diff --git a/api/client/stats.go b/api/client/stats.go
index 0bfbe43f9d..ccb924de7e 100644
--- a/api/client/stats.go
+++ b/api/client/stats.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"text/tabwriter"
@@ -38,6 +37,15 @@ type stats struct {
 	cs []*containerStats
 }
 
+func (s *stats) isKnownContainer(cid string) bool {
+	for _, c := range s.cs {
+		if c.Name == cid {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (s *containerStats) Collect(cli *DockerCli, streamStats bool) {
 	responseBody, err := cli.client.ContainerStats(context.Background(), s.Name, streamStats)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -150,27 +158,145 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdStats(args ...string) error {
 	names := cmd.Args()
 	showAll := len(names) == 0
 
-	if showAll {
+	// The containerChan is the central synchronization piece for this function,
+	// and all messages to either add or remove an element to the list of
+	// monitored containers go through this.
+	//
+	//   - When watching all containers, a goroutine subscribes to the events
+	//     API endpoint and messages this channel accordingly.
+	//   - When watching a particular subset of containers, we feed the
+	//     requested list of containers to this channel.
+	//   - For both codepaths, a goroutine is responsible for watching this
+	//     channel and subscribing to the stats API for containers.
+	type containerEvent struct {
+		id    string
+		event string
+		err   error
+	}
+	containerChan := make(chan containerEvent)
+
+	// monitorContainerEvents watches for container creation and removal (only
+	// used when calling `docker stats` without arguments).
+	monitorContainerEvents := func(started chan<- struct{}, c chan<- containerEvent) {
+		f := filters.NewArgs()
+		f.Add("type", "container")
+		options := types.EventsOptions{
+			Filters: f,
+		}
+		resBody, err := cli.client.Events(context.Background(), options)
+		// Whether we successfully subscribed to events or not, we can now
+		// unblock the main goroutine.
+		close(started)
+		if err != nil {
+			c <- containerEvent{err: err}
+			return
+		}
+		defer resBody.Close()
+		decodeEvents(resBody, func(event events.Message, err error) error {
+			if err != nil {
+				c <- containerEvent{"", "", err}
+			} else {
+				c <- containerEvent{event.ID[:12], event.Action, err}
+			}
+			return nil
+		})
+	}
+
+	// getContainerList simulates creation event for all previously existing
+	// containers (only used when calling `docker stats` without arguments).
+	getContainerList := func(c chan<- containerEvent) {
 		options := types.ContainerListOptions{
 			All: *all,
 		}
 		cs, err := cli.client.ContainerList(options)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			containerChan <- containerEvent{"", "", err}
 		}
 		for _, c := range cs {
-			names = append(names, c.ID[:12])
+			containerChan <- containerEvent{c.ID[:12], "create", nil}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(names) == 0 && !showAll {
-		return fmt.Errorf("No containers found")
-	}
-	sort.Strings(names)
 
-	var (
-		cStats = stats{}
-		w      = tabwriter.NewWriter(cli.out, 20, 1, 3, ' ', 0)
-	)
+	// Monitor the containerChan and start collection for each container.
+	cStats := stats{}
+	closeChan := make(chan error)
+	go func(stopChan chan<- error, c <-chan containerEvent) {
+		for {
+			event := <-c
+			if event.err != nil {
+				stopChan <- event.err
+				return
+			}
+			switch event.event {
+			case "create":
+				cStats.mu.Lock()
+				if !cStats.isKnownContainer(event.id) {
+					s := &containerStats{Name: event.id}
+					cStats.cs = append(cStats.cs, s)
+					go s.Collect(cli, !*noStream)
+				}
+				cStats.mu.Unlock()
+			case "stop":
+			case "die":
+				if !*all {
+					var remove int
+					// cStats cannot be O(1) with a map cause ranging over it would cause
+					// containers in stats to move up and down in the list...:(
+					cStats.mu.Lock()
+					for i, s := range cStats.cs {
+						if s.Name == event.id {
+							remove = i
+							break
+						}
+					}
+					cStats.cs = append(cStats.cs[:remove], cStats.cs[remove+1:]...)
+					cStats.mu.Unlock()
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}(closeChan, containerChan)
+
+	if showAll {
+		// If no names were specified, start a long running goroutine which
+		// monitors container events. We make sure we're subscribed before
+		// retrieving the list of running containers to avoid a race where we
+		// would "miss" a creation.
+		started := make(chan struct{})
+		go monitorContainerEvents(started, containerChan)
+		<-started
+
+		// Start a short-lived goroutine to retrieve the initial list of
+		// containers.
+		go getContainerList(containerChan)
+	} else {
+		// Artificially send creation events for the containers we were asked to
+		// monitor (same code path than we use when monitoring all containers).
+		for _, name := range names {
+			containerChan <- containerEvent{name, "create", nil}
+		}
+
+		// We don't expect any asynchronous errors: closeChan can be closed.
+		close(closeChan)
+
+		// Do a quick pause to detect any error with the provided list of
+		// container names.
+		time.Sleep(1500 * time.Millisecond)
+		var errs []string
+		cStats.mu.Lock()
+		for _, c := range cStats.cs {
+			c.mu.Lock()
+			if c.err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", c.Name, c.err))
+			}
+			c.mu.Unlock()
+		}
+		cStats.mu.Unlock()
+		if len(errs) > 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s", strings.Join(errs, ", "))
+		}
+	}
+
+	w := tabwriter.NewWriter(cli.out, 20, 1, 3, ' ', 0)
 	printHeader := func() {
 		if !*noStream {
 			fmt.Fprint(cli.out, "\033[2J")
@@ -178,96 +304,6 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdStats(args ...string) error {
 		}
 		io.WriteString(w, "CONTAINER\tCPU %\tMEM USAGE / LIMIT\tMEM %\tNET I/O\tBLOCK I/O\n")
 	}
-	for _, n := range names {
-		s := &containerStats{Name: n}
-		// no need to lock here since only the main goroutine is running here
-		cStats.cs = append(cStats.cs, s)
-		go s.Collect(cli, !*noStream)
-	}
-	closeChan := make(chan error)
-	if showAll {
-		type watch struct {
-			cid   string
-			event string
-			err   error
-		}
-		getNewContainers := func(c chan<- watch) {
-			f := filters.NewArgs()
-			f.Add("type", "container")
-			options := types.EventsOptions{
-				Filters: f,
-			}
-			resBody, err := cli.client.Events(context.Background(), options)
-			if err != nil {
-				c <- watch{err: err}
-				return
-			}
-			defer resBody.Close()
-
-			decodeEvents(resBody, func(event events.Message, err error) error {
-				if err != nil {
-					c <- watch{err: err}
-					return nil
-				}
-
-				c <- watch{event.ID[:12], event.Action, nil}
-				return nil
-			})
-		}
-		go func(stopChan chan<- error) {
-			cChan := make(chan watch)
-			go getNewContainers(cChan)
-			for {
-				c := <-cChan
-				if c.err != nil {
-					stopChan <- c.err
-					return
-				}
-				switch c.event {
-				case "create":
-					s := &containerStats{Name: c.cid}
-					cStats.mu.Lock()
-					cStats.cs = append(cStats.cs, s)
-					cStats.mu.Unlock()
-					go s.Collect(cli, !*noStream)
-				case "stop":
-				case "die":
-					if !*all {
-						var remove int
-						// cStats cannot be O(1) with a map cause ranging over it would cause
-						// containers in stats to move up and down in the list...:(
-						cStats.mu.Lock()
-						for i, s := range cStats.cs {
-							if s.Name == c.cid {
-								remove = i
-								break
-							}
-						}
-						cStats.cs = append(cStats.cs[:remove], cStats.cs[remove+1:]...)
-						cStats.mu.Unlock()
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}(closeChan)
-	} else {
-		close(closeChan)
-	}
-	// do a quick pause so that any failed connections for containers that do not exist are able to be
-	// evicted before we display the initial or default values.
-	time.Sleep(1500 * time.Millisecond)
-	var errs []string
-	cStats.mu.Lock()
-	for _, c := range cStats.cs {
-		c.mu.Lock()
-		if c.err != nil {
-			errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", c.Name, c.err))
-		}
-		c.mu.Unlock()
-	}
-	cStats.mu.Unlock()
-	if len(errs) > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s", strings.Join(errs, ", "))
-	}
 	for range time.Tick(500 * time.Millisecond) {
 		printHeader()
 		toRemove := []int{}