diff --git a/commands_test.go b/commands_test.go
index 2c0e319787..b38ed33132 100644
--- a/commands_test.go
+++ b/commands_test.go
@@ -660,4 +660,41 @@ func TestCmdLogs(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := cli.CmdLogs(globalRuntime.List()[0].ID); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+
+// Expected behaviour: using / as a bind mount source should throw an error
+func TestRunErrorBindMountRootSource(t *testing.T) {
+
+	cli := NewDockerCli(nil, nil, ioutil.Discard, testDaemonProto, testDaemonAddr)
+	defer cleanup(globalRuntime)
+
+	c := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(c)
+		if err := cli.CmdRun("-v", "/:/tmp", unitTestImageID, "echo 'should fail'"); err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("should have failed to run when using / as a source for the bind mount")
+		}
+	}()
+
+	setTimeout(t, "CmdRun timed out", 5*time.Second, func() {
+		<-c
+	})
+}
+
+// Expected behaviour: error out when attempting to bind mount non-existing source paths
+func TestRunErrorBindNonExistingSource(t *testing.T) {
+
+	cli := NewDockerCli(nil, nil, ioutil.Discard, testDaemonProto, testDaemonAddr)
+	defer cleanup(globalRuntime)
+
+	c := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(c)
+		if err := cli.CmdRun("-v", "/i/dont/exist:/tmp", unitTestImageID, "echo 'should fail'"); err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("should have failed to run when using /i/dont/exist as a source for the bind mount")
+		}
+	}()
+
+	setTimeout(t, "CmdRun timed out", 5*time.Second, func() {
+		<-c
+	})
 }
diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index a22484c2d6..92e05283d1 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -251,6 +251,9 @@ func ParseRun(args []string, capabilities *Capabilities) (*Config, *HostConfig,
 	for bind := range flVolumes {
 		arr := strings.Split(bind, ":")
 		if len(arr) > 1 {
+			if arr[0] == "/" {
+				return nil, nil, cmd, fmt.Errorf("Invalid bind mount: source can't be '/'")
+			}
 			dstDir := arr[1]
 			flVolumes[dstDir] = struct{}{}
 			binds = append(binds, bind)
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 314df0256b..cbe7c6435c 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -1316,6 +1316,25 @@ func (srv *Server) RegisterLinks(name string, hostConfig *HostConfig) error {
 func (srv *Server) ContainerStart(name string, hostConfig *HostConfig) error {
 	runtime := srv.runtime
 	container := runtime.Get(name)
+
+	if hostConfig != nil {
+		for _, bind := range hostConfig.Binds {
+			splitBind := strings.Split(bind, ":")
+			source := splitBind[0]
+
+			// refuse to bind mount "/" to the container
+			if source == "/" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Invalid bind mount '%s' : source can't be '/'", bind)
+			}
+
+			// ensure the source exists on the host
+			_, err := os.Stat(source)
+			if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Invalid bind mount '%s' : source doesn't exist", bind)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if container == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("No such container: %s", name)
 	}