diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/26937-fix-remove-orphans.yml b/changelogs/fragments/26937-fix-remove-orphans.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2002e5fd5c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/26937-fix-remove-orphans.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - docker_service - fixed an issue where ``remove_orphans`` doesn't work reliably.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_service.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_service.py
index 79f8003558b..c72b3569432 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_service.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_service.py
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ try:
     from compose.cli.command import project_from_options
     from compose.service import NoSuchImageError
     from compose.cli.main import convergence_strategy_from_opts, build_action_from_opts, image_type_from_opt
-    from compose.const import DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
+    from compose.const import DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, LABEL_SERVICE, LABEL_PROJECT, LABEL_ONE_OFF
     HAS_COMPOSE = True
     HAS_COMPOSE_EXC = None
     MINIMUM_COMPOSE_VERSION = '1.7.0'
@@ -711,6 +711,25 @@ class ContainerManager(DockerBaseClass):
             result['changed'] = build_output['changed']
             result['actions'] += build_output['actions']
 
+        if self.remove_orphans:
+            containers = self.client.containers(
+                filters={
+                    'label': [
+                        '{0}={1}'.format(LABEL_PROJECT, self.project.name),
+                        '{0}={1}'.format(LABEL_ONE_OFF, "False")
+                    ],
+                }
+            )
+
+            orphans = []
+            for container in containers:
+                service_name = container.get('Labels', {}).get(LABEL_SERVICE)
+                if service_name not in self.project.service_names:
+                    orphans.append(service_name)
+
+            if orphans:
+                result['changed'] = True
+
         for service in self.project.services:
             if not service_names or service.name in service_names:
                 plan = service.convergence_plan(strategy=converge)