diff --git a/docker.go b/docker.go
index 1493cd9682..c578796d75 100644
--- a/docker.go
+++ b/docker.go
@@ -1266,7 +1266,7 @@ func (p *DockerProvider) findContainerByName(ctx context.Context, name string) (
 
 	// Note that, 'name' filter will use regex to find the containers
 	filter := filters.NewArgs(filters.Arg("name", fmt.Sprintf("^%s$", name)))
-	containers, err := p.client.ContainerList(ctx, container.ListOptions{Filters: filter})
+	containers, err := p.client.ContainerList(ctx, container.ListOptions{All: true, Filters: filter})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("container list: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -1364,6 +1364,23 @@ func (p *DockerProvider) ReuseOrCreateContainer(ctx context.Context, req Contain
 		lifecycleHooks:    []ContainerLifecycleHooks{combineContainerHooks(defaultHooks, req.LifecycleHooks)},
 	}
 
+	// If a container was stopped programmatically, we want to ensure the container
+	// is running again, but only if it is not paused, as it's not possible to start
+	// a paused container. The Docker Engine returns the "cannot start a paused container,
+	// try unpause instead" error.
+	switch c.State {
+	case "running":
+		// cannot re-start a running container, but we still need
+		// to call the startup hooks.
+	case "paused":
+		// TODO: we should unpause the container here.
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot start a paused container: %w", errors.ErrUnsupported)
+	default:
+		if err := dc.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+			return dc, fmt.Errorf("start container %s in state %s: %w", req.Name, c.State, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	err = dc.startedHook(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/reuse_test.go b/reuse_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb4ccddc7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reuse_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package testcontainers_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go"
+	"github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-go/internal/core"
+)
+
+func TestGenericContainer_stop_start_withReuse(t *testing.T) {
+	containerName := "my-nginx"
+
+	req := testcontainers.GenericContainerRequest{
+		ContainerRequest: testcontainers.ContainerRequest{
+			Image:        nginxAlpineImage,
+			ExposedPorts: []string{"8080/tcp"},
+			Name:         containerName,
+		},
+		Reuse:   true,
+		Started: true,
+	}
+
+	ctr, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(context.Background(), req)
+	testcontainers.CleanupContainer(t, ctr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, ctr)
+
+	err = ctr.Stop(context.Background(), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Run another container with same container name:
+	// The checks for the exposed ports must not fail when restarting the container.
+	ctr1, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(context.Background(), req)
+	testcontainers.CleanupContainer(t, ctr1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, ctr1)
+}
+
+func TestGenericContainer_pause_start_withReuse(t *testing.T) {
+	containerName := "my-nginx"
+
+	req := testcontainers.GenericContainerRequest{
+		ContainerRequest: testcontainers.ContainerRequest{
+			Image:        nginxAlpineImage,
+			ExposedPorts: []string{"8080/tcp"},
+			Name:         containerName,
+		},
+		Reuse:   true,
+		Started: true,
+	}
+
+	ctr, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(context.Background(), req)
+	testcontainers.CleanupContainer(t, ctr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, ctr)
+
+	// Pause the container is not supported by our API, but we can do it manually
+	// by using the Docker client.
+	cli, err := core.NewClient(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = cli.ContainerPause(context.Background(), ctr.GetContainerID())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Because the container is paused, it should not be possible to start it again.
+	ctr1, err := testcontainers.GenericContainer(context.Background(), req)
+	testcontainers.CleanupContainer(t, ctr1)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errors.ErrUnsupported)
+}