diff --git a/libpod/container.go b/libpod/container.go
index 091fa3340d..b92255d7ed 100644
--- a/libpod/container.go
+++ b/libpod/container.go
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ type ContainerState struct {
 	ExitCode int32 `json:"exitCode,omitempty"`
 	// Exited is whether the container has exited
 	Exited bool `json:"exited,omitempty"`
+	// Error holds the last known error message during start, stop, or remove
+	Error string `json:"error,omitempty"`
 	// OOMKilled indicates that the container was killed as it ran out of
 	// memory
 	OOMKilled bool `json:"oomKilled,omitempty"`
diff --git a/libpod/container_api.go b/libpod/container_api.go
index 71f97a240b..d9bd4ea8b4 100644
--- a/libpod/container_api.go
+++ b/libpod/container_api.go
@@ -82,7 +82,15 @@ func (c *Container) Init(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) error {
 // Start requites that all dependency containers (e.g. pod infra containers) be
 // running before being run. The recursive parameter, if set, will start all
 // dependencies before starting this container.
-func (c *Container) Start(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) error {
+func (c *Container) Start(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) (finalErr error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if finalErr != nil {
+			if err := saveContainerError(c, finalErr); err != nil {
+				logrus.Debug(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
@@ -114,7 +122,15 @@ func (c *Container) Update(res *spec.LinuxResources) error {
 // Attach call occurs before Start).
 // In overall functionality, it is identical to the Start call, with the added
 // side effect that an attach session will also be started.
-func (c *Container) StartAndAttach(ctx context.Context, streams *define.AttachStreams, keys string, resize <-chan resize.TerminalSize, recursive bool) (<-chan error, error) {
+func (c *Container) StartAndAttach(ctx context.Context, streams *define.AttachStreams, keys string, resize <-chan resize.TerminalSize, recursive bool) (retChan <-chan error, finalErr error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if finalErr != nil {
+			if err := saveContainerError(c, finalErr); err != nil {
+				logrus.Debug(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
@@ -193,7 +209,15 @@ func (c *Container) Stop() error {
 // StopWithTimeout is a version of Stop that allows a timeout to be specified
 // manually. If timeout is 0, SIGKILL will be used immediately to kill the
 // container.
-func (c *Container) StopWithTimeout(timeout uint) error {
+func (c *Container) StopWithTimeout(timeout uint) (finalErr error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if finalErr != nil {
+			if err := saveContainerError(c, finalErr); err != nil {
+				logrus.Debug(err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
@@ -1037,3 +1061,8 @@ func (c *Container) Stat(ctx context.Context, containerPath string) (*define.Fil
 	info, _, _, err := c.stat(mountPoint, containerPath)
 	return info, err
 }
+
+func saveContainerError(c *Container, err error) error {
+	c.state.Error = err.Error()
+	return c.save()
+}
diff --git a/libpod/container_inspect.go b/libpod/container_inspect.go
index e9e0a8bc2d..1e7dbcde99 100644
--- a/libpod/container_inspect.go
+++ b/libpod/container_inspect.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (c *Container) getContainerInspectData(size bool, driverData *define.Driver
 			Pid:            runtimeInfo.PID,
 			ConmonPid:      runtimeInfo.ConmonPID,
 			ExitCode:       runtimeInfo.ExitCode,
-			Error:          "", // can't get yet
+			Error:          runtimeInfo.Error,
 			StartedAt:      runtimeInfo.StartedTime,
 			FinishedAt:     runtimeInfo.FinishedTime,
 			Checkpointed:   runtimeInfo.Checkpointed,
diff --git a/test/e2e/inspect_test.go b/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
index f2ebb605b5..4851737c5a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
@@ -557,4 +557,24 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman inspect", func() {
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
 	})
+
+	It("podman inspect container with bad create args", func() {
+		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "create", ALPINE, "efcho", "Hello World"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
+		cid := session.OutputToString()
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "inspect", cid, "-f", "{{ .State.Error }}"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
+		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(HaveLen(0))
+
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", cid})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "inspect", cid, "-f", "'{{ .State.Error }}"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
+		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Not(HaveLen(0)))
+	})
+
 })