@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ func (container *Container) updateParentsHosts() error {

 		c := container.daemon.Get(cid)

 		if c != nil && !container.daemon.config.DisableNetwork && container.hostConfig.NetworkMode.IsPrivate() {

 			if err := etchosts.Update(c.HostsPath, container.NetworkSettings.IPAddress, container.Name[1:]); err != nil {

-				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to update /etc/hosts in parent container: %v", err)

+				log.Errorf("Failed to update /etc/hosts in parent container: %v", err)

 			}

 		}

 	}

@@ -157,3 +157,23 @@ func TestLinksInspectLinksStopped(t *testing.T) {

 	logDone("link - links in stopped container inspect")

 }

+

+func TestLinksNotStartedParentNotFail(t *testing.T) {

+	defer deleteAllContainers()

+	runCmd := exec.Command(dockerBinary, "create", "--name=first", "busybox", "top")

+	out, _, _, err := runCommandWithStdoutStderr(runCmd)

+	if err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(out, err)

+	}

+	runCmd = exec.Command(dockerBinary, "create", "--name=second", "--link=first:first", "busybox", "top")

+	out, _, _, err = runCommandWithStdoutStderr(runCmd)

+	if err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(out, err)

+	}

+	runCmd = exec.Command(dockerBinary, "start", "first")

+	out, _, _, err = runCommandWithStdoutStderr(runCmd)

+	if err != nil {

+		t.Fatal(out, err)

+	}

+	logDone("link - container start not failing on updating stopped parent links")

+}