diff --git a/graphdriver/devmapper/driver.go b/graphdriver/devmapper/driver.go
index 4d414f9a75..8c5a19eea0 100644
--- a/graphdriver/devmapper/driver.go
+++ b/graphdriver/devmapper/driver.go
@@ -90,6 +90,13 @@ func (d *Driver) Create(id, parent string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *Driver) Remove(id string) error {
+	if !d.DeviceSet.HasDevice(id) {
+		// Consider removing a non-existing device a no-op
+		// This is useful to be able to progress on container removal
+		// if the underlying device has gone away due to earlier errors
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Sink the float from create in case no Get() call was made
 	if err := d.DeviceSet.UnmountDevice(id, UnmountSink); err != nil {
 		return err