diff --git a/daemon/daemon_unix.go b/daemon/daemon_unix.go
index 13ac51843b..9e2d6736d5 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon_unix.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon_unix.go
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ func verifyPlatformContainerSettings(daemon *Daemon, hostConfig *runconfig.HostC
 	if hostConfig.LxcConf.Len() > 0 && !strings.Contains(daemon.ExecutionDriver().Name(), "lxc") {
 		return warnings, fmt.Errorf("Cannot use --lxc-conf with execdriver: %s", daemon.ExecutionDriver().Name())
 	}
+
+	// memory subsystem checks and adjustments
 	if hostConfig.Memory != 0 && hostConfig.Memory < 4194304 {
 		return warnings, fmt.Errorf("Minimum memory limit allowed is 4MB")
 	}
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ func verifyPlatformContainerSettings(daemon *Daemon, hostConfig *runconfig.HostC
 		warnings = append(warnings, "Your kernel does not support memory limit capabilities. Limitation discarded.")
 		logrus.Warnf("Your kernel does not support memory limit capabilities. Limitation discarded.")
 		hostConfig.Memory = 0
+		hostConfig.MemorySwap = -1
 	}
 	if hostConfig.Memory > 0 && hostConfig.MemorySwap != -1 && !sysInfo.SwapLimit {
 		warnings = append(warnings, "Your kernel does not support swap limit capabilities, memory limited without swap.")
@@ -174,7 +177,7 @@ func verifyPlatformContainerSettings(daemon *Daemon, hostConfig *runconfig.HostC
 	if hostConfig.Memory == 0 && hostConfig.MemorySwap > 0 {
 		return warnings, fmt.Errorf("You should always set the Memory limit when using Memoryswap limit, see usage.")
 	}
-	if hostConfig.MemorySwappiness != nil && !sysInfo.MemorySwappiness {
+	if hostConfig.MemorySwappiness != nil && *hostConfig.MemorySwappiness != -1 && !sysInfo.MemorySwappiness {
 		warnings = append(warnings, "Your kernel does not support memory swappiness capabilities, memory swappiness discarded.")
 		logrus.Warnf("Your kernel does not support memory swappiness capabilities, memory swappiness discarded.")
 		hostConfig.MemorySwappiness = nil
@@ -198,10 +201,12 @@ func verifyPlatformContainerSettings(daemon *Daemon, hostConfig *runconfig.HostC
 	if hostConfig.BlkioWeight > 0 && (hostConfig.BlkioWeight < 10 || hostConfig.BlkioWeight > 1000) {
 		return warnings, fmt.Errorf("Range of blkio weight is from 10 to 1000.")
 	}
+
 	if hostConfig.OomKillDisable && !sysInfo.OomKillDisable {
 		hostConfig.OomKillDisable = false
 		return warnings, fmt.Errorf("Your kernel does not support oom kill disable.")
 	}
+
 	if sysInfo.IPv4ForwardingDisabled {
 		warnings = append(warnings, "IPv4 forwarding is disabled. Networking will not work.")
 		logrus.Warnf("IPv4 forwarding is disabled. Networking will not work")
diff --git a/daemon/start.go b/daemon/start.go
index 9df56c5a34..2dc05d613c 100644
--- a/daemon/start.go
+++ b/daemon/start.go
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) ContainerStart(name string, hostConfig *runconfig.HostConf
 		return fmt.Errorf("Container already started")
 	}
 
-	if _, err = daemon.verifyContainerSettings(hostConfig, nil); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	// Windows does not have the backwards compatibilty issue here.
 	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		// This is kept for backward compatibility - hostconfig should be passed when
@@ -40,6 +36,12 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) ContainerStart(name string, hostConfig *runconfig.HostConf
 		}
 	}
 
+	// check if hostConfig is in line with the current system settings.
+	// It may happen cgroups are umounted or the like.
+	if _, err = daemon.verifyContainerSettings(container.hostConfig, nil); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if err := container.Start(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot start container %s: %s", name, err)
 	}
diff --git a/runconfig/parse.go b/runconfig/parse.go
index 5528d7af76..6488817cfd 100644
--- a/runconfig/parse.go
+++ b/runconfig/parse.go
@@ -188,16 +188,16 @@ func Parse(cmd *flag.FlagSet, args []string) (*Config, *HostConfig, *flag.FlagSe
 		flMemory = parsedMemory
 	}
 
-	var MemorySwap int64
+	var memorySwap int64
 	if *flMemorySwap != "" {
 		if *flMemorySwap == "-1" {
-			MemorySwap = -1
+			memorySwap = -1
 		} else {
 			parsedMemorySwap, err := units.RAMInBytes(*flMemorySwap)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, cmd, err
 			}
-			MemorySwap = parsedMemorySwap
+			memorySwap = parsedMemorySwap
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ func Parse(cmd *flag.FlagSet, args []string) (*Config, *HostConfig, *flag.FlagSe
 		ContainerIDFile:  *flContainerIDFile,
 		LxcConf:          lxcConf,
 		Memory:           flMemory,
-		MemorySwap:       MemorySwap,
+		MemorySwap:       memorySwap,
 		CPUShares:        *flCPUShares,
 		CPUPeriod:        *flCPUPeriod,
 		CpusetCpus:       *flCpusetCpus,