diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/48061-docker_container-auto_removal.yml b/changelogs/fragments/48061-docker_container-auto_removal.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3eaf6640c12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/48061-docker_container-auto_removal.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- "docker_container - do not fail when removing a container which has ``auto_remove: yes``."
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
index b2eb71fa6e5..8b734455b06 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/cloud/docker/docker_container.py
@@ -803,6 +803,7 @@ try:
         from docker.types import Ulimit, LogConfig
     else:
         from docker.utils.types import Ulimit, LogConfig
+    from docker.errors import APIError, NotFound
 except Exception as dummy:
     # missing docker-py handled in ansible.module_utils.docker
     pass
@@ -2419,7 +2420,7 @@ class ContainerManager(DockerBaseClass):
                 if status != 0:
                     self.fail(output, status=status)
                 if self.parameters.cleanup:
-                    self.container_remove(container_id, force=True, ignore_failure=self.parameters.auto_remove)
+                    self.container_remove(container_id, force=True)
                 insp = self._get_container(container_id)
                 if insp.raw:
                     insp.raw['Output'] = output
@@ -2428,7 +2429,7 @@ class ContainerManager(DockerBaseClass):
                 return insp
         return self._get_container(container_id)
 
-    def container_remove(self, container_id, link=False, force=False, ignore_failure=False):
+    def container_remove(self, container_id, link=False, force=False):
         volume_state = (not self.parameters.keep_volumes)
         self.log("remove container container:%s v:%s link:%s force%s" % (container_id, volume_state, link, force))
         self.results['actions'].append(dict(removed=container_id, volume_state=volume_state, link=link, force=force))
@@ -2437,9 +2438,16 @@ class ContainerManager(DockerBaseClass):
         if not self.check_mode:
             try:
                 response = self.client.remove_container(container_id, v=volume_state, link=link, force=force)
-            except Exception as exc:
-                if not ignore_failure:
+            except NotFound as exc:
+                pass
+            except APIError as exc:
+                if exc.response.status_code == 409 and ('removal of container ' in exc.explanation and
+                                                        ' is already in progress' in exc.explanation):
+                    pass
+                else:
                     self.fail("Error removing container %s: %s" % (container_id, str(exc)))
+            except Exception as exc:
+                self.fail("Error removing container %s: %s" % (container_id, str(exc)))
         return response
 
     def container_update(self, container_id, update_parameters):