@@ -221,11 +221,6 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) setHostConfig(container *container.Container, hostConfig *

 	container.Lock()

 	defer container.Unlock()

-	// Register any links from the host config before starting the container

-	if err := daemon.registerLinks(container, hostConfig); err != nil {

-		return err

-	}

-

 	if hostConfig != nil && hostConfig.NetworkMode == "" {

 		hostConfig.NetworkMode = networktypes.NetworkDefault

 	}

@@ -247,7 +247,9 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) create(ctx context.Context, daemonCfg *config.Config, opts

 	if err := daemon.setHostConfig(ctr, opts.params.HostConfig, opts.params.DefaultReadOnlyNonRecursive); err != nil {

 		return nil, err

 	}

-

+	if err := daemon.registerLinks(ctr); err != nil {

+		return nil, err

+	}

 	if err := daemon.createContainerOSSpecificSettings(ctx, ctr, opts.params.Config, opts.params.HostConfig); err != nil {

 		return nil, err

 	}

@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) restore(ctx context.Context, cfg *configStore, containers

 		go func(c *container.Container) {

 			_ = sem.Acquire(context.Background(), 1)

-			if err := daemon.registerLinks(c, c.HostConfig); err != nil {

+			if err := daemon.registerLinks(c); err != nil {

 				log.G(ctx).WithField("container", c.ID).WithError(err).Error("failed to register link for container")

 			}

@@ -1504,12 +1504,12 @@ func getUnmountOnShutdownPath(config *config.Config) string {

 // registerLinks registers network links between container and other containers

 // with the daemon using the specification in hostConfig.

-func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(container *container.Container, hostConfig *containertypes.HostConfig) error {

-	if hostConfig == nil || hostConfig.NetworkMode.IsUserDefined() {

+func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(ctr *container.Container) error {

+	if ctr.HostConfig == nil || ctr.HostConfig.NetworkMode.IsUserDefined() {

 		return nil

 	}

-	for _, l := range hostConfig.Links {

+	for _, l := range ctr.HostConfig.Links {

 		name, alias, err := opts.ParseLink(l)

 		if err != nil {

 			return err

@@ -1542,7 +1542,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(container *container.Container, hostConfig *

 		if child.HostConfig.NetworkMode.IsHost() {

 			return cerrdefs.ErrInvalidArgument.WithMessage("conflicting options: host type networking can't be used with links. This would result in undefined behavior")

 		}

-		if err := daemon.registerLink(container, child, alias); err != nil {

+		if err := daemon.registerLink(ctr, child, alias); err != nil {

 			return err

 		}

 	}

@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ func initBridgeDriver(controller *libnetwork.Controller, config config.BridgeCon

 // registerLinks sets up links between containers and writes the

 // configuration out for persistence. As of Windows TP4, links are not supported.

-func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(container *container.Container, hostConfig *containertypes.HostConfig) error {

+func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(container *container.Container) error {

 	return nil

 }