diff --git a/scripts/docker-cleanup.sh b/scripts/docker-cleanup.sh
index 34a98b2c..49b976b5 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-cleanup.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-cleanup.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/sh -x
+# https://osmocom.org/projects/osmocom-servers/wiki/Docker_cache_clean_up
 
+# simple image cleaning code in case docuum isn't running
 # delete all but the latest images
-IMAGES=`docker image ls | grep \^osmocom-build | grep -v latest  | awk -F ' ' '{print $1":"$2}'`
-for f in $IMAGES; do
-	docker image rm $f
-done
+if [ -z "$(docker ps -q -f name=docuum)" ]; then
+	IMAGES=`docker image ls | grep \^osmocom-build | grep -v latest  | awk -F ' ' '{print $1":"$2}'`
+	for f in $IMAGES; do
+		docker image rm $f
+	done
+fi
 
 # delete all containers where we forgot to use --rm with docker run
 CONTAINERS="$(docker ps -q -a -f status=exited -f status=created)"