diff --git a/cmd/whalewall/main.go b/cmd/whalewall/main.go
index 6e4bb15..e3a4c37 100644
--- a/cmd/whalewall/main.go
+++ b/cmd/whalewall/main.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ func mainRetCode() int {
 	debugLogs := flag.Bool("debug", false, "enable debug logging")
 	logPath := flag.String("l", "stdout", "path to log to")
 	timeout := flag.Duration("t", 10*time.Second, "timeout for Docker API requests")
+	watchInterval := flag.Duration("i", time.Minute, "interval to check created container rules")
 	displayVersion := flag.Bool("version", false, "print version and build information and exit")
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ func mainRetCode() int {
 		return 0
 	}
 
+	if *watchInterval <= 0 {
+		log.Println("-i must be greater than 0")
+		return 1
+	}
+
 	// build logger
 	logCfg := zap.NewProductionConfig()
 	logCfg.OutputPaths = []string{*logPath}
@@ -92,7 +98,7 @@ func mainRetCode() int {
 	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	r, err := whalewall.NewRuleManager(ctx, logger, sqliteFile, *timeout)
+	r, err := whalewall.NewRuleManager(ctx, logger, sqliteFile, *timeout, *watchInterval)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("error initializing", zap.Error(err))
 	}
diff --git a/create.go b/create.go
index 282027b..35ca503 100644
--- a/create.go
+++ b/create.go
@@ -76,7 +76,11 @@ func (r *RuleManager) createContainerRules(ctx context.Context, container types.
 
 	contName := stripName(container.Name)
 	logger := r.logger.With(zap.String("container.id", container.ID[:12]), zap.String("container.name", contName))
-	logger.Info("creating rules", zap.Bool("container.is_new", isNew))
+	if isNew {
+		logger.Info("creating rules", zap.Bool("container.is_new", isNew))
+	} else {
+		logger.Debug("watching rules", zap.Bool("container.is_new", isNew))
+	}
 
 	// check that network settings are valid
 	if container.NetworkSettings == nil {
@@ -332,7 +336,7 @@ func (r *RuleManager) createContainerRules(ctx context.Context, container types.
 
 	logger.Debug("adding to database")
 
-	if err := r.addContainer(ctx, tx, container.ID, contName, service, addrs, estContainers); err != nil {
+	if err := r.addContainerInfo(ctx, tx, container.ID, contName, service, addrs, estContainers); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error adding container information to database: %w", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 1597693..5b81bfc 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (r *RuleManager) containerExists(ctx context.Context, db database.Querier,
 	return exists == 1, nil
 }
 
-func (r *RuleManager) addContainer(ctx context.Context, tx database.TX, id, name, service string, addrs map[string][]byte, estContainers map[string]struct{}) error {
+func (r *RuleManager) addContainerInfo(ctx context.Context, tx database.TX, id, name, service string, addrs map[string][]byte, estContainers map[string]struct{}) error {
 	for _, addr := range addrs {
 		err := tx.AddContainerAddr(ctx, addr, id)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/manager.go b/manager.go
index a8823ce..204208c 100644
--- a/manager.go
+++ b/manager.go
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ type RuleManager struct {
 
 	containerTracker *container.Tracker
 
+	watchInterval time.Duration
+
 	createCh chan containerDetails
 	deleteCh chan string
 
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ type containerDetails struct {
 	isNew     bool
 }
 
-func NewRuleManager(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, dbFile string, timeout time.Duration) (*RuleManager, error) {
+func NewRuleManager(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, dbFile string, timeout, watchInterval time.Duration) (*RuleManager, error) {
 	r := RuleManager{
 		stopping: make(chan struct{}),
 		done:     make(chan struct{}),
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ func NewRuleManager(ctx context.Context, logger *zap.Logger, dbFile string, time
 			return nftables.New()
 		},
 		containerTracker: container.NewTracker(logger),
+		watchInterval:    watchInterval,
 		createCh:         make(chan containerDetails),
 		deleteCh:         make(chan string),
 	}
@@ -126,7 +129,12 @@ func (r *RuleManager) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		r.logger.Error("error syncing containers", zap.Error(err))
 	}
 
-	r.wg.Add(1)
+	r.wg.Add(2)
+	go func() {
+		defer r.wg.Done()
+
+		r.watchContainers(ctx)
+	}()
 	go func() {
 		defer r.wg.Done()
 
diff --git a/sync.go b/sync.go
index 6876317..6133e2b 100644
--- a/sync.go
+++ b/sync.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
@@ -74,6 +75,40 @@ func (r *RuleManager) syncContainers(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// watchContainers periodically checks that container rules created by
+// whalewall haven't been deleted, modified or added to and fixes them
+// if necessary.
+func (r *RuleManager) watchContainers(ctx context.Context) {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(r.watchInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			conts, err := r.db.GetContainers(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				r.logger.Error("error getting containers from database", zap.Error(err))
+				continue
+			}
+			for _, c := range conts {
+				container, err := r.dockerCli.ContainerInspect(ctx, c.ID)
+				if err != nil {
+					r.logger.Error("error inspecting container", zap.String("container.id", c.ID[:12]), zap.Error(err))
+					continue
+				}
+				r.createCh <- containerDetails{
+					container: container,
+					isNew:     false,
+				}
+			}
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case <-r.stopping:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func whalewallEnabled(labels map[string]string) (bool, error) {
 	e, ok := labels[enabledLabel]
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/whalewall_test.go b/whalewall_test.go
index 7344873..cbab03f 100644
--- a/whalewall_test.go
+++ b/whalewall_test.go
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func startFunc(t *testing.T, is *is.I, tempDir string) func() {
 	logger.Info("starting whalewall")
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	dbFile := filepath.Join(tempDir, "db.sqlite")
-	r, err := NewRuleManager(ctx, logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout)
+	r, err := NewRuleManager(ctx, logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout, time.Minute)
 	is.NoErr(err)
 	err = r.Start(ctx)
 	is.NoErr(err)
@@ -2335,7 +2335,7 @@ mapped_ports:
 			is := is.New(t)
 
 			dbFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "db.sqlite")
-			r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout)
+			r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout, defaultTimeout)
 			is.NoErr(err)
 
 			var dockerCli *mockDockerClient
@@ -2559,7 +2559,7 @@ output:
 	}
 
 	dbFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "db.sqlite")
-	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout)
+	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout, time.Minute)
 	is.NoErr(err)
 
 	dockerCli := newMockDockerClient(nil)
@@ -2701,7 +2701,7 @@ output:
 	}
 
 	dbFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "db.sqlite")
-	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout)
+	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout, time.Minute)
 	is.NoErr(err)
 
 	dockerCli := newMockDockerClient(nil)
@@ -2838,7 +2838,7 @@ output:
 	is.NoErr(err)
 
 	dbFile := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "db.sqlite")
-	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout)
+	r, err := NewRuleManager(context.Background(), logger, dbFile, defaultTimeout, time.Minute)
 	is.NoErr(err)
 
 	// configure database to pause before committing so we can cancel