diff --git a/app/Actions/Service/StartService.php b/app/Actions/Service/StartService.php
index 8a2496a45d..196df2b954 100644
--- a/app/Actions/Service/StartService.php
+++ b/app/Actions/Service/StartService.php
@@ -76,19 +76,21 @@ class StartService
     }
 
     /**
-     * Connects a created container to the predefined network of the destination. Containers with
-     * a network_mode, or that already declare the network in the compose file, are skipped.
+     * Connects a container to the predefined network of the destination, unless it is already
+     * connected (declared in the compose file, or a running container that was not recreated).
+     * Containers with a network_mode cannot join other networks and are skipped.
      */
     public static function predefinedNetworkConnectCommand(Service $service, string $serviceName, mixed $serviceConfig): ?string
     {
-        $network = $service->destination->network;
-        if (data_get($serviceConfig, 'network_mode') !== null || array_key_exists($network, data_get($serviceConfig, 'networks') ?? [])) {
+        if (data_get($serviceConfig, 'network_mode') !== null) {
             return null;
         }
+        $network = escapeshellarg($service->destination->network);
         $containerName = escapeshellarg("{$serviceName}-{$service->uuid}");
-        $warning = escapeshellarg("Warning: Could not connect {$serviceName} to the {$network} network.");
+        $warning = escapeshellarg("Warning: Could not connect {$serviceName} to the {$service->destination->network} network.");
+        $connectedNetworks = "docker container inspect --format '{{range \$name, \$_ := .NetworkSettings.Networks}}{{println \$name}}{{end}}' {$containerName}";
 
-        return 'docker network connect --alias '.$containerName.' '.escapeshellarg($network)." {$containerName} || echo {$warning}";
+        return "{$connectedNetworks} | grep -qxF {$network} || docker network connect --alias {$containerName} {$network} {$containerName} || echo {$warning}";
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Security/CommandInjectionSecurityTest.php b/tests/Feature/Security/CommandInjectionSecurityTest.php
index 154e278eae..a5d97bdb98 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Security/CommandInjectionSecurityTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Security/CommandInjectionSecurityTest.php
@@ -948,7 +948,7 @@ describe('service application lifecycle command escaping', function () {
         $service->setRelation('destination', (new StandaloneDocker)->forceFill(['network' => 'coolify']));
 
         expect(StartService::predefinedNetworkConnectCommand($service, 'app$(id)', []))
-            ->toBe("docker network connect --alias 'app$(id)-svc-uuid' 'coolify' 'app$(id)-svc-uuid' || echo 'Warning: Could not connect app$(id) to the coolify network.'");
+            ->toContain(" 'app$(id)-svc-uuid' | grep -qxF 'coolify' || docker network connect --alias 'app$(id)-svc-uuid' 'coolify' 'app$(id)-svc-uuid' || echo 'Warning: Could not connect app$(id) to the coolify network.'");
     });
 
     test('service application restart and stop actions escape container names', function (string $path) {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/ServiceComposeStdinTest.php b/tests/Feature/ServiceComposeStdinTest.php
index 8484d723ff..a45772ad22 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/ServiceComposeStdinTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/ServiceComposeStdinTest.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function serviceComposeStdinService(string $sshUser, ?string $composeRaw = null)
  *
  * @return list<string> the commands that ran, and the lines the prompt consumed
  */
-function runServiceScriptLikeSsh(string $script, string $stubDirectory): array
+function runServiceScriptLikeSsh(string $script, string $stubDirectory, string $connectedNetworks = ''): array
 {
     File::ensureDirectoryExists($stubDirectory);
     $log = "{$stubDirectory}/calls.log";
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ function runServiceScriptLikeSsh(string $script, string $stubDirectory): array
 #!/bin/sh
 echo "docker $*" >> "$STUB_LOG"
 case " $* " in
+  *" container inspect "*)
+    printf '%s\n' $STUB_CONNECTED_NETWORKS
+    ;;
   *" compose "*" up "*|*" compose "*" pull"*)
     if IFS= read -r answer; then echo "prompt read: $answer" >> "$STUB_LOG"; fi
     ;;
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ SH);
         chmod("{$stubDirectory}/{$stub}", 0755);
     }
 
-    $process = new SymfonyProcess(['bash', '-se'], env: ['PATH' => $stubDirectory.':'.getenv('PATH'), 'STUB_LOG' => $log], input: $script."\n", timeout: 30);
+    $process = new SymfonyProcess(['bash', '-se'], env: ['PATH' => $stubDirectory.':'.getenv('PATH'), 'STUB_LOG' => $log, 'STUB_CONNECTED_NETWORKS' => $connectedNetworks], input: $script."\n", timeout: 30);
     $process->run();
 
     expect($process->isSuccessful())->toBeTrue($process->getErrorOutput());
@@ -167,13 +170,23 @@ it('connects service containers to the predefined network before compose starts
     }
 })->with(['root' => 'root', 'non-root' => 'deploy']);
 
-it('does not connect containers that use a network mode or already declare the predefined network', function () {
-    $compose = "services:\n  vpn:\n    image: busybox:latest\n    networks:\n      - default\n      - coolify\n  app:\n    image: busybox:latest\n    network_mode: service:vpn\nnetworks:\n  coolify:\n    external: true\n";
+it('does not connect a running service container that is already on the predefined network', function (string $sshUser) {
+    $service = serviceComposeStdinService($sshUser);
+    $service->parse();
+
+    $calls = runServiceScriptLikeSsh(RemoteProcessCommand::read(DeployServiceApplication::run($service->applications()->firstOrFail())), $this->stubDirectory, connectedNetworks: "{$service->uuid} coolify");
+
+    expect(collect($calls)->filter(fn (string $call) => str_contains($call, 'network connect --alias'))->all())->toBe([]);
+})->with(['root' => 'root', 'non-root' => 'deploy']);
+
+it('does not connect containers that use a network mode', function () {
+    $compose = "services:\n  vpn:\n    image: busybox:latest\n  app:\n    image: busybox:latest\n    network_mode: service:vpn\n";
     $service = serviceComposeStdinService('root', $compose);
 
     $calls = runServiceScriptLikeSsh(RemoteProcessCommand::read(StartService::run($service)), $this->stubDirectory);
 
-    expect(collect($calls)->filter(fn (string $call) => str_contains($call, 'network connect --alias'))->all())->toBe([]);
+    expect(collect($calls)->filter(fn (string $call) => str_contains($call, 'network connect --alias'))->values()->all())
+        ->toBe(["docker network connect --alias vpn-{$service->uuid} coolify vpn-{$service->uuid}"]);
 });
 
 it('connects a single service container to the predefined network before it starts', function (string $sshUser) {