diff --git a/drivers/docker/config.go b/drivers/docker/config.go
index 7dd3828b2067..0aefc96b19fe 100644
--- a/drivers/docker/config.go
+++ b/drivers/docker/config.go
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ var (
 			"type":   hclspec.NewAttr("type", "string", false),
 			"config": hclspec.NewBlockAttrs("config", "string", false),
 		})), hclspec.NewLiteral(`{
-			type = "json-file" 
+			type = "json-file"
 			config = {
 				max-file = "2"
 				max-size = "2m"
@@ -773,6 +773,8 @@ func (d *Driver) SetConfig(c *base.Config) error {
 
 	d.cpusetFixer = newCpusetFixer(d)
 
+	go d.recoverPauseContainers(d.ctx)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/drivers/docker/driver.go b/drivers/docker/driver.go
index fcf4241f0439..d20db05e17c3 100644
--- a/drivers/docker/driver.go
+++ b/drivers/docker/driver.go
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func NewDockerDriver(ctx context.Context, logger hclog.Logger) drivers.DriverPlu
 		ctx:             ctx,
 		logger:          logger,
 	}
-	go driver.recoverPauseContainers(ctx)
+
 	return driver
 }
 
@@ -747,11 +747,11 @@ func (d *Driver) containerBinds(task *drivers.TaskConfig, driverConfig *TaskConf
 	return binds, nil
 }
 
+// recoverPauseContainers gets called when we start up the plugin. On client
+// restarts we need to rebuild the set of pause containers we are
+// tracking. Basically just scan all containers and pull the ID from anything
+// that has the Nomad Label and has Name with prefix "/nomad_init_".
 func (d *Driver) recoverPauseContainers(ctx context.Context) {
-	// On Client restart, we must rebuild the set of pause containers
-	// we are tracking. Basically just scan all containers and pull the ID from
-	// anything that has the Nomad Label and has Name with prefix "/nomad_init_".
-
 	_, dockerClient, err := d.dockerClients()
 	if err != nil {
 		d.logger.Error("failed to recover pause containers", "error", err)
@@ -765,8 +765,8 @@ func (d *Driver) recoverPauseContainers(ctx context.Context) {
 			"label": {dockerLabelAllocID},
 		},
 	})
-	if listErr != nil {
-		d.logger.Error("failed to list pause containers", "error", err)
+	if listErr != nil && listErr != ctx.Err() {
+		d.logger.Error("failed to list pause containers", "error", listErr)
 		return
 	}