diff --git a/delete.go b/delete.go
index d2e73a72a..52ca2390d 100644
--- a/delete.go
+++ b/delete.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ status of "ubuntu01" as "stopped" the following will delete resources held for
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
+		hasError := false
 		if !context.Args().Present() {
 			return fmt.Errorf("runc: \"delete\" requires a minimum of 1 argument")
 		}
@@ -65,11 +66,13 @@ status of "ubuntu01" as "stopped" the following will delete resources held for
 					}
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "container %s is not exist\n", id)
 				}
+				hasError = true
 				continue
 			}
 			s, err := container.Status()
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "status for %s: %v\n", id, err)
+				hasError = true
 				continue
 			}
 			switch s {
@@ -79,18 +82,25 @@ status of "ubuntu01" as "stopped" the following will delete resources held for
 				err := killContainer(container)
 				if err != nil {
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "kill container %s: %v\n", id, err)
+					hasError = true
 				}
 			default:
 				if context.Bool("force") {
 					err := killContainer(container)
 					if err != nil {
 						fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "kill container %s: %v\n", id, err)
+						hasError = true
 					}
 				} else {
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "cannot delete container %s that is not stopped: %s\n", id, s)
+					hasError = true
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		if hasError {
+			return fmt.Errorf("one or more of the container deletions failed")
+		}
 		return nil
 	},
 }