diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container.go b/docker/resource_docker_container.go
index d5fc0b6e..81e0ab39 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container.go
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ func resourceDockerContainer() *schema.Resource {
 				Optional: true,
 			},
 
+			"start": &schema.Schema{
+				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
+				Default:  true,
+				Optional: true,
+			},
+
 			// Indicates whether the container must be running.
 			//
 			// An assumption is made that configured containers
diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go b/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
index 6df2a9b0..36698f77 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
@@ -293,14 +293,16 @@ func resourceDockerContainerCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 		}
 	}
 
-	ctx := context.Background()
-	creationTime = time.Now()
-	if err := client.ContainerStart(ctx, retContainer.ID, types.ContainerStartOptions{}); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to start container: %s", err)
+	if d.Get("start").(bool) {
+		creationTime = time.Now()
+		options := types.ContainerStartOptions{}
+		if err := client.ContainerStart(context.Background(), retContainer.ID, options); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Unable to start container: %s", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if d.Get("attach").(bool) {
-		statusCh, errCh := client.ContainerWait(ctx, retContainer.ID, container.WaitConditionNotRunning)
+		statusCh, errCh := client.ContainerWait(context.Background(), retContainer.ID, container.WaitConditionNotRunning)
 		select {
 		case err := <-errCh:
 			if err != nil {
@@ -342,7 +344,7 @@ func resourceDockerContainerRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 		}
 
 		jsonObj, _ := json.MarshalIndent(container, "", "\t")
-		log.Printf("[INFO] Docker container inspect: %s", jsonObj)
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] Docker container inspect: %s", jsonObj)
 
 		if container.State.Running ||
 			!container.State.Running && !d.Get("must_run").(bool) {
diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go b/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
index bfbad9e2..e7add47d 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
@@ -801,6 +801,22 @@ func TestAccDockerContainer_healthcheck(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccDockerContainer_nostart(t *testing.T) {
+	var c types.ContainerJSON
+	resource.Test(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:  func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		Providers: testAccProviders,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			resource.TestStep{
+				Config: testAccDockerContainerNoStartConfig,
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccContainerNotRunning("docker_container.foo", &c),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func testAccContainerRunning(n string, container *types.ContainerJSON) resource.TestCheckFunc {
 	return func(s *terraform.State) error {
 		rs, ok := s.RootModule().Resources[n]
@@ -839,33 +855,19 @@ func testAccContainerNotRunning(n string, container *types.ContainerJSON) resour
 		if !ok {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Not found: %s", n)
 		}
-
 		if rs.Primary.ID == "" {
 			return fmt.Errorf("No ID is set")
 		}
-
 		client := testAccProvider.Meta().(*ProviderConfig).DockerClient
-		containers, err := client.ContainerList(context.Background(), types.ContainerListOptions{
-			All: true,
-		})
+		containers, err := client.ContainerList(context.Background(), types.ContainerListOptions{})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
 		for _, c := range containers {
 			if c.ID == rs.Primary.ID {
-				inspected, err := client.ContainerInspect(context.Background(), c.ID)
-				if err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("Container could not be inspected: %s", err)
-				}
-				*container = inspected
-
-				if container.State.Running {
-					return fmt.Errorf("Container is running: %s", rs.Primary.ID)
-				}
+				return fmt.Errorf("Container found: %s", rs.Primary.ID)
 			}
 		}
-
 		return nil
 	}
 }
@@ -1290,3 +1292,16 @@ resource "docker_container" "foo" {
   }
 }
 `
+const testAccDockerContainerNoStartConfig = `
+resource "docker_image" "foo" {
+  name         = "nginx:latest"
+  keep_locally = true
+}
+
+resource "docker_container" "foo" {
+  name     = "tf-test"
+  image    = "nginx:latest"
+  start    = false
+  must_run = false
+}
+`
diff --git a/website/docs/r/container.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/container.html.markdown
index a92a6b91..e9306a92 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/container.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/container.html.markdown
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ data is stored in them. See [the docker documentation][linkdoc] for more details
   one of "no", "on-failure", "always", "unless-stopped".
 * `max_retry_count` - (Optional, int) The maximum amount of times to an attempt
   a restart when `restart` is set to "on-failure"
-* `rm` - (Optional, bool) If true, then the container will be automatically removed after his execution. Terraform
-   won't check this container after creation.
+* `rm` - (Optional, bool) If true, then the container will be automatically removed after his execution. Terraform won't check this container after creation.
+* `start` - (Optional, bool) If true, then the Docker container will be
+  started after creation. If false, then the container is only created.
 * `must_run` - (Optional, bool) If true, then the Docker container will be
   kept running. If false, then as long as the container exists, Terraform
   assumes it is successful.