diff --git a/napalm_linux/linux.py b/napalm_linux/linux.py
index e1d3daa..941e1ee 100644
--- a/napalm_linux/linux.py
+++ b/napalm_linux/linux.py
@@ -116,6 +116,22 @@ def _arm_vendor_from_model(model: str) -> str:
     return " ".join(brand)
 
 
+#: A bare image ID (``d626d04934cd``), not a registry reference. ``docker ps``
+#: falls back to this whenever the tag a container was created from has since
+#: been moved to a newer image — i.e. exactly after a pull without a recreate.
+_IMAGE_ID_RE = re.compile(r"^(sha256:)?[0-9a-f]{12,64}$")
+
+
+def _looks_like_image_id(ref: str) -> bool:
+    """True if *ref* is an image ID rather than something a registry can resolve."""
+    return bool(_IMAGE_ID_RE.match(ref.strip()))
+
+
+def _short_image_id(raw: str) -> str:
+    """Normalise ``sha256:<64hex>`` and ``<12hex>`` to a comparable 12-char form."""
+    return raw.strip().removeprefix("sha256:")[:12]
+
+
 class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
     """NAPALM driver for generic Linux systems.
 
@@ -1537,7 +1553,10 @@ class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
             "echo '---VOLUMES---'; "
             f"{docker} volume ls --format '{{{{json .}}}}' 2>/dev/null; "
             "echo '---NETWORKS---'; "
-            f"{docker} network ls --format '{{{{json .}}}}' 2>/dev/null",
+            f"{docker} network ls --format '{{{{json .}}}}' 2>/dev/null; "
+            "echo '---CONFIGIMAGES---'; "
+            f"{docker} ps -aq 2>/dev/null | xargs -r {docker} inspect "
+            f"--format '{{{{.Id}}}}|{{{{.Config.Image}}}}|{{{{.Image}}}}' 2>/dev/null",
             read_timeout=60,
         )
 
@@ -1556,7 +1575,8 @@ class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
         raw_containers = _section(combined, "---CONTAINERS---", "---IMAGES---")
         raw_images     = _section(combined, "---IMAGES---",     "---VOLUMES---")
         raw_volumes    = _section(combined, "---VOLUMES---",    "---NETWORKS---")
-        raw_networks   = _section(combined, "---NETWORKS---",   "\x00")  # sentinel
+        raw_networks   = _section(combined, "---NETWORKS---",   "---CONFIGIMAGES---")
+        raw_cfgimages  = _section(combined, "---CONFIGIMAGES---", "\x00")  # sentinel
 
         def _parse_labels(raw: Any) -> Dict[str, str]:
             """Parse Docker labels — may be a dict (JSON map) or comma-sep string."""
@@ -1617,6 +1637,44 @@ class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
             except Exception:
                 pass
 
+        # Stable image reference + restart-pending detection.
+        #
+        # ``docker ps`` only reports a usable tag while that tag still resolves to
+        # the running image. Pull a newer image without recreating the container and
+        # it degrades to a bare image ID — useless as a registry reference, and the
+        # very state in which an update is waiting. ``.Config.Image`` is the
+        # reference the container was created from and never degrades.
+        cfg_by_cid: dict[str, tuple] = {}
+        for line in raw_cfgimages.splitlines():
+            parts = line.strip().split("|")
+            if len(parts) != 3 or not parts[0]:
+                continue
+            cid, cfg_ref, run_id = parts
+            cfg_by_cid[cid[:12]] = (cfg_ref.strip(), run_id.strip())
+
+        tag_index: dict[str, tuple] = {}
+        for im in images:
+            repo, tag = im.get("repository", ""), im.get("tag", "")
+            if not repo or not tag or "<none>" in (repo, tag):
+                continue
+            tag_index[f"{repo}:{tag}"] = (_short_image_id(im.get("id", "")), im.get("version", ""))
+
+        for c in containers:
+            cfg_ref, run_id = cfg_by_cid.get(c.get("id", "")[:12], ("", ""))
+            if not cfg_ref:
+                continue
+            c["image_ref"] = cfg_ref
+            c["running_image_id"] = _short_image_id(run_id)
+            c["restart_pending"] = False
+            c["pending_version"] = ""
+            # A stopped container is not "pending a restart" in any useful sense.
+            if c.get("state") != "running":
+                continue
+            tag_id, tag_version = tag_index.get(cfg_ref, ("", ""))
+            if tag_id and c["running_image_id"] and tag_id != c["running_image_id"]:
+                c["restart_pending"] = True
+                c["pending_version"] = tag_version
+
         # Volumes
         volumes: List[dict[str, Any]] = []
         for line in raw_volumes.splitlines():
@@ -1674,11 +1732,23 @@ class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
         Returns a list of image references that have a newer digest available.
         """
         outdated_images: List[str] = []
-        candidate_images: List[str] = list({
-            c["image"] for c in containers
-            if c.get("image")
-            and "@sha256:" not in c.get("image", "")  # skip digest-pinned
-        })
+        # Prefer the reference the container was created from. `image` is whatever
+        # `docker ps` displayed, which collapses to a bare image ID once the tag has
+        # moved on — and an image ID is not something a registry can resolve.
+        candidate_images: List[str] = []
+        for c in containers:
+            ref = (c.get("image_ref") or c.get("image") or "").strip()
+            if not ref or "@sha256:" in ref:  # skip digest-pinned
+                continue
+            if _looks_like_image_id(ref):
+                logger.warning(
+                    "container %s reports image ID %r instead of a tag — cannot ask the "
+                    "registry about it; skipping update check",
+                    c.get("name", "?"), ref,
+                )
+                continue
+            if ref not in candidate_images:
+                candidate_images.append(ref)
         for img_name in candidate_images:
             try:
                 local_raw = self._send(
@@ -1710,6 +1780,11 @@ class LinuxDriver(OSDriver):
                         remote_digest = _ls[7:].strip()
                         break
                 if not remote_digest or not remote_digest.startswith("sha256:"):
+                    # Silence here is indistinguishable from "up to date" — say so.
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "no digest returned for %s; skipping update check. Registry said: %s",
+                        img_name, remote_full[:200].replace("\n", " ") or "(nothing)",
+                    )
                     continue
                 if local_digest != remote_digest:
                     outdated_images.append(img_name)