diff --git a/container.go b/container.go
index a039d60..e2ae50b 100644
--- a/container.go
+++ b/container.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ type Container struct {
 	name    string
 	state   string
 	metrics collector.Metrics
-	collect collector.Collector
 	widgets widgets.ContainerWidgets
 }
 
@@ -25,17 +24,13 @@ func (c *Container) Collapse() {
 func (c *Container) SetState(s string) {
 	c.state = s
 	c.widgets.SetStatus(s)
-	// start collector if necessary
-	if s == "running" && !c.collect.Running() {
-		c.Collect()
-	}
 }
 
-func (c *Container) Collect() {
-	log.Infof("starting collector for container: %s", c.id)
-	c.collect.Start()
+// Read metric stream, updating widgets
+func (c *Container) Read(stream chan collector.Metrics) {
+	log.Infof("starting reader for container: %s", c.id)
 	go func() {
-		for metrics := range c.collect.Stream() {
+		for metrics := range stream {
 			c.metrics = metrics
 			c.widgets.SetCPU(metrics.CPUUtil)
 			c.widgets.SetMem(metrics.MemUsage, metrics.MemLimit, metrics.MemPercent)
diff --git a/containermap.go b/containermap.go
index 1419552..4c01485 100644
--- a/containermap.go
+++ b/containermap.go
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 )
 
+type ContainerMap struct {
+	client     *docker.Client
+	containers map[string]*Container
+	collectors map[string]collector.Collector
+}
+
 func NewContainerMap() *ContainerMap {
 	// init docker client
 	client, err := docker.NewClient(config.GetVal("dockerHost"))
@@ -19,16 +25,12 @@ func NewContainerMap() *ContainerMap {
 	cm := &ContainerMap{
 		client:     client,
 		containers: make(map[string]*Container),
+		collectors: make(map[string]collector.Collector),
 	}
 	cm.Refresh()
 	return cm
 }
 
-type ContainerMap struct {
-	client     *docker.Client
-	containers map[string]*Container
-}
-
 func (cm *ContainerMap) Refresh() {
 	var id, name string
 
@@ -43,15 +45,16 @@ func (cm *ContainerMap) Refresh() {
 	for _, c := range containers {
 		id = c.ID[:12]
 		states[id] = c.State
+
 		if _, ok := cm.containers[id]; ok == false {
 			name = strings.Replace(c.Names[0], "/", "", 1) // use primary container name
 			cm.containers[id] = &Container{
 				id:      id,
 				name:    name,
-				collect: collector.NewDocker(cm.client, id),
 				widgets: widgets.NewCompact(id, name),
 			}
 		}
+
 	}
 
 	var removeIDs []string
@@ -62,6 +65,15 @@ func (cm *ContainerMap) Refresh() {
 			continue
 		}
 		c.SetState(states[id])
+		// start collector if needed
+		if c.state == "running" {
+			if _, ok := cm.collectors[id]; ok == false {
+				log.Infof("starting collector for container: %s", id)
+				cm.collectors[id] = collector.NewDocker(cm.client, id)
+				cm.collectors[id].Start()
+				c.Read(cm.collectors[id].Stream())
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// remove dead containers
diff --git a/sort.go b/sort.go
index 8574083..bcc9a45 100644
--- a/sort.go
+++ b/sort.go
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 type sortMethod func(c1, c2 *Container) bool
 
-func lessStr(s1, s2 string) bool { return s1 < s2 }
-
 var idSorter = func(c1, c2 *Container) bool { return c1.id < c2.id }
 var nameSorter = func(c1, c2 *Container) bool { return c1.name < c2.name }