diff --git a/utils/docker-debian10.tls13only.start.sh b/utils/docker-debian10.tls13only.start.sh
index 037e945..7fceebb 100644
--- a/utils/docker-debian10.tls13only.start.sh
+++ b/utils/docker-debian10.tls13only.start.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ image=${1:-"debian:buster"}
 docker pull "$image"
 ID=$(docker run -d -ti $image)
 
+[[ "$ID" ]] && echo "container couldn't be retrieved" >&2 && exit 1
+
 docker exec -ti $ID apt-get update
 docker exec -ti $ID apt-get install -y ssl-cert dialog
 docker exec -ti $ID apt-get install -y nginx-common nginx-light
diff --git a/utils/docker-nginx.tls13-earlydata.start.sh b/utils/docker-nginx.tls13-earlydata.start.sh
index 53b030a..3fd8f47 100644
--- a/utils/docker-nginx.tls13-earlydata.start.sh
+++ b/utils/docker-nginx.tls13-earlydata.start.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ ID=$(docker run -d -ti $image)
 
 echo $ID
 
+[[ "$ID" ]] && echo "container couldn't be retrieved" >&2 && exit 1
+
 docker exec -ti $ID nginx -V
 docker exec -ti $ID mkdir /etc/nginx/ssl
 HN=$(docker exec -ti $ID hostname| tr -d '\n' | tr -d '\r')