diff --git a/daemon/monitor.go b/daemon/monitor.go
index 36b82f17a7..9a087283c8 100644
--- a/daemon/monitor.go
+++ b/daemon/monitor.go
@@ -52,7 +52,20 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) handleContainerExit(c *container.Container, e *libcontaine
 		}
 	}
 
-	restart, wait, err := c.RestartManager().ShouldRestart(ec, daemon.IsShuttingDown() || c.HasBeenManuallyStopped, time.Since(c.StartedAt))
+	daemonShutdown := daemon.IsShuttingDown()
+	execDuration := time.Since(c.StartedAt)
+	restart, wait, err := c.RestartManager().ShouldRestart(ec, daemonShutdown || c.HasBeenManuallyStopped, execDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.WithError(err).
+			WithField("container", c.ID).
+			WithField("restartCount", c.RestartCount).
+			WithField("exitStatus", exitStatus).
+			WithField("daemonShuttingDown", daemonShutdown).
+			WithField("hasBeenManuallyStopped", c.HasBeenManuallyStopped).
+			WithField("execDuration", execDuration).
+			Warn("ShouldRestart failed, container will not be restarted")
+		restart = false
+	}
 
 	// cancel healthcheck here, they will be automatically
 	// restarted if/when the container is started again
@@ -62,12 +75,19 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) handleContainerExit(c *container.Container, e *libcontaine
 	}
 	daemon.Cleanup(c)
 
-	if err == nil && restart {
+	if restart {
 		c.RestartCount++
+		logrus.WithField("container", c.ID).
+			WithField("restartCount", c.RestartCount).
+			WithField("exitStatus", exitStatus).
+			WithField("manualRestart", c.HasBeenManuallyRestarted).
+			Debug("Restarting container")
 		c.SetRestarting(&exitStatus)
 	} else {
 		c.SetStopped(&exitStatus)
-		defer daemon.autoRemove(c)
+		if !c.HasBeenManuallyRestarted {
+			defer daemon.autoRemove(c)
+		}
 	}
 	defer c.Unlock() // needs to be called before autoRemove
 
@@ -76,7 +96,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) handleContainerExit(c *container.Container, e *libcontaine
 
 	daemon.LogContainerEventWithAttributes(c, "die", attributes)
 
-	if err == nil && restart {
+	if restart {
 		go func() {
 			err := <-wait
 			if err == nil {
diff --git a/daemon/restart.go b/daemon/restart.go
index c20e8cbb10..a6c8ddbb24 100644
--- a/daemon/restart.go
+++ b/daemon/restart.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	containertypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/container"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 // ContainerRestart stops and starts a container. It attempts to
@@ -52,19 +51,11 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) containerRestart(ctx context.Context, container *container
 	}
 
 	if container.IsRunning() {
-		// set AutoRemove flag to false before stop so the container won't be
-		// removed during restart process
-		autoRemove := container.HostConfig.AutoRemove
+		container.Lock()
+		container.HasBeenManuallyRestarted = true
+		container.Unlock()
 
-		container.HostConfig.AutoRemove = false
 		err := daemon.containerStop(ctx, container, options)
-		// restore AutoRemove irrespective of whether the stop worked or not
-		container.HostConfig.AutoRemove = autoRemove
-		// containerStop will write HostConfig to disk, we shall restore AutoRemove
-		// in disk too
-		if toDiskErr := daemon.checkpointAndSave(container); toDiskErr != nil {
-			logrus.Errorf("Write container to disk error: %v", toDiskErr)
-		}
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/daemon/start.go b/daemon/start.go
index fc5aa5b55f..ecc0f8b8af 100644
--- a/daemon/start.go
+++ b/daemon/start.go
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) containerStart(container *container.Container, checkpoint
 		return translateContainerdStartErr(container.Path, container.SetExitCode, err)
 	}
 
+	container.HasBeenManuallyRestarted = false
 	container.SetRunning(pid, true)
 	container.HasBeenStartedBefore = true
 	daemon.setStateCounter(container)