diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
index a8231481df..af6f5d9f7b 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/cluster.go
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	reapInterval     = 30 * time.Minute
-	reapPeriod       = 5 * time.Second
-	retryInterval    = 1 * time.Second
-	nodeReapInterval = 24 * time.Hour
-	nodeReapPeriod   = 2 * time.Hour
+	// The garbage collection logic for entries leverage the presence of the network.
+	// For this reason the expiration time of the network is put slightly higher than the entry expiration so that
+	// there is at least 5 extra cycle to make sure that all the entries are properly deleted before deleting the network.
+	reapEntryInterval   = 30 * time.Minute
+	reapNetworkInterval = reapEntryInterval + 5*reapPeriod
+	reapPeriod          = 5 * time.Second
+	retryInterval       = 1 * time.Second
+	nodeReapInterval    = 24 * time.Hour
+	nodeReapPeriod      = 2 * time.Hour
 )
 
 type logWriter struct{}
@@ -300,8 +304,9 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) reconnectNode() {
 // the reaper runs. NOTE nDB.reapTableEntries updates the reapTime with a readlock. This
 // is safe as long as no other concurrent path touches the reapTime field.
 func (nDB *NetworkDB) reapState() {
-	nDB.reapNetworks()
+	// The reapTableEntries leverage the presence of the network so garbage collect entries first
 	nDB.reapTableEntries()
+	nDB.reapNetworks()
 }
 
 func (nDB *NetworkDB) reapNetworks() {
@@ -414,8 +419,8 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) gossip() {
 		// Collect stats and print the queue info, note this code is here also to have a view of the queues empty
 		network.qMessagesSent += len(msgs)
 		if printStats {
-			logrus.Infof("NetworkDB stats - net:%s Entries:%d Queue qLen:%d netPeers:%d netMsg/s:%d",
-				nid, network.entriesNumber, broadcastQ.NumQueued(), broadcastQ.NumNodes(),
+			logrus.Infof("NetworkDB stats - netID:%s leaving:%t netPeers:%d entries:%d Queue qLen:%d netMsg/s:%d",
+				nid, network.leaving, broadcastQ.NumNodes(), network.entriesNumber, broadcastQ.NumQueued(),
 				network.qMessagesSent/int((nDB.config.StatsPrintPeriod/time.Second)))
 			network.qMessagesSent = 0
 		}
diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/delegate.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/delegate.go
index bcddc9014b..28919cf3d2 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/delegate.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/delegate.go
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) handleNetworkEvent(nEvent *NetworkEvent) bool {
 		n.ltime = nEvent.LTime
 		n.leaving = nEvent.Type == NetworkEventTypeLeave
 		if n.leaving {
-			n.reapTime = reapInterval
+			n.reapTime = reapNetworkInterval
 
 			// The remote node is leaving the network, but not the gossip cluster.
 			// Mark all its entries in deleted state, this will guarantee that
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) handleTableEvent(tEvent *TableEvent) bool {
 	// field. If that is not the case, this can be a BUG
 	if e.deleting && e.reapTime == 0 {
 		logrus.Warnf("handleTableEvent object %+v has a 0 reapTime, is the cluster running the same docker engine version?", tEvent)
-		e.reapTime = reapInterval
+		e.reapTime = reapEntryInterval
 	}
 
 	nDB.Lock()
diff --git a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
index caa3cfc5a6..afdf32e2c2 100644
--- a/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
+++ b/libnetwork/networkdb/networkdb.go
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) DeleteEntry(tname, nid, key string) error {
 		node:     nDB.config.NodeName,
 		value:    value,
 		deleting: true,
-		reapTime: reapInterval,
+		reapTime: reapEntryInterval,
 	}
 
 	if err := nDB.sendTableEvent(TableEventTypeDelete, nid, tname, key, entry); err != nil {
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) deleteNodeNetworkEntries(nid, node string) {
 				node:     oldEntry.node,
 				value:    oldEntry.value,
 				deleting: true,
-				reapTime: reapInterval,
+				reapTime: reapEntryInterval,
 			}
 
 			// we arrived at this point in 2 cases:
@@ -619,8 +619,9 @@ func (nDB *NetworkDB) LeaveNetwork(nid string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not find network %s while trying to leave", nid)
 	}
 
+	logrus.Debugf("%s: leaving network %s", nDB.config.NodeName, nid)
 	n.ltime = ltime
-	n.reapTime = reapInterval
+	n.reapTime = reapNetworkInterval
 	n.leaving = true
 	return nil
 }