diff --git a/cluster/mesos/agent_test.go b/cluster/mesos/agent_test.go
index 60aea81ed0..d252082024 100644
--- a/cluster/mesos/agent_test.go
+++ b/cluster/mesos/agent_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package mesos
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/swarm/cluster"
 	"github.com/docker/swarm/cluster/mesos/task"
@@ -42,11 +43,11 @@ func TestAddTask(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Empty(t, s.tasks)
 	assert.True(t, s.empty())
 
-	t1, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1")
+	t1, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1", 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	s.addTask(t1)
 
-	t2, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1")
+	t2, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1", 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	s.addTask(t2)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(s.tasks), 2)
@@ -80,11 +81,11 @@ func TestRemoveTask(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Empty(t, s.tasks)
 
-	t1, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1")
+	t1, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1", 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	s.addTask(t1)
 
-	t2, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1")
+	t2, err := task.NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "task1", 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	s.addTask(t2)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(s.tasks), 2)
diff --git a/cluster/mesos/cluster.go b/cluster/mesos/cluster.go
index b487c6c1e6..e2bb9638f5 100644
--- a/cluster/mesos/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster/mesos/cluster.go
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) CreateContainer(config *cluster.ContainerConfig, name string,
 		return nil, errResourcesNeeded
 	}
 
-	task, err := task.NewTask(config, name)
+	task, err := task.NewTask(config, name, c.taskCreationTimeout)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -194,10 +194,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) CreateContainer(config *cluster.ContainerConfig, name string,
 	case container := <-task.GetContainer():
 		return formatContainer(container), nil
 	case err := <-task.Error:
-		return nil, err
-	case <-time.After(c.taskCreationTimeout):
 		c.pendingTasks.Remove(task)
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("container failed to start after %s", c.taskCreationTimeout)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cluster/mesos/task/task.go b/cluster/mesos/task/task.go
index ebdeb7f3e0..191852eb24 100644
--- a/cluster/mesos/task/task.go
+++ b/cluster/mesos/task/task.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ func (t *Task) Build(slaveID string, offers map[string]*mesosproto.Offer) {
 }
 
 // NewTask fucntion creates a task
-func NewTask(config *cluster.ContainerConfig, name string) (*Task, error) {
+func NewTask(config *cluster.ContainerConfig, name string, timeout time.Duration) (*Task, error) {
 	id := stringid.TruncateID(stringid.GenerateRandomID())
 
 	if name != "" {
@@ -183,9 +184,19 @@ func NewTask(config *cluster.ContainerConfig, name string) (*Task, error) {
 	task.Name = &name
 	task.TaskId = &mesosproto.TaskID{Value: &id}
 	task.Labels = &mesosproto.Labels{Labels: []*mesosproto.Label{{Key: proto.String("SWARM_CONTAINER_NAME"), Value: &name}}}
+
+	go task.suicide(timeout)
+
 	return task, nil
 }
 
+func (t *Task) suicide(timeout time.Duration) {
+	<-time.After(timeout)
+	if !t.Stopped() && t.SlaveId == nil {
+		t.Error <- fmt.Errorf("container failed to start after %s", timeout)
+	}
+}
+
 // SendStatus method writes the task status in the updates channel
 func (t *Task) SendStatus(status *mesosproto.TaskStatus) {
 	t.updates <- status
diff --git a/cluster/mesos/task/task_test.go b/cluster/mesos/task/task_test.go
index bd4154a840..4066489fe0 100644
--- a/cluster/mesos/task/task_test.go
+++ b/cluster/mesos/task/task_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/swarm/cluster"
 	"github.com/mesos/mesos-go/mesosproto"
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ func TestBuild(t *testing.T) {
 		CpuShares: 42,
 		Memory:    2097152,
 		Cmd:       []string{"ls", "foo", "bar"},
-	}), name)
+	}), name, 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	task.Build("slave-id", nil)
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ func TestBuild(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestNewTask(t *testing.T) {
-	task, err := NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), name)
+	task, err := NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), name, 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	assert.Equal(t, *task.Name, name)
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ func TestNewTask(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSendGetStatus(t *testing.T) {
-	task, err := NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "")
+	task, err := NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{}), "", 5*time.Second)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	status := mesosutil.NewTaskStatus(nil, mesosproto.TaskState_TASK_RUNNING)
diff --git a/cluster/mesos/task/tasks_test.go b/cluster/mesos/task/tasks_test.go
index 3a92480996..d30e6e64be 100644
--- a/cluster/mesos/task/tasks_test.go
+++ b/cluster/mesos/task/tasks_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package task
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/swarm/cluster"
 	"github.com/samalba/dockerclient"
@@ -25,14 +26,14 @@ func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		CpuShares: 42,
 		Memory:    2097152,
 		Cmd:       []string{"ls", "foo", "bar"},
-	}), "name1")
+	}), "name1", 5*time.Second)
 
 	task2, _ := NewTask(cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{
 		Image:     "test-image",
 		CpuShares: 42,
 		Memory:    2097152,
 		Cmd:       []string{"ls", "foo", "bar"},
-	}), "name2")
+	}), "name2", 5*time.Second)
 	q.Add(task1)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(q.Tasks), 0)
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ func TestRemove(t *testing.T) {
 		CpuShares: 42,
 		Memory:    2097152,
 		Cmd:       []string{"ls", "foo", "bar"},
-	}), "name1")
+	}), "name1", 5*time.Second)
 
 	q.Add(task1)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(q.Tasks), 1)
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ func TestProcess(t *testing.T) {
 		CpuShares: 42,
 		Memory:    2097152,
 		Cmd:       []string{"ls", "foo", "bar"},
-	}), "name1")
+	}), "name1", 5*time.Second)
 
 	q.Add(task1)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(q.Tasks), 1)
diff --git a/test/integration/mesos/api/run.bats b/test/integration/mesos/api/run.bats
index aeaac12519..63ba068637 100644
--- a/test/integration/mesos/api/run.bats
+++ b/test/integration/mesos/api/run.bats
@@ -79,4 +79,4 @@ function teardown() {
 
 	# verify, container is running
 	[ -n $(docker_swarm ps -q --filter=name=test_container --filter=status=running) ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}