diff --git a/backup.sh b/backup.sh
index 2cf3390..fb6953f 100644
--- a/backup.sh
+++ b/backup.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 me="$(basename "$0")";
 result=$(ps aux | grep -i "$me" | grep -v "grep" | wc -l)
 echo "running: $result"
-if [ "$result" -gt 2 ]
+if [ "$result" -gt 3 ]
    then
         exit
 fi
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ MYSQL_USER=root
 MYSQL_PASSWORD='BV$9V#5Bq!enW&ez'
 
 # specify seafile-mysql docker name and temporary backup location inside the docker
+DOCKER_SEAFILE=seafile
 DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL=seafile-mysql
 
 
@@ -38,20 +39,28 @@ LOGFILE_PATH="${DIR_BACKUP_LOGS}/${LOGFILE_STATUS}"
 mkdir -p ${DIR_BACKUP_LOGS} ${DIR_BACKUP_DB}
 
 # 1) backup seafile databases
-docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mkdir -p ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP}" # create remporary backup dir inside docker
-IFS=$'\n\r' # set the IFS to a newline character, so that a whole line can be assigned to an array element
-DATABASES=( $(docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mysql -e 'show databases' -s --skip-column-names -u ${MYSQL_USER} -p'${MYSQL_PASSWORD}'") ) # parse database names into array
 
-# loop databases and dump tables to sql files inside temporary docker backup folder
-for i in "${DATABASES[@]:1}"
-do
-   : 
-   docker exec -i  ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mysqldump --single-transaction -h localhost -u ${MYSQL_USER} -p'${MYSQL_PASSWORD}' --opt ${i} > ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP}/${i}.sql"
-done
+if [ "$( docker container inspect -f '{{.State.Status}}' ${DOCKER_SEAFILE} )" == "running" ]; then
+	echo "docker ${DOCKER_SEAFILE} running"
 
-# 2) copy backup database files to host and cleanup
-docker cp ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL}:${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP} ${DIR_BACKUP_DB}
-docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "rm -r ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR}"
+	docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mkdir -p ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP}" # create remporary backup dir inside docker
+	IFS=$'\n\r' # set the IFS to a newline character, so that a whole line can be assigned to an array element
+	DATABASES=( $(docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mysql -e 'show databases' -s --skip-column-names -u ${MYSQL_USER} -p'${MYSQL_PASSWORD}'") ) # parse database names into array
+
+	# loop databases and dump tables to sql files inside temporary docker backup folder
+	for i in "${DATABASES[@]:1}"
+	do
+   	: 
+   	docker exec -i  ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "mysqldump --single-transaction -h localhost -u ${MYSQL_USER} -p'${MYSQL_PASSWORD}' --opt ${i} > ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP}/${i}.sql"
+	done
+
+	# 2) copy backup database files to host and cleanup
+	docker cp ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL}:${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR_TIMESTAMP} ${DIR_BACKUP_DB}
+	docker exec -i ${DOCKER_SEAFILE_MYSQL} sh -c "rm -r ${DOCKER_BACKUP_DIR}"
+
+else
+	echo "docker ${DOCKER_SEAFILE} NOT running"
+fi
 
 # 3) backup seafile docker volumes folder
 rsync -azh --log-file "${LOGFILE_PATH}" ${DIR_VOLUMES} ${DIR_BACKUP}