diff --git a/plum/container.py b/plum/container.py
index 5e0254400..454ec91f6 100644
--- a/plum/container.py
+++ b/plum/container.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Container(object):
 
     @property
     def name(self):
-        return self.dictionary['Name']
+        return self.dictionary['Name'][1:]
 
     @property
     def human_readable_ports(self):
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class Container(object):
         for container in self.client.containers():
             for name in container['Names']:
                 bits = name.split('/')
-                if len(bits) > 2 and bits[1] == self.name[1:]:
+                if len(bits) > 2 and bits[1] == self.name:
                     links.append(bits[2])
         return links
 
diff --git a/plum/service.py b/plum/service.py
index fab896f55..537842db3 100644
--- a/plum/service.py
+++ b/plum/service.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class Service(object):
         links = {}
         for service in self.links:
             for container in service.containers():
-                links[container.name[1:]] = container.name[1:]
+                links[container.name] = container.name
         return links
 
     def _get_container_options(self, override_options, one_off=False):
diff --git a/tests/service_test.py b/tests/service_test.py
index 841a585b2..643473b01 100644
--- a/tests/service_test.py
+++ b/tests/service_test.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class ServiceTest(DockerClientTestCase):
         foo.start_container()
 
         self.assertEqual(len(foo.containers()), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(foo.containers()[0].name, '/default_foo_1')
+        self.assertEqual(foo.containers()[0].name, 'default_foo_1')
         self.assertEqual(len(bar.containers()), 0)
 
         bar.start_container()
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ class ServiceTest(DockerClientTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(bar.containers()), 2)
 
         names = [c.name for c in bar.containers()]
-        self.assertIn('/default_bar_1', names)
-        self.assertIn('/default_bar_2', names)
+        self.assertIn('default_bar_1', names)
+        self.assertIn('default_bar_2', names)
 
     def test_containers_one_off(self):
         db = self.create_service('db')
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class ServiceTest(DockerClientTestCase):
     def test_project_is_added_to_container_name(self):
         service = self.create_service('web', project='myproject')
         service.start_container()
-        self.assertEqual(service.containers()[0].name, '/myproject_web_1')
+        self.assertEqual(service.containers()[0].name, 'myproject_web_1')
 
     def test_start_stop(self):
         service = self.create_service('scalingtest')
@@ -92,13 +92,13 @@ class ServiceTest(DockerClientTestCase):
     def test_create_container_with_one_off(self):
         db = self.create_service('db')
         container = db.create_container(one_off=True)
-        self.assertEqual(container.name, '/default_db_run_1')
+        self.assertEqual(container.name, 'default_db_run_1')
 
     def test_create_container_with_one_off_when_existing_container_is_running(self):
         db = self.create_service('db')
         db.start()
         container = db.create_container(one_off=True)
-        self.assertEqual(container.name, '/default_db_run_1')
+        self.assertEqual(container.name, 'default_db_run_1')
 
     def test_start_container_passes_through_options(self):
         db = self.create_service('db')