diff --git a/daemon/rename.go b/daemon/rename.go
index e92dfda861..ffb7715f23 100644
--- a/daemon/rename.go
+++ b/daemon/rename.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	dockercontainer "github.com/docker/docker/container"
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork"
 )
 
@@ -40,10 +41,23 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) ContainerRename(oldName, newName string) error {
 	container.Lock()
 	defer container.Unlock()
 
+	links := map[string]*dockercontainer.Container{}
+	for k, v := range daemon.linkIndex.children(container) {
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(k, oldName) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Linked container %s does not match parent %s", k, oldName)
+		}
+		links[strings.TrimPrefix(k, oldName)] = v
+	}
+
 	if newName, err = daemon.reserveName(container.ID, newName); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error when allocating new name: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	for k, v := range links {
+		daemon.nameIndex.Reserve(newName+k, v.ID)
+		daemon.linkIndex.link(container, v, newName+k)
+	}
+
 	container.Name = newName
 	container.NetworkSettings.IsAnonymousEndpoint = false
 
@@ -52,10 +66,20 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) ContainerRename(oldName, newName string) error {
 			container.Name = oldName
 			container.NetworkSettings.IsAnonymousEndpoint = oldIsAnonymousEndpoint
 			daemon.reserveName(container.ID, oldName)
+			for k, v := range links {
+				daemon.nameIndex.Reserve(oldName+k, v.ID)
+				daemon.linkIndex.link(container, v, oldName+k)
+				daemon.linkIndex.unlink(newName+k, v, container)
+				daemon.nameIndex.Release(newName + k)
+			}
 			daemon.releaseName(newName)
 		}
 	}()
 
+	for k, v := range links {
+		daemon.linkIndex.unlink(oldName+k, v, container)
+		daemon.nameIndex.Release(oldName + k)
+	}
 	daemon.releaseName(oldName)
 	if err = container.ToDisk(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_rename_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_rename_test.go
index 6d61c08cf6..1ba620a5e1 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_rename_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_rename_test.go
@@ -121,3 +121,15 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestRenameContainerWithSameName(c *check.C) {
 	c.Assert(err, checker.NotNil, check.Commentf("Renaming a container with the same name should have failed"))
 	c.Assert(out, checker.Contains, "Renaming a container with the same name", check.Commentf("%v", err))
 }
+
+// Test case for #23973
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestRenameContainerWithLinkedContainer(c *check.C) {
+	testRequires(c, DaemonIsLinux)
+
+	db1, _ := dockerCmd(c, "run", "--name", "db1", "-d", "busybox", "top")
+	dockerCmd(c, "run", "--name", "app1", "-d", "--link", "db1:/mysql", "busybox", "top")
+	dockerCmd(c, "rename", "app1", "app2")
+	out, _, err := dockerCmdWithError("inspect", "--format='{{ .Id }}'", "app2/mysql")
+	c.Assert(err, checker.IsNil)
+	c.Assert(strings.TrimSpace(out), checker.Equals, strings.TrimSpace(db1))
+}