@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@ func (runtime *Runtime) restore() error {

 	// Any containers that are left over do not exist in the graph

 	for _, container := range containers {

 		// Try to set the default name for a container if it exists prior to links

-		name := generateRandomName(runtime)

+		name, err := generateRandomName(runtime)

+		if err != nil {

+			container.Name = container.ShortID()

+		}

 		container.Name = name

 		if _, err := runtime.containerGraph.Set(name, container.ID); err != nil {

@@ -356,7 +359,10 @@ func (runtime *Runtime) Create(config *Config, name string) (*Container, []strin

 	id := GenerateID()

 	if name == "" {

-		name = generateRandomName(runtime)

+		name, err = generateRandomName(runtime)

+		if err != nil {

+			name = utils.TruncateID(id)

+		}

 	}

 	if name[0] != '/' {

 		name = "/" + name

@@ -304,10 +304,6 @@ func (c *checker) Exists(name string) bool {

 }

 // Generate a random and unique name

-func generateRandomName(runtime *Runtime) string {

-	n, err := namesgenerator.GenerateRandomName(&checker{runtime})

-	if err != nil {

-		panic(err)

-	}

-	return n

+func generateRandomName(runtime *Runtime) (string, error) {

+	return namesgenerator.GenerateRandomName(&checker{runtime})

 }