diff --git a/src/testcontainers/core/container.py b/src/testcontainers/core/container.py
index 76fce9c14..b206e2367 100644
--- a/src/testcontainers/core/container.py
+++ b/src/testcontainers/core/container.py
@@ -475,16 +475,24 @@ def get_instance(cls) -> "Reaper":
 
     @classmethod
     def delete_instance(cls) -> None:
-        if Reaper._socket is not None:
-            Reaper._socket.close()
+        container = Reaper._container
+        try:
+            if Reaper._socket is not None:
+                Reaper._socket.close()
+
+            if container is not None and container._container is not None:
+                try:
+                    container.stop()
+                except docker.errors.NotFound:
+                    pass
+                except APIError as e:
+                    # Ryuk runs with auto_remove, so if it died Docker may already be removing it (409).
+                    if e.status_code != 409:
+                        raise
+        finally:
+            # Reset whatever stop() did, so get_instance() creates a new reaper instead of returning a dead one.
             Reaper._socket = None
-
-        if Reaper._container is not None and Reaper._container._container is not None:
-            with contextlib.suppress(docker.errors.NotFound):
-                Reaper._container.stop()
             Reaper._container = None
-
-        if Reaper._instance is not None:
             Reaper._instance = None
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/tests/core/test_ryuk.py b/tests/core/test_ryuk.py
index 81bb736ca..5d8a685d4 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_ryuk.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_ryuk.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 from docker import DockerClient
-from docker.errors import NotFound
+from docker.errors import APIError, NotFound
 
 from testcontainers.core.config import testcontainers_config
 from testcontainers.core.container import DockerContainer, Reaper
@@ -95,3 +95,61 @@ def test_ryuk_is_reused_in_same_process():
     with DockerContainer("hello-world") as container:
         wait_for_logs(container, "Hello from Docker!")
         assert reaper_instance is Reaper._instance
+
+
+class _FakeResponse:
+    def __init__(self, status_code: int) -> None:
+        self.status_code = status_code
+        self.reason = "Conflict" if status_code == 409 else "Server Error"
+        self.url = "http+docker://localhost/containers/ryuk"
+
+
+class _DeadReaperContainer:
+    """Stands in for a ryuk container that died and that Docker is already auto-removing."""
+
+    def __init__(self, status_code: int) -> None:
+        self._container = object()
+        self._status_code = status_code
+
+    def stop(self) -> None:
+        raise APIError("removal of container is already in progress", response=_FakeResponse(self._status_code))
+
+
+class _FakeSocket:
+    closed = False
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        self.closed = True
+
+
+def test_delete_instance_treats_removal_in_progress_as_gone(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    # https://github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-python/issues/1125
+    dead = Reaper()
+    sock = _FakeSocket()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_instance", dead)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_container", _DeadReaperContainer(409))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_socket", sock)
+
+    Reaper.delete_instance()
+
+    assert sock.closed
+    assert Reaper._socket is None
+    assert Reaper._container is None
+    assert Reaper._instance is None
+
+    fresh = Reaper()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_create_instance", classmethod(lambda cls: fresh))
+    assert Reaper.get_instance() is fresh
+
+
+def test_delete_instance_resets_its_state_when_stop_fails(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_instance", Reaper())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_container", _DeadReaperContainer(500))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(Reaper, "_socket", _FakeSocket())
+
+    with pytest.raises(APIError):
+        Reaper.delete_instance()
+
+    assert Reaper._socket is None
+    assert Reaper._container is None
+    assert Reaper._instance is None