diff --git a/docker-volume-backup.sh b/docker-volume-backup.sh
index f57bca1..5f3abcc 100644
--- a/docker-volume-backup.sh
+++ b/docker-volume-backup.sh
@@ -15,29 +15,34 @@ do
   containers="$(docker ps --filter volume="$volume_name" --format '{{.Names}}')";
   containers_array=($containers)
   container=${containers_array[0]}
-  echo "stop containers:" && docker stop $containers
-  for source_path in $(docker inspect --format "{{ range .Mounts }}{{ if eq .Type \"volume\"}}{{ if eq .Name \"$volume_name\"}}{{ println .Destination }}{{ end }}{{ end }}{{ end }}" "$container");
-  do
-    destination_path="$backup_repository_folder""latest/$volume_name";
-    raw_destination_path="$destination_path/raw"
-    prepared_destination_path="$destination_path/prepared"
-    log_path="$backup_repository_folder""log.txt";
-    backup_dir_path="$backup_repository_folder""diffs/$backup_time/$volume_name";
-    raw_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/raw";
-    prepared_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/prepared";
-    if [ -d "$destination_path" ]
-      then
-        echo "backup volume: $volume_name";
-      else
-        echo "first backup volume: $volume_name"
-        mkdir -vp "$raw_destination_path";
-        mkdir -vp "$raw_backup_dir_path";
-        mkdir -vp "$prepared_destination_path";
-        mkdir -vp "$prepared_backup_dir_path";
-    fi
-    docker run --rm --volumes-from "$container" -v "$backups_folder:$backups_folder" "kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync" sh -c "
-    rsync -abP --delete --delete-excluded --log-file=$log_path --backup-dir=$raw_backup_dir_path '$source_path/' $raw_destination_path";
-    echo "start containers:" && docker start $reverse_containers;
-  done
+  if [ -z "$containers" ]
+    then
+      echo "skipped due to no running containers using this volume."
+    else
+      echo "stop containers:" && docker stop $containers
+      for source_path in $(docker inspect --format "{{ range .Mounts }}{{ if eq .Type \"volume\"}}{{ if eq .Name \"$volume_name\"}}{{ println .Destination }}{{ end }}{{ end }}{{ end }}" "$container");
+      do
+        destination_path="$backup_repository_folder""latest/$volume_name";
+        raw_destination_path="$destination_path/raw"
+        prepared_destination_path="$destination_path/prepared"
+        log_path="$backup_repository_folder""log.txt";
+        backup_dir_path="$backup_repository_folder""diffs/$backup_time/$volume_name";
+        raw_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/raw";
+        prepared_backup_dir_path="$backup_dir_path/prepared";
+        if [ -d "$destination_path" ]
+          then
+            echo "backup volume: $volume_name";
+          else
+            echo "first backup volume: $volume_name"
+            mkdir -vp "$raw_destination_path";
+            mkdir -vp "$raw_backup_dir_path";
+            mkdir -vp "$prepared_destination_path";
+            mkdir -vp "$prepared_backup_dir_path";
+        fi
+        docker run --rm --volumes-from "$container" -v "$backups_folder:$backups_folder" "kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync" sh -c "
+        rsync -abP --delete --delete-excluded --log-file=$log_path --backup-dir=$raw_backup_dir_path '$source_path/' $raw_destination_path";
+        echo "start containers:" && docker start $reverse_containers;
+      done
+  fi
   echo "end backup routine: $volume_name";
 done