diff --git a/cmd/start.go b/cmd/start.go
index 8044603..ba5831c 100644
--- a/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/start.go
@@ -47,30 +47,34 @@ microcks start --name [name of you container/instance]`,
 				instance = &config.Instance{}
 			}
 
-			if instance.Status == "Running" {
-				fmt.Printf("Microcks instance with name %s is already running", name)
-				return
-			}
+			containerClient, err := connectors.NewContainerClient(driver)
+			errors.CheckError(err)
+			defer containerClient.CloseClient()
 
-			switch instance.Status {
-			case "Running":
-				fmt.Printf("Microcks instance with name %s is already running", name)
-				return
-			case "Exited":
-				containerClient, err := connectors.NewContainerClient(instance.Driver)
-				errors.CheckError(err)
-				defer containerClient.CloseClient()
+			daemonID, daemonStatus, err := containerClient.GetContainer(name)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatalf("failed to inspect container: %v", err)
+			}
 
-				if err := containerClient.StartContainer(instance.ContainerID); err != nil {
-					log.Fatalf("failed to start container: %v", err)
+			if daemonID != "" {
+				if daemonStatus == "running" {
+					fmt.Printf("Microcks instance with name %s is already running\n", name)
 					return
 				}
+				if err := containerClient.StartContainer(daemonID); err != nil {
+					log.Fatalf("failed to start container: %v", err)
+				}
+				instance.ContainerID = daemonID
+				instance.Name = name
+				if instance.Port == "" {
+					instance.Port = hostPort
+				}
+				if instance.Image == "" {
+					instance.Image = imageName
+				}
+				instance.Driver = driver
 				instance.Status = "Running"
-			default:
-				containerClient, err := connectors.NewContainerClient(driver)
-				errors.CheckError(err)
-				defer containerClient.CloseClient()
-
+			} else {
 				containerId, err := containerClient.CreateContainer(connectors.ContainerOpts{
 					Image:      imageName,
 					Port:       hostPort,
@@ -79,12 +83,10 @@ microcks start --name [name of you container/instance]`,
 				})
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Fatalf("Failed to create a container: %v", err)
-					return
 				}
 
 				if err := containerClient.StartContainer(containerId); err != nil {
 					log.Fatalf("failed to start container: %v", err)
-					return
 				}
 
 				instance.ContainerID = containerId
diff --git a/cmd/stop.go b/cmd/stop.go
index eaba91f..296974c 100644
--- a/cmd/stop.go
+++ b/cmd/stop.go
@@ -40,13 +40,24 @@ func NewStopCommand(globalClientOpts *connectors.ClientOptions) *cobra.Command {
 			errors.CheckError(err)
 			defer containerClient.CloseClient()
 
-			err = containerClient.StopContainer(instance.ContainerID)
+			daemonID, daemonStatus, err := containerClient.GetContainer(instance.Name)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("Failed to stop a container: %v", err)
-				return
+				log.Fatalf("failed to inspect container: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if daemonID == "" {
+				fmt.Printf("Container %s not found in daemon; cleaning up config.\n", instance.Name)
+			} else if daemonStatus != "running" && daemonStatus != "restarting" && daemonStatus != "paused" {
+				fmt.Printf("Microcks instance %s is already stopped (status: %s)\n", instance.Name, daemonStatus)
+			} else {
+				err = containerClient.StopContainer(daemonID)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Fatalf("Failed to stop a container: %v", err)
+					return
+				}
+				fmt.Println("")
+				log.Printf("Instance %s stopped successfully", instance.Name)
 			}
-			fmt.Println("")
-			log.Printf("Instance %s stopped successfully", instance.Name)
 
 			// update configs
 
@@ -64,9 +75,11 @@ func NewStopCommand(globalClientOpts *connectors.ClientOptions) *cobra.Command {
 				localConfig.CurrentContext = ""
 				log.Printf("Instance %s removed successfully", instance.Name)
 			} else {
-				instance.Status = "Exited"
-				localConfig.UpsertInstance(instance)
-				log.Printf("Instance %s status updated to Exited", instance.Name)
+				if instance.Status != "Exited" {
+					instance.Status = "Exited"
+					localConfig.UpsertInstance(instance)
+					log.Printf("Instance %s status updated to Exited", instance.Name)
+				}
 			}
 			err = config.WriteLocalConfig(*localConfig, configFile)
 			errors.CheckError(err)
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ffb58d3..06f0b3b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module github.com/microcks/microcks-cli
 go 1.25.0
 
 require (
+	github.com/containerd/errdefs v1.0.0
 	github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3 v3.15.0
 	github.com/docker/docker v28.5.1+incompatible
 	github.com/docker/go-connections v0.6.0
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@ require (
 
 require (
 	github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.4.21 // indirect
-	github.com/containerd/errdefs v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/containerd/errdefs/pkg v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/containerd/log v0.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
diff --git a/microcks b/microcks
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..deb52e9
Binary files /dev/null and b/microcks differ
diff --git a/pkg/config/localconfig.go b/pkg/config/localconfig.go
index 1e5eeda..2b85ddc 100644
--- a/pkg/config/localconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/config/localconfig.go
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func (l *LocalConfig) GetInstance(name string) (*Instance, error) {
 
 func (l *LocalConfig) UpsertInstance(instance Instance) {
 	for a, i := range l.Instances {
-		if i.ContainerID == instance.ContainerID {
+		if i.Name == instance.Name {
 			l.Instances[a] = instance
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/connectors/container_client.go b/pkg/connectors/container_client.go
index 84f5472..a74c7de 100644
--- a/pkg/connectors/container_client.go
+++ b/pkg/connectors/container_client.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/containerd/errdefs"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/image"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ type ContainerClient interface {
 	CreateContainer(opts ContainerOpts) (string, error)
 	StartContainer(containerId string) error
 	StopContainer(continerId string) error
+	GetContainer(name string) (string, string, error)
 	CloseClient() error
 }
 
@@ -145,6 +147,18 @@ func (cli *containerClient) StopContainer(containerId string) error {
 	return cli.cli.ContainerStop(ctx, containerId, container.StopOptions{Timeout: &noWaitTimeout})
 }
 
+func (cli *containerClient) GetContainer(name string) (string, string, error) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	c, err := cli.cli.ContainerInspect(ctx, name)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return "", "", nil
+		}
+		return "", "", err
+	}
+	return c.ID, c.State.Status, nil
+}
+
 func (cli *containerClient) CloseClient() error {
 	return cli.cli.Close()
 }