diff --git a/runbot/container.py b/runbot/container.py
index e18a45a5..e58779ce 100644
--- a/runbot/container.py
+++ b/runbot/container.py
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ def docker_run(run_cmd, log_path, build_dir, container_name, exposed_ports=None,
         cmd_object = Command([], run_cmd.split(' '), [])
     _logger.debug('Docker run command: %s', run_cmd)
     logs = open(log_path, 'w')
-    run_cmd = 'cd /data/build && %s' % run_cmd
+    run_cmd = 'cd /data/build;touch start-%s;%s;cd /data/build;touch end-%s' % (container_name, run_cmd, container_name)
+    docker_clear_state(container_name, build_dir)  # ensure that no state are remaining
     logs.write("Docker command:\n%s\n=================================================\n" % cmd_object)
     # create start script
     docker_command = [
@@ -173,10 +174,21 @@ def docker_stop(container_name):
     dstop = subprocess.run(['docker', 'stop', container_name])
 
 def docker_is_running(container_name):
-    """Return True if container is still running"""
     dinspect = subprocess.run(['docker', 'container', 'inspect', container_name], stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL, stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL)
     return True if dinspect.returncode == 0 else False
 
+def docker_state(container_name, build_dir):
+    started = os.path.exists(os.path.join(build_dir, 'start-%s' % container_name))
+    ended = os.path.exists(os.path.join(build_dir, 'end-%s' % container_name))
+    return 'END' if ended else 'RUNNING' if started else 'UNKNOWN'
+
+def docker_clear_state(container_name, build_dir):
+    """Return True if container is still running"""
+    if os.path.exists(os.path.join(build_dir, 'start-%s' % container_name)):
+        os.remove(os.path.join(build_dir, 'start-%s' % container_name))
+    if os.path.exists(os.path.join(build_dir, 'end-%s' % container_name)):
+        os.remove(os.path.join(build_dir, 'end-%s' % container_name))
+
 def docker_get_gateway_ip():
     """Return the host ip of the docker default bridge gateway"""
     docker_net_inspect = subprocess.run(['docker', 'network', 'inspect', 'bridge'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
diff --git a/runbot/models/build.py b/runbot/models/build.py
index d593de38..b3e1b14d 100644
--- a/runbot/models/build.py
+++ b/runbot/models/build.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import subprocess
 import time
 import datetime
 from ..common import dt2time, fqdn, now, grep, uniq_list, local_pgadmin_cursor, s2human, Commit, dest_reg, os
-from ..container import docker_build, docker_stop, docker_is_running, Command
+from ..container import docker_build, docker_stop, docker_state, Command
 from odoo.addons.runbot.models.repo import RunbotException
 from odoo import models, fields, api
 from odoo.exceptions import UserError, ValidationError
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ class runbot_build(models.Model):
                 continue
 
             if build.requested_action == 'wake_up':
-                if docker_is_running(build._get_docker_name()):
+                if docker_state(build._get_docker_name(), build._path()) == 'RUNNING':
                     build.write({'requested_action': False, 'local_state': 'running'})
                     build._log('wake_up', 'Waking up failed, docker is already running', level='SEPARATOR')
                 elif not os.path.exists(build._path()):
@@ -651,15 +651,19 @@ class runbot_build(models.Model):
                             build.local_result = build.triggered_result
                             build._github_status()  # failfast
                 # check if current job is finished
-                if docker_is_running(build._get_docker_name()):
+                _docker_state = docker_state(build._get_docker_name(), build._path())
+                if _docker_state == 'RUNNING':
                     timeout = min(build.active_step.cpu_limit, int(icp.get_param('runbot.runbot_timeout', default=10000)))
                     if build.local_state != 'running' and build.job_time > timeout:
                         build._log('_schedule', '%s time exceeded (%ss)' % (build.active_step.name if build.active_step else "?", build.job_time))
                         build._kill(result='killed')
                     continue
-                elif build.active_step._is_docker_step() and build.job_time < 15:
-                    _logger.debug('container "%s" seems too take a while to start', build._get_docker_name())
-                    continue
+                elif _docker_state == 'UNKNOWN' and build.active_step._is_docker_step():
+                    if build.job_time < 60:
+                        _logger.debug('container "%s" seems too take a while to start', build._get_docker_name())
+                        continue
+                    else:
+                        build._log('_schedule', 'Docker not started after 60 seconds, skipping', level='ERROR')
                 # No job running, make result and select nex job
                 build_values = {
                     'job_end': now(),
diff --git a/runbot/tests/test_schedule.py b/runbot/tests/test_schedule.py
index 194a5d4f..f08b3642 100644
--- a/runbot/tests/test_schedule.py
+++ b/runbot/tests/test_schedule.py
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ class TestSchedule(RunbotCase):
         })
 
     @patch('odoo.addons.runbot.models.build.os.path.getmtime')
-    @patch('odoo.addons.runbot.models.build.docker_is_running')
-    def test_schedule_mark_done(self, mock_running, mock_getmtime):
+    @patch('odoo.addons.runbot.models.build.docker_state')
+    def test_schedule_mark_done(self, mock_docker_state, mock_getmtime):
         """ Test that results are set even when job_30_run is skipped """
         job_end_time = datetime.datetime.now()
         mock_getmtime.return_value = job_end_time.timestamp()
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class TestSchedule(RunbotCase):
         domain = [('repo_id', 'in', (self.repo.id, ))]
         domain_host = domain + [('host', '=', 'runbotxx')]
         build_ids = self.Build.search(domain_host + [('local_state', 'in', ['testing', 'running'])])
-        mock_running.return_value = False
+        mock_docker_state.return_value = 'RUNNING'
         self.assertEqual(build.local_state, 'testing')
         build_ids._schedule()  # too fast, docker not started
         self.assertEqual(build.local_state, 'testing')