diff --git a/docs/drivers/azure.md b/docs/drivers/azure.md
index 85ba965edc..da19e36092 100644
--- a/docs/drivers/azure.md
+++ b/docs/drivers/azure.md
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ Environment variables and default values:
 | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------ |
 | **`--azure-subscription-id`**   | `AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID`       | -                  |
 | `--azure-environment`           | `AZURE_ENVIRONMENT`           | `AzurePublicCloud` |
-| `--azure-image`                 | `AZURE_IMAGE`                 | `canonical:UbuntuServer:14.04.3-LTS:latest` |
+| `--azure-image`                 | `AZURE_IMAGE`                 | `canonical:UbuntuServer:15.10:latest` |
 | `--azure-location`              | `AZURE_LOCATION`              | `westus`           |
 | `--azure-resource-group`        | `AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP`        | `docker-machine`   |
 | `--azure-size`                  | `AZURE_SIZE`                  | `Standard_A2`      |
-| `--azure-ssh-user`              | `AZURE_SSH_USER`              | `ubuntu`           |
+| `--azure-ssh-user`              | `AZURE_SSH_USER`              | `docker-user`      |
 | `--azure-vnet`                  | `AZURE_VNET`                  | `docker-machine`   |
 | `--azure-subnet`                | `AZURE_SUBNET`                | `docker-machine`   |
 | `--azure-subnet-prefix`         | `AZURE_SUBNET_PREFIX`         | `192.168.0.0/16`   |
diff --git a/drivers/azure/azure.go b/drivers/azure/azure.go
index b7603b0a7e..0254684cce 100644
--- a/drivers/azure/azure.go
+++ b/drivers/azure/azure.go
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ const (
 	defaultAzureResourceGroup   = "docker-machine"
 	defaultAzureSize            = "Standard_A2"
 	defaultAzureLocation        = "westus"
-	defaultSSHUser              = "ubuntu" // 'root' not allowed on Azure
+	defaultSSHUser              = "docker-user" // 'root' not allowed on Azure
 	defaultDockerPort           = 2376
-	defaultAzureImage           = "canonical:UbuntuServer:14.04.3-LTS:latest"
+	defaultAzureImage           = "canonical:UbuntuServer:15.10:latest"
 	defaultAzureVNet            = "docker-machine-vnet"
 	defaultAzureSubnet          = "docker-machine"
 	defaultAzureSubnetPrefix    = "192.168.0.0/16"
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func (d *Driver) PreCreateCheck() (err error) {
 	if exists, err := c.VirtualMachineExists(d.ResourceGroup, d.naming().VM()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if exists {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Virtual Machine with name %s already exists", d.naming().VM())
+		return fmt.Errorf("Virtual Machine with name %s already exists in resource group %q", d.naming().VM(), d.ResourceGroup)
 	}
 
 	// NOTE(ahmetalpbalkan) we could have done more checks here but Azure often