diff --git a/cloud/docker/docker.py b/cloud/docker/docker.py
index 7eea7888059..2f5cb8690d9 100644
--- a/cloud/docker/docker.py
+++ b/cloud/docker/docker.py
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ options:
     default: null
   detach:
     description:
-      - Enable detached mode to leave the container running in background.
+      - Enable detached mode to leave the container running in background. If
+        disabled, fail unless the process exits cleanly.
     default: true
   state:
     description:
@@ -1258,6 +1259,13 @@ class DockerManager(object):
             self.client.start(i['Id'], **params)
             self.increment_counter('started')
 
+            if not self.module.params.get('detach'):
+                status = self.client.wait(i['Id'])
+                if status != 0:
+                    output = self.client.logs(i['Id'], stdout=True, stderr=True,
+                                              stream=False, timestamps=False)
+                    self.module.fail_json(status=status, msg=output)
+
     def stop_containers(self, containers):
         for i in containers:
             self.client.stop(i['Id'])