diff --git a/supervisorctl b/supervisorctl
index 9e188cd454c..0ba082dd8f1 100644
--- a/supervisorctl
+++ b/supervisorctl
@@ -87,11 +87,11 @@ def main():
 
         module.fail_json(msg=out)
 
-    elif running and state == 'restarted':
+    elif state == 'restarted':
         rc, out, err = module.run_command('%s update %s' % (SUPERVISORCTL, name))
         rc, out, err = module.run_command('%s restart %s' % (SUPERVISORCTL, name))
 
-        if '%s: stopped' % name in out and '%s: started' % name in out:
+        if '%s: started' % name in out:
             module.exit_json(changed=True, name=name, state=state)
 
         module.fail_json(msg=out)
@@ -104,9 +104,6 @@ def main():
 
         module.fail_json(msg=out)
 
-    elif not running and state == 'restarted':
-        module.fail_json(msg='Could not restart `%s` because it is not running' % name)
-
     module.exit_json(changed=False, name=name, state=state)
 
 # this is magic, see lib/ansible/module_common.py