diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/convert.go b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/convert.go
index 0b6a9c9c754..7e350f5596a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/convert.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/convert.go
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ func toPullableImageID(id string, image *dockertypes.ImageInspect) string {
 
 func toRuntimeAPIContainer(c *dockertypes.Container) (*runtimeApi.Container, error) {
 	state := toRuntimeAPIContainerState(c.Status)
+	if len(c.Names) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected empty container name: %+v", c)
+	}
 	metadata, err := parseContainerName(c.Names[0])
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -141,6 +144,9 @@ func toRuntimeAPISandboxState(state string) runtimeApi.PodSandboxState {
 
 func toRuntimeAPISandbox(c *dockertypes.Container) (*runtimeApi.PodSandbox, error) {
 	state := toRuntimeAPISandboxState(c.Status)
+	if len(c.Names) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected empty sandbox name: %+v", c)
+	}
 	metadata, err := parseSandboxName(c.Names[0])
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_container.go b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_container.go
index 5fe8ab3482c..aa08c5acb22 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_container.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_container.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func (ds *dockerService) ListContainers(filter *runtimeApi.ContainerFilter) ([]*
 
 		converted, err := toRuntimeAPIContainer(&c)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.V(5).Infof("Unable to convert docker to runtime API container: %v", err)
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Unable to convert docker to runtime API container: %v", err)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_sandbox.go b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_sandbox.go
index 457aae42ade..171aa51987e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_sandbox.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/dockershim/docker_sandbox.go
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ func (ds *dockerService) ListPodSandbox(filter *runtimeApi.PodSandboxFilter) ([]
 		c := containers[i]
 		converted, err := toRuntimeAPISandbox(&c)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.V(5).Infof("Unable to convert docker to runtime API sandbox: %v", err)
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Unable to convert docker to runtime API sandbox: %v", err)
 			continue
 		}
 		if filterOutReadySandboxes && converted.GetState() == runtimeApi.PodSandboxState_SANDBOX_READY {