diff --git a/libpod/container.go b/libpod/container.go
index 2f5376649249..138ab95548b2 100644
--- a/libpod/container.go
+++ b/libpod/container.go
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ type ContainerState struct {
 	ExitCode int32 `json:"exitCode,omitempty"`
 	// Exited is whether the container has exited
 	Exited bool `json:"exited,omitempty"`
+	// The error message produced by a failed container operation
+	Error string `json:"error,omitempty"`
 	// OOMKilled indicates that the container was killed as it ran out of
 	// memory
 	OOMKilled bool `json:"oomKilled,omitempty"`
diff --git a/libpod/container_api.go b/libpod/container_api.go
index 35fed93e6447..465e8ae737f4 100644
--- a/libpod/container_api.go
+++ b/libpod/container_api.go
@@ -82,21 +82,28 @@ func (c *Container) Init(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) error {
 // Start requites that all dependency containers (e.g. pod infra containers) be
 // running before being run. The recursive parameter, if set, will start all
 // dependencies before starting this container.
-func (c *Container) Start(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) error {
+func (c *Container) Start(ctx context.Context, recursive bool) (err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			_ = saveContainerError(c, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
 
-		if err := c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
-			return err
+		if err = c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
+			return
 		}
 	}
-	if err := c.prepareToStart(ctx, recursive); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if err = c.prepareToStart(ctx, recursive); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 
 	// Start the container
-	return c.start()
+	err = c.start()
+	return
 }
 
 // Update updates the given container.
@@ -114,18 +121,24 @@ func (c *Container) Update(res *spec.LinuxResources) error {
 // Attach call occurs before Start).
 // In overall functionality, it is identical to the Start call, with the added
 // side effect that an attach session will also be started.
-func (c *Container) StartAndAttach(ctx context.Context, streams *define.AttachStreams, keys string, resize <-chan resize.TerminalSize, recursive bool) (<-chan error, error) {
+func (c *Container) StartAndAttach(ctx context.Context, streams *define.AttachStreams, keys string, resize <-chan resize.TerminalSize, recursive bool) (retChan <-chan error, err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			_ = saveContainerError(c, err)
+		}
+	}()
+
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
 
-		if err := c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+		if err = c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
+			return
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := c.prepareToStart(ctx, recursive); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if err = c.prepareToStart(ctx, recursive); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	attachChan := make(chan error)
 
@@ -146,15 +159,15 @@ func (c *Container) StartAndAttach(ctx context.Context, streams *define.AttachSt
 		opts.Start = true
 		opts.Started = startedChan
 
-		if err := c.ociRuntime.Attach(c, opts); err != nil {
+		if err = c.ociRuntime.Attach(c, opts); err != nil {
 			attachChan <- err
 		}
 		close(attachChan)
 	}()
 
 	select {
-	case err := <-attachChan:
-		return nil, err
+	case err = <-attachChan:
+		return
 	case <-startedChan:
 		c.newContainerEvent(events.Attach)
 	}
@@ -193,25 +206,28 @@ func (c *Container) Stop() error {
 // StopWithTimeout is a version of Stop that allows a timeout to be specified
 // manually. If timeout is 0, SIGKILL will be used immediately to kill the
 // container.
-func (c *Container) StopWithTimeout(timeout uint) error {
+func (c *Container) StopWithTimeout(timeout uint) (err error) {
 	if !c.batched {
 		c.lock.Lock()
 		defer c.lock.Unlock()
 
-		if err := c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
-			return err
+		if err = c.syncContainer(); err != nil {
+			return
 		}
 	}
 
 	if c.ensureState(define.ContainerStateStopped, define.ContainerStateExited) {
-		return define.ErrCtrStopped
+		err = define.ErrCtrStopped
+		return
 	}
 
 	if !c.ensureState(define.ContainerStateCreated, define.ContainerStateRunning, define.ContainerStateStopping) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("can only stop created or running containers. %s is in state %s: %w", c.ID(), c.state.State.String(), define.ErrCtrStateInvalid)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("can only stop created or running containers. %s is in state %s: %w", c.ID(), c.state.State.String(), define.ErrCtrStateInvalid)
+		return
 	}
 
-	return c.stop(timeout)
+	err = c.stop(timeout)
+	return
 }
 
 // Kill sends a signal to a container
@@ -1035,3 +1051,8 @@ func (c *Container) Stat(ctx context.Context, containerPath string) (*define.Fil
 	info, _, _, err := c.stat(mountPoint, containerPath)
 	return info, err
 }
+
+func saveContainerError(c *Container, err error) error {
+	c.state.Error = err.Error()
+	return c.save()
+}
diff --git a/libpod/container_inspect.go b/libpod/container_inspect.go
index 4dc1ca3a5d55..c81ef1348d34 100644
--- a/libpod/container_inspect.go
+++ b/libpod/container_inspect.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (c *Container) getContainerInspectData(size bool, driverData *define.Driver
 			Pid:            runtimeInfo.PID,
 			ConmonPid:      runtimeInfo.ConmonPID,
 			ExitCode:       runtimeInfo.ExitCode,
-			Error:          "", // can't get yet
+			Error:          runtimeInfo.Error,
 			StartedAt:      runtimeInfo.StartedTime,
 			FinishedAt:     runtimeInfo.FinishedTime,
 			Checkpointed:   runtimeInfo.Checkpointed,
diff --git a/test/e2e/inspect_test.go b/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
index 1ce2fa93df53..af48b750944c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/inspect_test.go
@@ -540,4 +540,20 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman inspect", func() {
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
 	})
+
+	It("podman inspect container with bad create args", func() {
+		session := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "create", ALPINE, "efcho", "Hello World"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
+		cid := session.OutputToString()
+
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"start", cid})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"container", "inspect", cid, "-f", "'{{ .State.Error }}"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(0))
+		Expect(session.OutputToString()).To(Not(HaveLen(0)))
+	})
+
 })