diff --git a/plugins/inputs/docker/docker.go b/plugins/inputs/docker/docker.go
index c436db40239f9..395c45feb3054 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/docker/docker.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/docker/docker.go
@@ -24,23 +24,32 @@ type DockerLabelFilter struct {
 	labelExclude filter.Filter
 }
 
+type DockerContainerFilter struct {
+	containerInclude filter.Filter
+	containerExclude filter.Filter
+}
+
 // Docker object
 type Docker struct {
 	Endpoint       string
 	ContainerNames []string
+
+	ContainerInclude []string `toml:"container_name_include"`
+	ContainerExclude []string `toml:"container_name_exclude"`
+	ContainerFilter DockerContainerFilter
+
 	Timeout        internal.Duration
 	PerDevice      bool     `toml:"perdevice"`
 	Total          bool     `toml:"total"`
+
 	LabelInclude   []string `toml:"docker_label_include"`
 	LabelExclude   []string `toml:"docker_label_exclude"`
-
 	LabelFilter DockerLabelFilter
 
 	client      *client.Client
 	engine_host string
 
 	testing             bool
-	labelFiltersCreated bool
 
 	onlyRunning bool `toml:"only_running"`
 }
@@ -99,8 +108,15 @@ var sampleConfig = `
   ##   To use TCP, set endpoint = "tcp://[ip]:[port]"
   ##   To use environment variables (ie, docker-machine), set endpoint = "ENV"
   endpoint = "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"
+
   ## Only collect metrics for these containers, collect all if empty
   container_names = []
+
+  ## Containers to include and exclude. Globs accepted.
+  ## Note that an empty array for both will include all containers
+  container_name_include = []
+  container_name_exclude = []
+
   ## Timeout for docker list, info, and stats commands
   timeout = "5s"
 
@@ -152,14 +168,6 @@ func (d *Docker) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 		}
 		d.client = c
 	}
-	// Create label filters if not already created
-	if !d.labelFiltersCreated {
-		err := d.createLabelFilters()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		d.labelFiltersCreated = true
-	}
 
 	// Get daemon info
 	err := d.gatherInfo(acc)
@@ -182,7 +190,6 @@ func (d *Docker) Gather(acc telegraf.Accumulator) error {
 	for _, container := range containers {
 		go func(c types.Container) {
 			defer wg.Done()
-
 			if (d.onlyRunning && c.State == "running") || (!d.onlyRunning) {
 				err := d.gatherContainer(c, acc)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -306,6 +313,12 @@ func (d *Docker) gatherContainer(
 		}
 	}
 
+	if len(d.ContainerInclude) == 0 || d.ContainerFilter.containerInclude.Match(cname) {
+	  if len(d.ContainerExclude) == 0 || !d.ContainerFilter.containerExclude.Match(cname) {
+		  return nil
+	  }
+	}
+
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), d.Timeout.Duration)
 	defer cancel()
 	r, err := statsWrapper(d.client, ctx, container.ID, false)
@@ -633,8 +646,28 @@ func parseSize(sizeStr string) (int64, error) {
 	return int64(size), nil
 }
 
+func (d *Docker) createContainerFilters() error {
+	if len(d.ContainerInclude) != 0 {
+		var err error
+		d.ContainerFilter.containerInclude, err = filter.Compile(d.ContainerInclude)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(d.ContainerExclude) != 0 {
+		var err error
+		d.ContainerFilter.containerExclude, err = filter.Compile(d.ContainerExclude)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (d *Docker) createLabelFilters() error {
-	if len(d.LabelInclude) != 0 && d.LabelFilter.labelInclude == nil {
+	if len(d.LabelInclude) != 0  {
 		var err error
 		d.LabelFilter.labelInclude, err = filter.Compile(d.LabelInclude)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -642,7 +675,7 @@ func (d *Docker) createLabelFilters() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(d.LabelExclude) != 0 && d.LabelFilter.labelExclude == nil {
+	if len(d.LabelExclude) != 0 {
 		var err error
 		d.LabelFilter.labelExclude, err = filter.Compile(d.LabelExclude)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -654,11 +687,13 @@ func (d *Docker) createLabelFilters() error {
 }
 
 func init() {
+	d := Docker{}
+	d.PerDevice = true
+	d.Timeout = internal.Duration{Duration: time.Second * 5}
+	d.createContainerFilters()
+	d.createLabelFilters()
+
 	inputs.Add("docker", func() telegraf.Input {
-		return &Docker{
-			PerDevice:           true,
-			Timeout:             internal.Duration{Duration: time.Second * 5},
-			labelFiltersCreated: false,
-		}
+		return &d
 	})
 }