diff --git a/daemon/container.go b/daemon/container.go
index eec93502c9..57bdc01e70 100644
--- a/daemon/container.go
+++ b/daemon/container.go
@@ -68,16 +68,6 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) GetContainer(prefixOrName string) (*container.Container, e
 	return ctr, nil
 }
 
-// checkContainer make sure the specified container validates the specified conditions
-func (daemon *Daemon) checkContainer(container *container.Container, conditions ...func(*container.Container) error) error {
-	for _, condition := range conditions {
-		if err := condition(container); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // Exists returns a true if a container of the specified ID or name exists,
 // false otherwise.
 func (daemon *Daemon) Exists(id string) bool {
diff --git a/daemon/container_operations_unix.go b/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
index b76b0043e5..3199dbfa6f 100644
--- a/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
+++ b/daemon/container_operations_unix.go
@@ -61,15 +61,19 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) setupLinkedContainers(container *container.Container) ([]s
 
 func (daemon *Daemon) getIpcContainer(id string) (*container.Container, error) {
 	errMsg := "can't join IPC of container " + id
-	// Check the container exists
+
+	// Check if the container exists, is running, and not restarting
 	ctr, err := daemon.GetContainer(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, errMsg)
 	}
-	// Check the container is running and not restarting
-	if err := daemon.checkContainer(ctr, containerIsRunning, containerIsNotRestarting); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, errMsg)
+	if !ctr.IsRunning() {
+		return nil, errNotRunning(id)
 	}
+	if ctr.IsRestarting() {
+		return nil, errContainerIsRestarting(id)
+	}
+
 	// Check the container ipc is shareable
 	if st, err := os.Stat(ctr.ShmPath); err != nil || !st.IsDir() {
 		if err == nil || os.IsNotExist(err) {
@@ -83,26 +87,19 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) getIpcContainer(id string) (*container.Container, error) {
 }
 
 func (daemon *Daemon) getPidContainer(ctr *container.Container) (*container.Container, error) {
-	containerID := ctr.HostConfig.PidMode.Container()
-	ctr, err := daemon.GetContainer(containerID)
+	id := ctr.HostConfig.PidMode.Container()
+	ctr, err := daemon.GetContainer(id)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot join PID of a non running container: %s", containerID)
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot join PID of a non running container: %s", id)
+	}
+	if !ctr.IsRunning() {
+		return nil, errNotRunning(id)
+	}
+	if ctr.IsRestarting() {
+		return nil, errContainerIsRestarting(id)
 	}
-	return ctr, daemon.checkContainer(ctr, containerIsRunning, containerIsNotRestarting)
-}
 
-func containerIsRunning(c *container.Container) error {
-	if !c.IsRunning() {
-		return errdefs.Conflict(errors.Errorf("container %s is not running", c.ID))
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func containerIsNotRestarting(c *container.Container) error {
-	if c.IsRestarting() {
-		return errContainerIsRestarting(c.ID)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return ctr, nil
 }
 
 func (daemon *Daemon) setupIpcDirs(c *container.Container) error {