diff --git a/app/js/DockerRunner.js b/app/js/DockerRunner.js
index 99dc5c7..e7cb2a7 100644
--- a/app/js/DockerRunner.js
+++ b/app/js/DockerRunner.js
@@ -642,6 +642,9 @@ module.exports = DockerRunner = {
             ttl
           ) {
             if (name.slice(0, 9) === '/project-' && ttl <= 0) {
+              // strip the / prefix
+              // the LockManager uses the plain container name
+              name = name.slice(1)
               return jobs.push(cb =>
                 DockerRunner.destroyContainer(name, id, false, () => cb())
               )
diff --git a/test/unit/js/DockerRunnerTests.js b/test/unit/js/DockerRunnerTests.js
index 7284c6e..1e44daf 100644
--- a/test/unit/js/DockerRunnerTests.js
+++ b/test/unit/js/DockerRunnerTests.js
@@ -688,19 +688,19 @@ describe('DockerRunner', function() {
     it('should destroy old containers', function() {
       this.DockerRunner.destroyContainer.callCount.should.equal(1)
       return this.DockerRunner.destroyContainer
-        .calledWith('/project-old-container-name', 'old-container-id')
+        .calledWith('project-old-container-name', 'old-container-id')
         .should.equal(true)
     })
 
     it('should not destroy new containers', function() {
       return this.DockerRunner.destroyContainer
-        .calledWith('/project-new-container-name', 'new-container-id')
+        .calledWith('project-new-container-name', 'new-container-id')
         .should.equal(false)
     })
 
     it('should not destroy non-project containers', function() {
       return this.DockerRunner.destroyContainer
-        .calledWith('/totally-not-a-project-container', 'some-random-id')
+        .calledWith('totally-not-a-project-container', 'some-random-id')
         .should.equal(false)
     })