diff --git a/setup/start/sudoers b/setup/start/sudoers
index 3f251747d..46f791365 100644
--- a/setup/start/sudoers
+++ b/setup/start/sudoers
@@ -37,3 +37,5 @@ yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD:SETENV: /home/yellowtent/box/src/backupupload.js
 Defaults!/home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/restart.sh env_keep="HOME BOX_ENV"
 yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/restart.sh
 
+Defaults!/home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh env_keep="HOME BOX_ENV"
+yellowtent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /home/yellowtent/box/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh
diff --git a/src/addons.js b/src/addons.js
index a7664b253..d1e4785f5 100644
--- a/src/addons.js
+++ b/src/addons.js
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ var KNOWN_ADDONS = {
         restore: NOOP,
         clear: NOOP,
         status: statusDocker,
-        restart: null
+        restart: restartDocker
     }
 };
 
@@ -1685,3 +1685,11 @@ function statusDocker(callback) {
         callback(null, { status: error ? exports.ADDON_STATUS_STOPPED: exports.ADDON_STATUS_ACTIVE });
     });
 }
+
+function restartDocker(callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    shell.sudo('restartdocker', [ path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/restartdocker.sh') ], NOOP_CALLBACK);
+
+    callback(null);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/docker.js b/src/docker.js
index d628dd551..38541929c 100644
--- a/src/docker.js
+++ b/src/docker.js
@@ -28,18 +28,19 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     clearVolume: clearVolume
 };
 
-function connectionInstance() {
+// timeout is optional
+function connectionInstance(timeout) {
     var Docker = require('dockerode');
     var docker;
 
     if (process.env.BOX_ENV === 'test') {
         // test code runs a docker proxy on this port
-        docker = new Docker({ host: 'http://localhost', port: 5687 });
+        docker = new Docker({ host: 'http://localhost', port: 5687, timeout: timeout });
 
         // proxy code uses this to route to the real docker
         docker.options = { socketPath: '/var/run/docker.sock' };
     } else {
-        docker = new Docker({ socketPath: '/var/run/docker.sock' });
+        docker = new Docker({ socketPath: '/var/run/docker.sock', timeout: timeout });
     }
 
     return docker;
@@ -112,7 +113,8 @@ function setRegistryConfig(auth, callback) {
 function ping(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    var docker = exports.connection;
+    // do not let the request linger
+    var docker = connectionInstance(1000);
 
     docker.ping(function (error, result) {
         if (error) return callback(new DockerError(DockerError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
diff --git a/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh b/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..951e88d91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -eu -o pipefail
+
+if [[ ${EUID} -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "This script should be run as root." > /dev/stderr
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $# == 1 && "$1" == "--check" ]]; then
+    echo "OK"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if [[ "${BOX_ENV}" == "cloudron" ]]; then
+    systemctl restart docker
+fi
+
diff --git a/src/test/checkInstall b/src/test/checkInstall
index 2f85b25b9..ac7a77d98 100755
--- a/src/test/checkInstall
+++ b/src/test/checkInstall
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ scripts=("${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/rmvolume.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/rmaddon.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/reloadnginx.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/reboot.sh" \
+         "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/restart.sh" \
+         "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/restartdocker.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/update.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/collectlogs.sh" \
          "${SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/configurecollectd.sh" \