@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (

 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/idtools"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mount"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"

+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/runconfig"

 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork"

 	"github.com/opencontainers/selinux/go-selinux/label"

@@ -353,6 +354,20 @@ func killProcessDirectly(cntr *container.Container) error {

 				logrus.Debug(e)

 				return e

 			}

+

+			// In case there were some exceptions(e.g., state of zombie and D)

+			if system.IsProcessAlive(pid) {

+

+				// Since we can not kill a zombie pid, add zombie check here

+				isZombie, err := system.IsProcessZombie(pid)

+				if err != nil {

+					logrus.Warnf("Container %s state is invalid", stringid.TruncateID(cntr.ID))

+					return err

+				}

+				if isZombie {

+					return errdefs.System(errors.Errorf("container %s PID %d is zombie and can not be killed. Use the --init option when creating containers to run an init inside the container that forwards signals and reaps processes", stringid.TruncateID(cntr.ID), pid))

+				}

+			}

 		}

 	}

 	return nil

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@

 package system // import "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"

 import (

+	"fmt"

+	"io/ioutil"

+	"strings"

 	"syscall"

 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"

@@ -22,3 +25,20 @@ func IsProcessAlive(pid int) bool {

 func KillProcess(pid int) {

 	unix.Kill(pid, unix.SIGKILL)

 }

+

+// IsProcessZombie return true if process has a state with "Z"

+// http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/proc.5.html

+func IsProcessZombie(pid int) (bool, error) {

+	statPath := fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/stat", pid)

+	dataBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(statPath)

+	if err != nil {

+		return false, err

+	}

+	data := string(dataBytes)

+	sdata := strings.SplitN(data, " ", 4)

+	if len(sdata) >= 3 && sdata[2] == "Z" {

+		return true, nil

+	}

+

+	return false, nil

+}