docker_container-network-mode.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dcf8e9c610e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/49794-docker_container-network-mode.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- docker_container - fix ``network_mode`` idempotency if the ``container:<container-name>`` form is used (as opposed to ``container:<container-id>``) (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/49794)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
index 40d9eb9d3b3..a500674103a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
@@ -814,6 +814,7 @@ class TaskParameters(DockerBaseClass):
         self.volume_binds = self._get_volume_binds(self.volumes)
         self.pid_mode = self._replace_container_names(self.pid_mode)
         self.ipc_mode = self._replace_container_names(self.ipc_mode)
+        self.network_mode = self._replace_container_names(self.network_mode)
 
         self.log("volumes:")
         self.log(self.volumes, pretty_print=True)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/docker_container/tasks/tests/options.yml b/test/integration/targets/docker_container/tasks/tests/options.yml
index e5391cb1a42..a4772366959 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/docker_container/tasks/tests/options.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/docker_container/tasks/tests/options.yml
@@ -2031,20 +2031,54 @@
     name: "{{ cname }}"
     state: started
     network_mode: none
-    stop_timeout: 1
+    force_kill: yes
   register: network_mode_3
 
+- name: network_mode (container mode setup)
+  docker_container:
+    image: alpine:3.8
+    command: '/bin/sh -c "sleep 10m"'
+    name: "{{ cname_h1 }}"
+    state: started
+
+- name: network_mode (container mode)
+  docker_container:
+    image: alpine:3.8
+    command: '/bin/sh -c "sleep 10m"'
+    name: "{{ cname }}"
+    state: started
+    network_mode: "container:{{ cname_h1 }}"
+    force_kill: yes
+  register: network_mode_4
+
+- name: network_mode (container mode idempotency)
+  docker_container:
+    image: alpine:3.8
+    command: '/bin/sh -c "sleep 10m"'
+    name: "{{ cname }}"
+    state: started
+    network_mode: "container:{{ cname_h1 }}"
+  register: network_mode_5
+
 - name: cleanup
   docker_container:
-    name: "{{ cname }}"
+    name: "{{ container_name }}"
     state: absent
-    stop_timeout: 1
+    force_kill: yes
+  loop:
+  - "{{ cname }}"
+  - "{{ cname_h1 }}"
+  loop_control:
+    loop_var: container_name
+  diff: no
 
 - assert:
     that:
     - network_mode_1 is changed
     - network_mode_2 is not changed
     - network_mode_3 is changed
+    - network_mode_4 is changed
+    - network_mode_5 is not changed
 
 ####################################################################
 ## networks, purge_networks ########################################