diff --git a/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs.go b/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs.go
index d6312b660a..3d6466f09d 100644
--- a/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs.go
+++ b/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ type logStream struct {
 	logStreamName    string
 	logGroupName     string
 	logCreateGroup   bool
+	logNonBlocking   bool
 	multilinePattern *regexp.Regexp
 	client           api
 	messages         chan *logger.Message
@@ -129,6 +130,8 @@ func New(info logger.Info) (logger.Logger, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	logNonBlocking := info.Config["mode"] == "non-blocking"
+
 	if info.Config[logStreamKey] != "" {
 		logStreamName = info.Config[logStreamKey]
 	}
@@ -142,19 +145,54 @@ func New(info logger.Info) (logger.Logger, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
 	containerStream := &logStream{
 		logStreamName:    logStreamName,
 		logGroupName:     logGroupName,
 		logCreateGroup:   logCreateGroup,
+		logNonBlocking:   logNonBlocking,
 		multilinePattern: multilinePattern,
 		client:           client,
 		messages:         make(chan *logger.Message, 4096),
 	}
-	err = containerStream.create()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+
+	creationDone := make(chan bool)
+	if logNonBlocking {
+		go func() {
+			backoff := 1
+			maxBackoff := 32
+			for {
+				// If logger is closed we are done
+				containerStream.lock.RLock()
+				if containerStream.closed {
+					containerStream.lock.RUnlock()
+					break
+				}
+				containerStream.lock.RUnlock()
+				err := containerStream.create()
+				if err == nil {
+					break
+				}
+
+				time.Sleep(time.Duration(backoff) * time.Second)
+				if backoff < maxBackoff {
+					backoff *= 2
+				}
+				logrus.
+					WithError(err).
+					WithField("container-id", info.ContainerID).
+					WithField("container-name", info.ContainerName).
+					Error("Error while trying to initialize awslogs. Retrying in: ", backoff, " seconds")
+			}
+			close(creationDone)
+		}()
+	} else {
+		if err = containerStream.create(); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		close(creationDone)
 	}
-	go containerStream.collectBatch()
+	go containerStream.collectBatch(creationDone)
 
 	return containerStream, nil
 }
@@ -296,9 +334,18 @@ func (l *logStream) BufSize() int {
 func (l *logStream) Log(msg *logger.Message) error {
 	l.lock.RLock()
 	defer l.lock.RUnlock()
-	if !l.closed {
-		l.messages <- msg
+	if l.closed {
+		return errors.New("awslogs is closed")
 	}
+	if l.logNonBlocking {
+		select {
+		case l.messages <- msg:
+			return nil
+		default:
+			return errors.New("awslogs buffer is full")
+		}
+	}
+	l.messages <- msg
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -324,7 +371,9 @@ func (l *logStream) create() error {
 				return l.createLogStream()
 			}
 		}
-		return err
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -401,7 +450,9 @@ var newTicker = func(freq time.Duration) *time.Ticker {
 // seconds.  When events are ready to be processed for submission to CloudWatch
 // Logs, the processEvents method is called.  If a multiline pattern is not
 // configured, log events are submitted to the processEvents method immediately.
-func (l *logStream) collectBatch() {
+func (l *logStream) collectBatch(created chan bool) {
+	// Wait for the logstream/group to be created
+	<-created
 	ticker := newTicker(batchPublishFrequency)
 	var eventBuffer []byte
 	var eventBufferTimestamp int64
diff --git a/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs_test.go b/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs_test.go
index 4a37d98167..2884f01e28 100644
--- a/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs_test.go
+++ b/daemon/logger/awslogs/cloudwatchlogs_test.go
@@ -201,6 +201,93 @@ func TestCreateAlreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLogClosed(t *testing.T) {
+	mockClient := newMockClient()
+	stream := &logStream{
+		client: mockClient,
+		closed: true,
+	}
+	err := stream.Log(&logger.Message{})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected non-nil error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLogBlocking(t *testing.T) {
+	mockClient := newMockClient()
+	stream := &logStream{
+		client:   mockClient,
+		messages: make(chan *logger.Message),
+	}
+
+	errorCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	started := make(chan bool)
+	go func() {
+		started <- true
+		err := stream.Log(&logger.Message{})
+		errorCh <- err
+	}()
+	<-started
+	select {
+	case err := <-errorCh:
+		t.Fatal("Expected stream.Log to block: ", err)
+	default:
+		break
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-stream.messages:
+		break
+	default:
+		t.Fatal("Expected to be able to read from stream.messages but was unable to")
+	}
+	select {
+	case err := <-errorCh:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timed out waiting for read")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLogNonBlockingBufferEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	mockClient := newMockClient()
+	stream := &logStream{
+		client:         mockClient,
+		messages:       make(chan *logger.Message, 1),
+		logNonBlocking: true,
+	}
+	err := stream.Log(&logger.Message{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLogNonBlockingBufferFull(t *testing.T) {
+	mockClient := newMockClient()
+	stream := &logStream{
+		client:         mockClient,
+		messages:       make(chan *logger.Message, 1),
+		logNonBlocking: true,
+	}
+	stream.messages <- &logger.Message{}
+	errorCh := make(chan error)
+	started := make(chan bool)
+	go func() {
+		started <- true
+		err := stream.Log(&logger.Message{})
+		errorCh <- err
+	}()
+	<-started
+	select {
+	case err := <-errorCh:
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("Expected non-nil error")
+		}
+	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Expected Log call to not block")
+	}
+}
 func TestPublishBatchSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	mockClient := newMockClient()
 	stream := &logStream{
@@ -410,8 +497,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchSimple(t *testing.T) {
 			C: ticks,
 		}
 	}
-
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline),
@@ -454,7 +542,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchTicker(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline + " 1"),
@@ -526,7 +616,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMultilinePattern(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline),
@@ -580,7 +672,9 @@ func BenchmarkCollectBatch(b *testing.B) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		go stream.collectBatch()
+		d := make(chan bool)
+		close(d)
+		go stream.collectBatch(d)
 		stream.logGenerator(10, 100)
 		ticks <- time.Time{}
 		stream.Close()
@@ -610,7 +704,9 @@ func BenchmarkCollectBatchMultilinePattern(b *testing.B) {
 				C: ticks,
 			}
 		}
-		go stream.collectBatch()
+		d := make(chan bool)
+		close(d)
+		go stream.collectBatch(d)
 		stream.logGenerator(10, 100)
 		ticks <- time.Time{}
 		stream.Close()
@@ -640,7 +736,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMultilinePatternMaxEventAge(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline),
@@ -702,7 +800,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMultilinePatternNegativeEventAge(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline),
@@ -750,7 +850,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMultilinePatternMaxEventSize(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	// Log max event size
 	longline := strings.Repeat("A", maximumBytesPerEvent)
@@ -801,7 +903,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchClose(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
 		Line:      []byte(logline),
@@ -844,7 +948,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchLineSplit(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	longline := strings.Repeat("A", maximumBytesPerEvent)
 	stream.Log(&logger.Message{
@@ -891,7 +997,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMaxEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	line := "A"
 	for i := 0; i <= maximumLogEventsPerPut; i++ {
@@ -946,7 +1054,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchMaxTotalBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	numPayloads := maximumBytesPerPut / (maximumBytesPerEvent + perEventBytes)
 	// maxline is the maximum line that could be submitted after
@@ -1025,7 +1135,9 @@ func TestCollectBatchWithDuplicateTimestamps(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	go stream.collectBatch()
+	d := make(chan bool)
+	close(d)
+	go stream.collectBatch(d)
 
 	times := maximumLogEventsPerPut
 	expectedEvents := []*cloudwatchlogs.InputLogEvent{}