diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container.go b/docker/resource_docker_container.go
index 176541ec..91215abb 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container.go
@@ -256,10 +256,10 @@ func resourceDockerContainer() *schema.Resource {
 										Optional:    true,
 									},
 									"labels": {
-										Type:        schema.TypeMap,
+										Type:        schema.TypeSet,
 										Description: "User-defined key/value metadata",
 										Optional:    true,
-										Elem:        &schema.Schema{Type: schema.TypeString},
+										Elem:        labelSchema,
 									},
 									"driver_name": {
 										Type:        schema.TypeString,
@@ -536,9 +536,10 @@ func resourceDockerContainer() *schema.Resource {
 			},
 
 			"labels": {
-				Type:     schema.TypeMap,
+				Type:     schema.TypeSet,
 				Optional: true,
 				ForceNew: true,
+				Elem:     labelSchema,
 			},
 
 			"memory": {
diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go b/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
index c078e9e3..a80adfea 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container_funcs.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func resourceDockerContainerCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 	}
 
 	if v, ok := d.GetOk("labels"); ok {
-		config.Labels = mapTypeMapValsToString(v.(map[string]interface{}))
+		config.Labels = labelSetToMap(v.(*schema.Set))
 	}
 
 	if value, ok := d.GetOk("healthcheck"); ok {
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func resourceDockerContainerCreate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) err
 								mountInstance.VolumeOptions.NoCopy = value.(bool)
 							}
 							if value, ok := rawVolumeOptions["labels"]; ok {
-								mountInstance.VolumeOptions.Labels = mapTypeMapValsToString(value.(map[string]interface{}))
+								mountInstance.VolumeOptions.Labels = labelSetToMap(value.(*schema.Set))
 							}
 							// because it is not possible to nest maps
 							if value, ok := rawVolumeOptions["driver_name"]; ok {
diff --git a/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go b/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
index ed21ae5f..587fab29 100644
--- a/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
+++ b/docker/resource_docker_container_test.go
@@ -1660,9 +1660,13 @@ resource "docker_container" "foo" {
 	dns = ["8.8.8.8"]
 	dns_opts = ["rotate"]
 	dns_search = ["example.com"]
-	labels = {
-		env = "prod"
-		role = "test"
+	labels {
+		label = "env"
+		value = "prod"
+	}
+	labels {
+		label = "role"
+		value = "test"
 	}
 	log_driver = "json-file"
 	log_opts = {