diff --git a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/DockerContainerExecutor.java b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/DockerContainerExecutor.java
index b089947dfa2a1..2e08121569e5c 100644
--- a/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/DockerContainerExecutor.java
+++ b/hadoop-yarn-project/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-server/hadoop-yarn-server-nodemanager/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/yarn/server/nodemanager/DockerContainerExecutor.java
@@ -585,11 +585,13 @@ private void writeSessionScript(Path launchDst, Path pidFile)
         // hence write pid to tmp file first followed by a mv
         pout.println("#!/usr/bin/env bash");
         pout.println();
+        // First launch the docker container 
+        // and then get the container pid
+        pout.println(dockerCommand + " bash \"" +
+          launchDst.toUri().getPath().toString() + "\"");
         pout.println("echo "+ dockerPidScript +" > " + pidFile.toString()
           + ".tmp");
         pout.println("/bin/mv -f " + pidFile.toString() + ".tmp " + pidFile);
-        pout.println(dockerCommand + " bash \"" +
-          launchDst.toUri().getPath().toString() + "\"");
       } finally {
         IOUtils.cleanup(LOG, pout, out);
       }
@@ -873,4 +875,4 @@ private static List<Path> getPaths(List<String> dirs) {
     return paths;
   }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}