diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 236dd9b..5e1173d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ mongo:linked <service> <app>                       # check if the mongo service
 mongo:links <service>                              # list all apps linked to the mongo service
 mongo:list                                         # list all mongo services
 mongo:logs <service> [-t|--tail] <tail-num-optional> # print the most recent log(s) for this service
+mongo:pause <service>                              # pause a running mongo service
 mongo:promote <service> <app>                      # promote service <service> as MONGO_URL in <app>
 mongo:restart <service>                            # graceful shutdown and restart of the mongo service container
 mongo:start <service>                              # start a previously stopped mongo service
@@ -371,12 +372,25 @@ dokku mongo:start lollipop
 dokku mongo:stop <service>
 ```
 
-Stop the service and the running container:
+Stop the service and removes the running container:
 
 ```shell
 dokku mongo:stop lollipop
 ```
 
+### pause a running mongo service
+
+```shell
+# usage
+dokku mongo:pause <service>
+```
+
+Pause the running container for the service:
+
+```shell
+dokku mongo:pause lollipop
+```
+
 ### graceful shutdown and restart of the mongo service container
 
 ```shell
diff --git a/bin/generate b/bin/generate
index 2e19392..dad42b4 100755
--- a/bin/generate
+++ b/bin/generate
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ def usage_lifecycle(service, variable, alias, image, scheme, ports, options, uni
         "promote",
         "start",
         "stop",
+        "pause",
         "restart",
         "upgrade",
     ]
diff --git a/common-functions b/common-functions
index d2630be..63f8bf5 100755
--- a/common-functions
+++ b/common-functions
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ service_container_rm() {
   local SERVICE_NAME="$(get_service_name "$SERVICE")"
   local ID
 
-  service_stop "$SERVICE"
+  service_pause "$SERVICE"
   ID=$(docker ps -aq --no-trunc --filter "name=^/$SERVICE_NAME$" --format '{{ .ID }}') || true
   # this may be 'true' in tests...
   if [[ -z "$ID" ]] || [[ "$ID" == "true" ]]; then
@@ -896,19 +896,19 @@ service_status() {
   echo "missing" && return 0
 }
 
-service_stop() {
-  declare desc="stop a running service"
+service_pause() {
+  declare desc="pause a running service"
   declare SERVICE="$1"
   local SERVICE_ROOT="$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE"
   local SERVICE_NAME="$(get_service_name "$SERVICE")"
   local ID=$(docker ps -aq --no-trunc --filter "name=^/$SERVICE_NAME$" --format '{{ .ID }}') || true
-  [[ -z $ID ]] && dokku_log_warn "Service is already stopped" && return 0
+  [[ -z $ID ]] && dokku_log_warn "Service is already paused" && return 0
 
   if [[ -n $ID ]]; then
-    dokku_log_info2_quiet "Stopping container"
+    dokku_log_info2_quiet "Pausing container"
     docker stop "$SERVICE_NAME" >/dev/null
     service_port_pause "$SERVICE"
-    dokku_log_verbose_quiet "Container stopped"
+    dokku_log_verbose_quiet "Container paused"
   else
     dokku_log_verbose_quiet "No container exists for $SERVICE"
   fi
diff --git a/subcommands/pause b/subcommands/pause
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..acf43be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subcommands/pause
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+source "$(dirname "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)")/config"
+set -eo pipefail
+[[ $DOKKU_TRACE ]] && set -x
+source "$PLUGIN_BASE_PATH/common/functions"
+source "$(dirname "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)")/functions"
+
+service-pause-cmd() {
+  #E pause the running container for the service
+  #E dokku $PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause lollipop
+  #A service, service to run command against
+  declare desc="pause a running $PLUGIN_SERVICE service"
+  local cmd="$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause" argv=("$@")
+  [[ ${argv[0]} == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
+  declare SERVICE="$1"
+
+  [[ -z "$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify a valid name for the service"
+  verify_service_name "$SERVICE"
+  service_pause "$SERVICE"
+}
+
+service-pause-cmd "$@"
diff --git a/subcommands/restart b/subcommands/restart
index df9a051..c7d11a0 100755
--- a/subcommands/restart
+++ b/subcommands/restart
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ service-restart-cmd() {
 
   [[ -z "$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify a valid name for the service"
   verify_service_name "$SERVICE"
-  service_stop "$SERVICE"
+  service_pause "$SERVICE"
   service_start "$SERVICE"
   dokku_log_info1 "Please call dokku ps:restart on all linked apps"
 }
diff --git a/subcommands/stop b/subcommands/stop
index 0ac3a17..b20c32d 100755
--- a/subcommands/stop
+++ b/subcommands/stop
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ source "$PLUGIN_BASE_PATH/common/functions"
 source "$(dirname "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)")/functions"
 
 service-stop-cmd() {
-  #E stop the service and the running container
+  #E stop the service and removes the running container
   #E dokku $PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:stop lollipop
   #A service, service to run command against
   declare desc="stop a running $PLUGIN_SERVICE service"
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ service-stop-cmd() {
 
   [[ -z "$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify a valid name for the service"
   verify_service_name "$SERVICE"
-  service_stop "$SERVICE"
+  service_container_rm "$SERVICE"
 }
 
 service-stop-cmd "$@"
diff --git a/tests/service_pause.bats b/tests/service_pause.bats
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a2a2a69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/service_pause.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+load test_helper
+
+setup() {
+  dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create" l
+}
+
+teardown() {
+  dokku --force "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:destroy" l
+}
+
+@test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause) error when there are no arguments" {
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause"
+  assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "Please specify a valid name for the service"
+}
+
+@test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause) error when service does not exist" {
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause" not_existing_service
+  assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "service not_existing_service does not exist"
+}
+
+@test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause) success" {
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:pause" l
+  assert_success
+}