diff --git a/modules/docker/daemon.go b/modules/docker/daemon.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3e88d7f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/docker/daemon.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package docker
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/pidfile"
+)
+
+// resolvePidFilePath expands "auto" into a guess at the pid file's location, or
+// "" when there is no local pid file to read. Set the path explicitly if the
+// daemon runs with a --pidfile that isn't next to its socket.
+func resolvePidFilePath(configured string, daemonHost string) string {
+	if configured != "auto" {
+		return configured
+	}
+
+	socket, ok := strings.CutPrefix(daemonHost, "unix://")
+	if !ok {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	return filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(socket), "docker.pid")
+}
+
+// daemonIsRunning reports whether dockerd is up, judged only from its pid file:
+// under socket activation, asking the API is what starts it.
+func daemonIsRunning(path string) (running bool, known bool) {
+	if path == "" {
+		return false, false
+	}
+
+	pid, err := pidfile.Read(path)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return false, true
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, false
+	}
+
+	// pidfile.Read reports 0 for a stale file.
+	return pid != 0, true
+}
diff --git a/modules/docker/daemon_test.go b/modules/docker/daemon_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3014e2bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/docker/daemon_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package docker
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_resolvePidFilePath(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		configured string
+		daemonHost string
+		expected   string
+	}{
+		{"unset", "", "unix:///var/run/docker.sock", ""},
+		{"explicit path", "/tmp/docker.pid", "unix:///var/run/docker.sock", "/tmp/docker.pid"},
+		{"auto, rootful", "auto", "unix:///var/run/docker.sock", "/var/run/docker.pid"},
+		{"auto, rootless", "auto", "unix:///run/user/1000/docker.sock", "/run/user/1000/docker.pid"},
+		{"auto, remote", "auto", "tcp://192.168.1.10:2376", ""},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, resolvePidFilePath(tt.configured, tt.daemonHost))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_daemonIsRunning(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	pidFile := func(name, contents string) string {
+		path := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+		assert.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte(contents), 0o644))
+		return path
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		path    string
+		running bool
+		known   bool
+	}{
+		{"no path", "", false, false},
+		{"absent file", filepath.Join(dir, "absent.pid"), false, true},
+		{"live pid", pidFile("live.pid", strconv.Itoa(os.Getpid())), true, true},
+		{"stale pid", pidFile("stale.pid", "0"), false, true},
+		{"malformed", pidFile("garbage.pid", "nope"), false, true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			running, known := daemonIsRunning(tt.path)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.known, known)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.running, running)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/modules/docker/example-conf.yml b/modules/docker/example-conf.yml
index fd8801508..a7c3f60bb 100644
--- a/modules/docker/example-conf.yml
+++ b/modules/docker/example-conf.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ wtf:
       focused: orange
       normal: gray
     checked: yellow
-    highlight: 
+    highlight:
       fore: black
       back: gray
     rows:
@@ -34,4 +34,6 @@ wtf:
         width: 3
       refreshInterval: 1
       labelColor: lightblue
-  
\ No newline at end of file
+      # Read dockerd's pid file instead of the API to check if it's up, so a
+      # socket-activated daemon isn't started on every refresh. Omit to disable.
+      pidFilePath: "auto"
diff --git a/modules/docker/settings.go b/modules/docker/settings.go
index 940626a4e..2484d4228 100644
--- a/modules/docker/settings.go
+++ b/modules/docker/settings.go
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ const (
 type Settings struct {
 	*cfg.Common
 
-	labelColor string
+	labelColor  string
+	pidFilePath string
 }
 
 // NewSettingsFromYAML creates and returns an instance of Settings with configuration options populated
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ func NewSettingsFromYAML(name string, ymlConfig *config.Config, globalConfig *co
 	settings := Settings{
 		Common:     cfg.NewCommonSettingsFromModule(name, defaultTitle, defaultFocusable, ymlConfig, globalConfig),
 		labelColor: ymlConfig.UString("labelColor", "white"),
+
+		// Path to dockerd's pid file, read instead of probing the API so a
+		// socket-activated daemon isn't woken up. "auto" derives it; "" disables.
+		pidFilePath: ymlConfig.UString("pidFilePath", ""),
 	}
 
 	return &settings
diff --git a/modules/docker/widget.go b/modules/docker/widget.go
index db548bd7c..b26d92de8 100644
--- a/modules/docker/widget.go
+++ b/modules/docker/widget.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ type Widget struct {
 	view.TextWidget
 	cli           *client.Client
 	settings      *Settings
+	pidFilePath   string
 	displayBuffer string
 }
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ func NewWidget(tviewApp *tview.Application, redrawChan chan bool, pages *tview.P
 		widget.displayBuffer = fmt.Errorf("could not create client: %w", err).Error()
 	} else {
 		widget.cli = cli
+		widget.pidFilePath = resolvePidFilePath(settings.pidFilePath, cli.DaemonHost())
 	}
 
 	widget.refreshDisplayBuffer()
@@ -53,6 +55,11 @@ func (widget *Widget) refreshDisplayBuffer() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if running, known := daemonIsRunning(widget.pidFilePath); known && !running {
+		widget.displayBuffer = fmt.Sprintf("[%s] docker daemon is not running[white]\n", widget.settings.Colors.Subheading)
+		return
+	}
+
 	widget.displayBuffer = ""
 
 	widget.displayBuffer += fmt.Sprintf("[%s] System[white]\n", widget.settings.Colors.Subheading)