diff --git a/zun/api/controllers/v1/containers.py b/zun/api/controllers/v1/containers.py
index a932dd509..71a3b00fe 100644
--- a/zun/api/controllers/v1/containers.py
+++ b/zun/api/controllers/v1/containers.py
@@ -314,6 +314,8 @@ class ContainersController(rest.RestController):
             raise exception.InvalidValue(msg)
         if not force:
             utils.validate_container_state(container, 'delete')
+        else:
+            utils.validate_container_state(container, 'delete_force')
         context = pecan.request.context
         compute_api = pecan.request.compute_api
         compute_api.container_delete(context, container, force)
diff --git a/zun/common/utils.py b/zun/common/utils.py
index 821b13e57..3d7b3197c 100644
--- a/zun/common/utils.py
+++ b/zun/common/utils.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 VALID_STATES = {
     'delete': ['Stopped', 'Error', 'Created'],
+    'delete_force': ['Running', 'Stopped', 'Error', 'Created',
+                     'Unknown', 'Creating'],
     'start': ['Stopped', 'Created'],
     'stop': ['Running'],
     'reboot': ['Running', 'Stopped', 'Created'],
diff --git a/zun/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_containers.py b/zun/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_containers.py
index 74ec07f74..b4ea54972 100644
--- a/zun/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_containers.py
+++ b/zun/tests/unit/api/controllers/v1/test_containers.py
@@ -847,6 +847,15 @@ class TestContainerController(api_base.FunctionalTest):
                 "Cannot delete container %s in Running state" % uuid):
             self.app.delete('/v1/containers/%s' % (test_object.uuid))
 
+    def test_delete_force_by_uuid_invalid_state(self):
+        uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
+        test_object = utils.create_test_container(context=self.context,
+                                                  uuid=uuid, status='Paused')
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(
+                AppError,
+                "Cannot delete_force container %s in Paused state" % uuid):
+            self.app.delete('/v1/containers/%s?force=True' % test_object.uuid)
+
     @patch('zun.compute.api.API.container_delete')
     def test_delete_by_uuid_invalid_state_force_true(self, mock_delete):
         uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid()