diff --git a/cli/command/container/opts_test.go b/cli/command/container/opts_test.go
index 59665b298b72..895c354597a0 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/opts_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/opts_test.go
@@ -714,6 +714,10 @@ func TestParseRestartPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 				Name: container.RestartPolicyDisabled,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			input:       "no:1",
+			expectedErr: "invalid restart policy: maximum retry count cannot be used with restart policy 'no'",
+		},
 		{
 			input:       ":1",
 			expectedErr: "invalid restart policy format: no policy provided before colon",
@@ -725,11 +729,8 @@ func TestParseRestartPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			input: "always:1",
-			expected: container.RestartPolicy{
-				Name:              container.RestartPolicyAlways,
-				MaximumRetryCount: 1,
-			},
+			input:       "always:1",
+			expectedErr: "invalid restart policy: maximum retry count cannot be used with restart policy 'always'",
 		},
 		{
 			input:       "always:2:3",
@@ -752,6 +753,10 @@ func TestParseRestartPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 				Name: container.RestartPolicyUnlessStopped,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			input:       "unless-stopped:1",
+			expectedErr: "invalid restart policy: maximum retry count cannot be used with restart policy 'unless-stopped'",
+		},
 		{
 			input:       "unless-stopped:invalid",
 			expectedErr: "invalid restart policy format: maximum retry count must be an integer",
diff --git a/opts/parse.go b/opts/parse.go
index 381648fe7344..97cef57e9d44 100644
--- a/opts/parse.go
+++ b/opts/parse.go
@@ -92,5 +92,8 @@ func ParseRestartPolicy(policy string) (container.RestartPolicy, error) {
 	}
 
 	p.Name = container.RestartPolicyMode(k)
+	if err := container.ValidateRestartPolicy(p); err != nil {
+		return container.RestartPolicy{}, err
+	}
 	return p, nil
 }