diff --git a/common-functions b/common-functions
index 0b3b952..3d21ea2 100755
--- a/common-functions
+++ b/common-functions
@@ -810,79 +810,76 @@ service_root_password() {
 
 service_port_expose() {
   declare desc="wrapper for exposing service ports"
-  declare SERVICE="$1"
-  service_start "$SERVICE" "true"
-  service_port_unpause "$SERVICE" "true" "${@:2}"
-}
-
-service_port_pause() {
-  declare desc="pause service exposure"
-  declare SERVICE="$1" LOG_FAIL="$2"
-  local SERVICE_ROOT="$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE"
-  local EXPOSED_NAME="$(get_service_name "$SERVICE").ambassador"
-  local PORT_FILE="$SERVICE_ROOT/PORT"
-
-  if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
-    [[ ! -f "$PORT_FILE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Service not exposed"
-  else
-    [[ ! -f "$PORT_FILE" ]] && return 0
+  declare SERVICE="$1" PORTS=(${@:2})
+  if [[ ${#PORTS[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2206
+    PORTS=(${PORTS[@]:-$(get_random_ports ${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]})})
   fi
 
-  local GREP_NAME="^/${EXPOSED_NAME}$"
-  local CONTAINER_NAME="$("$DOCKER_BIN" container ps -f name="$GREP_NAME" --format "{{.Names}}")"
-  if [[ -z "$CONTAINER_NAME" ]]; then
-    if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
-      dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE unexposed"
-    fi
+  [[ "${#PORTS[@]}" != "${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]}" ]] && dokku_log_fail "${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]} ports to be exposed need to be provided in the following order: ${PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[*]}"
 
-    return
+  if [[ -s "$PORT_FILE" ]]; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2207
+    PORTS=($(cat "$PORT_FILE"))
+    dokku_log_fail "Service $SERVICE already exposed on port(s) ${PORTS[*]}"
   fi
 
-  "$DOCKER_BIN" container stop "$EXPOSED_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-  "$DOCKER_BIN" container rm "$EXPOSED_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-  if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
-    dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE unexposed"
+  if "$DOCKER_BIN" container inspect "$EXPOSED_NAME" &>/dev/null; then
+    dokku_log_warn "Service $SERVICE has an untracked expose container, removing"
+    "$DOCKER_BIN" container stop "$EXPOSED_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    suppress_output "$DOCKER_BIN" container rm "$EXPOSED_NAME"
+    return $?
   fi
+
+  echo "${PORTS[@]}" >"$PORT_FILE"
+
+  service_start "$SERVICE" "true"
+  service_port_reconcile_status "$SERVICE"
+  dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE exposed on port(s) [container->host]: $(service_exposed_ports "$SERVICE")"
 }
 
+
 service_port_unexpose() {
   declare desc="wrapper for pausing exposed service ports"
   declare SERVICE="$1"
   local SERVICE_ROOT="$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE"
   local PORT_FILE="$SERVICE_ROOT/PORT"
-  service_port_pause "$SERVICE" "true"
+
   rm -rf "$PORT_FILE"
+  service_port_reconcile_status "$SERVICE"
+  if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
+    dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE unexposed"
+  fi
 }
 
-service_port_unpause() {
-  declare desc="start service exposure"
-  declare SERVICE="$1" LOG_FAIL="$2"
+service_port_reconcile_status() {
+  declare SERVICE="$1"
   local SERVICE_ROOT="$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE"
-  local SERVICE_NAME="$(get_service_name "$SERVICE")"
-  local EXPOSED_NAME="${SERVICE_NAME}.ambassador"
   local PORT_FILE="$SERVICE_ROOT/PORT"
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2068
-  local PORTS=(${@:3})
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2068
-  PORTS=(${PORTS[@]:-$(get_random_ports ${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]})})
-  local ID=$(cat "$SERVICE_ROOT/ID")
+  local EXPOSED_NAME="$(get_service_name "$SERVICE").ambassador"
 
-  [[ "${#PORTS[@]}" != "${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]}" ]] && dokku_log_fail "${#PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[@]} ports to be exposed need to be provided in the following order: ${PLUGIN_DATASTORE_PORTS[*]}"
+  if [[ ! -s "$PORT_FILE" ]]; then
+    if "$DOCKER_BIN" container inspect "$EXPOSED_NAME" &>/dev/null; then
+      "$DOCKER_BIN" container stop "$EXPOSED_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+      suppress_output "$DOCKER_BIN" container rm "$EXPOSED_NAME"
+      return $?
+    fi
+    return
+  fi
 
-  if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
-    [[ -f "$PORT_FILE" ]] && PORTS=($(cat "$PORT_FILE")) && dokku_log_fail "Service $SERVICE already exposed on port(s) ${PORTS[*]}"
-  else
-    [[ ! -f "$PORT_FILE" ]] && return 0
-    PORTS=($(cat "$PORT_FILE"))
+  if is_container_status "$EXPOSED_NAME" "Running"; then
+    return
   fi
 
-  echo "${PORTS[@]}" >"$PORT_FILE"
+  if "$DOCKER_BIN" container inspect "$EXPOSED_NAME" &>/dev/null; then
+    suppress_output "$DOCKER_BIN" container start "$EXPOSED_NAME"
+    return $?
+  fi
 
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2207
+  PORTS=($(cat "$PORT_FILE"))
   # shellcheck disable=SC2046
   "$DOCKER_BIN" container run -d --link "$SERVICE_NAME:$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX" --name "$EXPOSED_NAME" $(docker_ports_options "${PORTS[@]}") --restart always --label dokku=ambassador --label "dokku.ambassador=$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX" "$PLUGIN_AMBASSADOR_IMAGE" >/dev/null
-  if [[ "$LOG_FAIL" == "true" ]]; then
-    dokku_log_info1 "Service $SERVICE exposed on port(s) [container->host]: $(service_exposed_ports "$SERVICE")"
-  fi
 }
 
 service_promote() {
@@ -946,7 +943,7 @@ service_pause() {
   if [[ -n $ID ]]; then
     dokku_log_info2_quiet "Pausing container"
     "$DOCKER_BIN" container stop "$SERVICE_NAME" >/dev/null
-    service_port_pause "$SERVICE"
+    "$DOCKER_BIN" container stop "$(get_service_name "$SERVICE").ambassador" >/dev/null
     dokku_log_verbose_quiet "Container paused"
   else
     dokku_log_verbose_quiet "No container exists for $SERVICE"
diff --git a/functions b/functions
index 39a3531..298db09 100755
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ service_start() {
 
   if [[ -n $PREVIOUS_ID ]]; then
     "$DOCKER_BIN" container start "$PREVIOUS_ID" >/dev/null
-    service_port_unpause "$SERVICE"
+    service_port_reconcile_status "$SERVICE"
     dokku_log_info2 "Container started"
   elif service_image_exists "$SERVICE" && [[ -n "$ROOTPASSWORD" ]] && [[ -n "$PASSWORD" ]]; then
     service_create_container "$SERVICE"
diff --git a/tests/service_expose.bats b/tests/service_expose.bats
index c18cc6c..b9c03f3 100755
--- a/tests/service_expose.bats
+++ b/tests/service_expose.bats
@@ -2,29 +2,65 @@
 load test_helper
 
 setup() {
-  dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create" l
+  dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create" ls
 }
 
 teardown() {
-  dokku --force "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:destroy" l
+  dokku --force "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:destroy" ls
 }
 
 @test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose) error when there are no arguments" {
   run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
   assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "Please specify a valid name for the service"
 }
 
 @test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose) error when service does not exist" {
   run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" not_existing_service
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
   assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "service not_existing_service does not exist"
 }
 
+@test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose) error when already exposed" {
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" ls
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" ls
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "Service ls already exposed on port(s)"
+
+  run sudo rm /var/lib/dokku/services/$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX/ls/PORT
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" ls
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+  assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "Service ls has an untracked expose container, removing"
+}
+
 @test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose) success when not providing custom ports" {
-  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" l
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" ls
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
   [[ "${lines[*]}" =~ exposed\ on\ port\(s\)\ \[container\-\>host\]\:\ [[:digit:]]+ ]]
 }
 
 @test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose) success when providing custom ports" {
-  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" l 4242
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:expose" ls 4242
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
   assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "exposed on port(s) [container->host]: 3306->4242"
 }