diff --git a/runtime.go b/runtime.go
index 70a4014cc..0a17bfd15 100644
--- a/runtime.go
+++ b/runtime.go
@@ -327,31 +327,48 @@ func (runtime *Runtime) restore() error {
 
 		// Perform a migration for aufs containers
 		if !deviceSet.HasDevice(container.ID) {
-			utils.Debugf("[migration] Begin migration of %s", container.ID)
-
-			image, err := runtime.graph.Get(container.Image)
+			contents, err := ioutil.ReadDir(container.rwPath())
 			if err != nil {
-				utils.Debugf("[migratoin] Failed to get image %s", err)
-				continue
-			}
-			if err := image.Mount(runtime, container.RootfsPath(), container.rwPath(), container.ID); err != nil {
-				utils.Debugf("[migratoin] Failed to mount image %s", err)
+				if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+					utils.Debugf("[migration] Error reading rw dir %s", err)
+				}
 				continue
 			}
 
-			if err := image.applyLayer(container.rwPath(), container.RootfsPath()); err != nil {
-				utils.Debugf("[migration] Failed to apply layer %s", err)
-			}
+			if len(contents) > 0 {
+				utils.Debugf("[migration] Begin migration of %s", container.ID)
 
-			if err := image.Unmount(runtime, container.RootfsPath(), container.ID); err != nil {
-				utils.Debugf("[migraton] Failed to unmount image %s", err)
-			}
+				image, err := runtime.graph.Get(container.Image)
+				if err != nil {
+					utils.Debugf("[migratoin] Failed to get image %s", err)
+					continue
+				}
 
-			if err := os.RemoveAll(container.rwPath()); err != nil {
-				utils.Debugf("[migration] Failed to remove rw dir %s", err)
-			}
+				unmount := func() {
+					if err := image.Unmount(runtime, container.RootfsPath(), container.ID); err != nil {
+						utils.Debugf("[migraton] Failed to unmount image %s", err)
+					}
+				}
 
-			utils.Debugf("[migration] End migration of %s", container.ID)
+				if err := image.Mount(runtime, container.RootfsPath(), container.rwPath(), container.ID); err != nil {
+					utils.Debugf("[migratoin] Failed to mount image %s", err)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				if err := image.applyLayer(container.rwPath(), container.RootfsPath()); err != nil {
+					utils.Debugf("[migration] Failed to apply layer %s", err)
+					unmount()
+					continue
+				}
+
+				unmount()
+
+				if err := os.RemoveAll(container.rwPath()); err != nil {
+					utils.Debugf("[migration] Failed to remove rw dir %s", err)
+				}
+
+				utils.Debugf("[migration] End migration of %s", container.ID)
+			}
 		}
 
 		if err := runtime.Register(container); err != nil {