diff --git a/scripts/docker/command/stranded_containers.sh b/scripts/docker/command/stranded_containers.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96c2f37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/docker/command/stranded_containers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# A containers-root wipe (fresh install, or a relocation of the containers root)
+# removes an app's project directory but NOT the container the daemon still holds
+# in its own state. Those containers are stranded: their compose file, config and
+# bind-mount sources are gone, so they can never start correctly again.
+#
+# They are not inert. `restart: unless-stopped` makes the daemon retry them on
+# every restart, and Docker materialises each missing bind-mount source before
+# handing off to runc — creating an empty DIRECTORY even where the mount is a
+# file. That is how a fresh install ends up with <app>.config as a directory: the
+# install restarts the rootless daemon, the daemon resurrects the previous
+# install's container, and the stubs it leaves behind collide with the install's
+# own file copies moments later.
+#
+# Sweep them once the daemon is up, so the next restart has nothing to resurrect.
+# Scoped to containers whose project directory sits under the LibrePortal
+# containers root — unrelated containers on the host are never touched.
+dockerRemoveStrandedContainers()
+{
+    local silent_flag="${1:-silent}"
+
+    [[ -d "$containers_dir" ]] || return 0
+
+    # `systemctl restart` returns once the unit is active, which can be before
+    # dockerd finishes initialising. Give the socket a bounded moment to answer.
+    local attempt=0
+    until runFileOp docker info >/dev/null 2>&1; do
+        attempt=$((attempt + 1))
+        if [[ "$attempt" -ge 15 ]]; then
+            [[ "$silent_flag" == "loud" ]] && isNotice "Docker not responding — skipping stranded container sweep."
+            return 0
+        fi
+        sleep 2
+    done
+
+    local listing
+    listing=$(runFileOp docker ps -a --format '{{.Names}}	{{.Label "com.docker.compose.project.working_dir"}}' 2>/dev/null)
+    [[ -z "$listing" ]] && return 0
+
+    local removed=0 name work_dir
+    while IFS=$'\t' read -r name work_dir; do
+        [[ -z "$name" || -z "$work_dir" ]] && continue
+        # Only LibrePortal's own container tree, and only when the project
+        # directory is provably gone.
+        [[ "$work_dir" == "$containers_dir"* ]] || continue
+        [[ -d "$work_dir" ]] && continue
+
+        if runFileOp docker rm -f "$name" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            removed=$((removed + 1))
+            [[ "$silent_flag" == "loud" ]] && isNotice "Removed stranded container '$name' (project dir $work_dir is gone)."
+        fi
+    done <<< "$listing"
+
+    if [[ "$removed" -gt 0 ]]; then
+        isSuccessful "Removed $removed stranded container(s) left without a project directory"
+    fi
+}
diff --git a/scripts/docker/install/rootless/rootless_docker.sh b/scripts/docker/install/rootless/rootless_docker.sh
index da427e6..c54ec54 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/install/rootless/rootless_docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/install/rootless/rootless_docker.sh
@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@ EOL"
         local result; result=$(dockerCommandRunInstallUser "systemctl --user restart docker")
         checkSuccess "Reload the systemd user docker service"
 
+        # The restart above runs the daemon's container-restore pass, which
+        # resurrects containers left over from a previous install whose project
+        # directory this install already wiped. Clear them now so the next
+        # restart can't re-create their bind-mount sources as stub directories.
+        dockerRemoveStrandedContainers "loud"
+
         local result; result=$(sudo cp $sysctl $sysctl.bak)
         checkSuccess "Backing up sysctl file"
 
diff --git a/scripts/source/files/arrays/files_docker.sh b/scripts/source/files/arrays/files_docker.sh
index 26685fa..9424e56 100755
--- a/scripts/source/files/arrays/files_docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/source/files/arrays/files_docker.sh
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ docker_scripts=(
     "docker/command/docker_run_install.sh"
     "docker/command/docker_run.sh"
     "docker/command/run_privileged.sh"
+    "docker/command/stranded_containers.sh"
     "docker/compose/copy_build_context.sh"
     "docker/compose/restart_after_update.sh"
     "docker/compose/setup_compose_yml.sh"
diff --git a/scripts/source/files/arrays/function_manifest.sh b/scripts/source/files/arrays/function_manifest.sh
index 2ba6287..8ca5345 100644
--- a/scripts/source/files/arrays/function_manifest.sh
+++ b/scripts/source/files/arrays/function_manifest.sh
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ declare -gA LP_FN_MAP=(
     [dockerPruneAppNetworks]="docker/network/network_prune.sh"
     [dockerRemoveApp]="docker/app/docker/remove_app.sh"
     [dockerRemoveAppImages]="docker/app/uninstall/remove_images.sh"
+    [dockerRemoveStrandedContainers]="docker/command/stranded_containers.sh"
     [dockerRestartApp]="docker/app/docker/restart_app.sh"
     [dockerRestartAppViaInstall]="docker/app/functions/function_restart_app.sh"
     [dockerServiceStart]="docker/service/start_docker.sh"
@@ -1416,6 +1417,7 @@ declare -gA LP_FN_ROOT=(
     [dockerPruneAppNetworks]="scripts"
     [dockerRemoveApp]="scripts"
     [dockerRemoveAppImages]="scripts"
+    [dockerRemoveStrandedContainers]="scripts"
     [dockerRestartApp]="scripts"
     [dockerRestartAppViaInstall]="scripts"
     [dockerServiceStart]="scripts"
@@ -2454,6 +2456,7 @@ dockerInstallApp() { unset -f dockerInstallApp; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_
 dockerPruneAppNetworks() { unset -f dockerPruneAppNetworks; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/network/network_prune.sh"; dockerPruneAppNetworks "$@"; }
 dockerRemoveApp() { unset -f dockerRemoveApp; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/app/docker/remove_app.sh"; dockerRemoveApp "$@"; }
 dockerRemoveAppImages() { unset -f dockerRemoveAppImages; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/app/uninstall/remove_images.sh"; dockerRemoveAppImages "$@"; }
+dockerRemoveStrandedContainers() { unset -f dockerRemoveStrandedContainers; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/command/stranded_containers.sh"; dockerRemoveStrandedContainers "$@"; }
 dockerRestartApp() { unset -f dockerRestartApp; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/app/docker/restart_app.sh"; dockerRestartApp "$@"; }
 dockerRestartAppViaInstall() { unset -f dockerRestartAppViaInstall; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/app/functions/function_restart_app.sh"; dockerRestartAppViaInstall "$@"; }
 dockerServiceStart() { unset -f dockerServiceStart; __lpAutoload "${install_scripts_dir}docker/service/start_docker.sh"; dockerServiceStart "$@"; }