diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/swift.py b/heat/engine/resources/swift.py
index 84d546f7f8..09adc6e638 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/swift.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/swift.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import six
 
 from six.moves.urllib import parse as urlparse
 
+from heat.common import exception
 from heat.common.i18n import _
 from heat.common.i18n import _LW
 from heat.engine import attributes
@@ -150,6 +151,13 @@ class SwiftContainer(resource.Resource):
         try:
             self.swift().delete_container(self.resource_id)
         except Exception as ex:
+            if self.client_plugin().is_conflict(ex):
+                container, objects = self.swift().get_container(
+                    self.resource_id)
+                if objects:
+                    msg = _("Deleting non-empty container (%s)"
+                            ) % self.resource_id
+                    raise exception.NotSupported(feature=msg)
             self.client_plugin().ignore_not_found(ex)
 
     def handle_check(self):
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_swift.py b/heat/tests/test_swift.py
index aa3f54240e..7cc68169d6 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_swift.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_swift.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class swiftTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.m.CreateMock(sc.Connection)
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'post_account')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'put_container')
+        self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'get_container')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'delete_container')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'head_container')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(sc.Connection, 'get_auth')
@@ -255,6 +256,50 @@ class swiftTest(common.HeatTestCase):
 
         self.m.VerifyAll()
 
+    def test_delete_conflict_non_empty(self):
+        container_name = utils.PhysName('test_stack', 'test_resource')
+        sc.Connection.put_container(
+            container_name,
+            {}).AndReturn(None)
+        sc.Connection.delete_container(container_name).AndRaise(
+            sc.ClientException('Conflict',
+                               http_status=409))
+        sc.Connection.get_container(
+            container_name).AndReturn(({'name': container_name},
+                                       [{'name': 'test'}]))
+
+        self.m.ReplayAll()
+        t = template_format.parse(swift_template)
+        stack = utils.parse_stack(t)
+        rsrc = self.create_resource(t, stack, 'SwiftContainer')
+        deleter = scheduler.TaskRunner(rsrc.delete)
+        ex = self.assertRaises(exception.ResourceFailure, deleter)
+        self.assertIn('NotSupported: Deleting non-empty container',
+                      six.text_type(ex))
+
+        self.m.VerifyAll()
+
+    def test_delete_conflict_other(self):
+        container_name = utils.PhysName('test_stack', 'test_resource')
+        sc.Connection.put_container(
+            container_name,
+            {}).AndReturn(None)
+        sc.Connection.delete_container(container_name).AndRaise(
+            sc.ClientException('Conflict',
+                               http_status=409))
+        sc.Connection.get_container(
+            container_name).AndReturn(({'name': container_name}, []))
+
+        self.m.ReplayAll()
+        t = template_format.parse(swift_template)
+        stack = utils.parse_stack(t)
+        rsrc = self.create_resource(t, stack, 'SwiftContainer')
+        deleter = scheduler.TaskRunner(rsrc.delete)
+        ex = self.assertRaises(exception.ResourceFailure, deleter)
+        self.assertIn('Conflict', six.text_type(ex))
+
+        self.m.VerifyAll()
+
     def _get_check_resource(self):
         t = template_format.parse(swift_template)
         stack = utils.parse_stack(t)