diff --git a/chi/container.py b/chi/container.py
index 084aa05..bd854af 100644
--- a/chi/container.py
+++ b/chi/container.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ def delete(self):
             None
         """
         if self.id:
-            destroy_container(self.id)
+            destroy_container(self.id, force=True)
             self.id = None
             self._status = None
 
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ def snapshot_container(
     return zun().containers.commit(container_ref, repository, tag=tag)["uuid"]
 
 
-def destroy_container(container_ref: "str"):
+def destroy_container(container_ref: "str", stop=False, force=False):
     """
     .. deprecated:: 1.0
 
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ def destroy_container(container_ref: "str"):
     Args:
         container_ref (str): The name or ID of the container.
     """
-    return zun().containers.delete(container_ref, stop=True)
+    return zun().containers.delete(container_ref, stop=stop, force=force)
 
 
 def get_logs(container_ref: "str", stdout=True, stderr=True):
diff --git a/tests/test_container.py b/tests/test_container.py
index cfd1cb8..60a7f9c 100644
--- a/tests/test_container.py
+++ b/tests/test_container.py
@@ -113,6 +113,18 @@ def test_download_extracts_tar_and_writes_file(mocker):
             assert f.read() == file_content
 
 
+def test_delete_calls_force(mocker):
+    destroy_mock = mocker.patch("chi.container.destroy_container")
+    container = Container(name="test", image_ref="img")
+    container.id = "fake-id"
+
+    container.delete()
+
+    destroy_mock.assert_called_once_with("fake-id", force=True)
+    assert container.id is None
+    assert container._status is None
+
+
 def test_submit_idempotent_returns_existing_without_create(mocker):
     # idempotent=true, wait=true
     chi_container = Container(name="dup-name", image_ref="img")