diff --git a/daemon/container.go b/daemon/container.go
index d27ed27dbf..71fe06d592 100644
--- a/daemon/container.go
+++ b/daemon/container.go
@@ -268,11 +268,11 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) verifyContainerSettings(hostConfig *containertypes.HostCon
 	switch p.Name {
 	case "always", "unless-stopped", "no":
 		if p.MaximumRetryCount != 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("maximum restart count not valid with restart policy of '%s'", p.Name)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("maximum retry count cannot be used with restart policy '%s'", p.Name)
 		}
 	case "on-failure":
-		if p.MaximumRetryCount < 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("maximum restart count must be a positive integer")
+		if p.MaximumRetryCount < 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("maximum retry count cannot be negative")
 		}
 	case "":
 	// do nothing
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
index cd3dd30a0f..d046ec0684 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidPortSyntax(c *check.C) {
 	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "invalid port")
 }
 
-func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyName(c *check.C) {
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIRestartPolicyInvalidPolicyName(c *check.C) {
 	config := `{
 		"Image": "busybox",
 		"HostConfig": {
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyName(c *check.C) {
 	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "invalid restart policy")
 }
 
-func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyRetryMismatch(c *check.C) {
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIRestartPolicyRetryMismatch(c *check.C) {
 	config := `{
 		"Image": "busybox",
 		"HostConfig": {
@@ -765,10 +765,10 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyRetryMismatch(c *check
 
 	b, err := readBody(body)
 	c.Assert(err, checker.IsNil)
-	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "maximum restart count not valid with restart policy")
+	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "maximum retry count cannot be used with restart policy")
 }
 
-func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyPositiveRetryCount(c *check.C) {
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIRestartPolicyNegativeRetryCount(c *check.C) {
 	config := `{
 		"Image": "busybox",
 		"HostConfig": {
@@ -785,7 +785,23 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIInvalidRestartPolicyPositiveRetryCount(c *
 
 	b, err := readBody(body)
 	c.Assert(err, checker.IsNil)
-	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "maximum restart count must be a positive integer")
+	c.Assert(string(b[:]), checker.Contains, "maximum retry count cannot be negative")
+}
+
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestContainerAPIRestartPolicyDefaultRetryCount(c *check.C) {
+	config := `{
+		"Image": "busybox",
+		"HostConfig": {
+			"RestartPolicy": {
+				"Name": "on-failure",
+				"MaximumRetryCount": 0
+			}
+		}
+	}`
+
+	res, _, err := sockRequestRaw("POST", "/containers/create", strings.NewReader(config), "application/json")
+	c.Assert(err, checker.IsNil)
+	c.Assert(res.StatusCode, checker.Equals, http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
 // Issue 7941 - test to make sure a "null" in JSON is just ignored.
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_restart_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_restart_test.go
index ca71aaa144..7d585289eb 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_restart_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_restart_test.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartWithVolumes(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartPolicyNO(c *check.C) {
-	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "run", "-d", "--restart=no", "busybox", "false")
+	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "create", "--restart=no", "busybox")
 
 	id := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
 	name := inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name")
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartPolicyNO(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartPolicyAlways(c *check.C) {
-	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "run", "-d", "--restart=always", "busybox", "false")
+	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "create", "--restart=always", "busybox")
 
 	id := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
 	name := inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name")
@@ -95,12 +95,36 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartPolicyAlways(c *check.C) {
 }
 
 func (s *DockerSuite) TestRestartPolicyOnFailure(c *check.C) {
-	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "run", "-d", "--restart=on-failure:1", "busybox", "false")
+	out, _, err := dockerCmdWithError("create", "--restart=on-failure:-1", "busybox")
+	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil, check.Commentf(out))
+	c.Assert(out, checker.Contains, "maximum retry count cannot be negative")
+
+	out, _ = dockerCmd(c, "create", "--restart=on-failure:1", "busybox")
 
 	id := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
 	name := inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name")
-	c.Assert(name, checker.Equals, "on-failure")
+	maxRetry := inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.MaximumRetryCount")
 
+	c.Assert(name, checker.Equals, "on-failure")
+	c.Assert(maxRetry, checker.Equals, "1")
+
+	out, _ = dockerCmd(c, "create", "--restart=on-failure:0", "busybox")
+
+	id = strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
+	name = inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name")
+	maxRetry = inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.MaximumRetryCount")
+
+	c.Assert(name, checker.Equals, "on-failure")
+	c.Assert(maxRetry, checker.Equals, "0")
+
+	out, _ = dockerCmd(c, "create", "--restart=on-failure", "busybox")
+
+	id = strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
+	name = inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name")
+	maxRetry = inspectField(c, id, "HostConfig.RestartPolicy.MaximumRetryCount")
+
+	c.Assert(name, checker.Equals, "on-failure")
+	c.Assert(maxRetry, checker.Equals, "0")
 }
 
 // a good container with --restart=on-failure:3