diff --git a/action-types.yml b/action-types.yml
index 467fe41..95c24a2 100644
--- a/action-types.yml
+++ b/action-types.yml
@@ -14,3 +14,5 @@ inputs:
     type: string
   mongodb-container-name:
     type: string
+  should-delete-existing-container:
+    type: string
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 170e6a9..5c25a52 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ inputs:
     required: false
     default: 'mongodb'
 
+  should-delete-existing-container:
+    description: 'Determine whether to delete an existing container defined by the "mongodb-container-name" variable (default: "no")'
+    required: false
+    default: 'no'
+
 runs:
   using: 'docker'
   image: 'Dockerfile'
@@ -52,3 +57,4 @@ runs:
     - ${{ inputs.mongodb-username }}
     - ${{ inputs.mongodb-password }}
     - ${{ inputs.mongodb-container-name }}
+    - ${{ inputs.should-delete-existing-container }}
diff --git a/start-mongodb.sh b/start-mongodb.sh
index 3c75e17..02b6e02 100644
--- a/start-mongodb.sh
+++ b/start-mongodb.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ MONGODB_DB=$4
 MONGODB_USERNAME=$5
 MONGODB_PASSWORD=$6
 MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME=$7
+SHOULD_DELETE_EXISTING_CONTAINER=$8
 
 # `mongosh` is used starting from MongoDB 5.x
 MONGODB_CLIENT="mongosh --quiet"
@@ -57,20 +58,29 @@ wait_for_mongodb () {
     sleep 1
     TIMER=$((TIMER + 1))
 
-    if [[ $TIMER -eq 40 ]]; then
-      echo "MongoDB did not initialize within 40 seconds. Exiting."
+    if [[ $TIMER -eq 20 ]]; then
+      echo "MongoDB did not initialize within 20 seconds. Exiting."
       exit 2
     fi
   done
   echo "::endgroup::"
 }
 
-# check if the container already exists and remove it
-## TODO: put this behind an option flag
-# if [ "$(docker ps -q -f name=$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME)" ]; then
-#  echo "Removing existing container [$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME]"
-#  docker rm -f $MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME
-# fi
+
+if [[ "$SHOULD_DELETE_EXISTING_CONTAINER" == "yes" ]] || [[ "$SHOULD_DELETE_EXISTING_CONTAINER" == "1" ]]; then
+  echo "::group::Deleting possibly existing Docker container named [$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME]"
+  echo "  - container-name [$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME]"
+  echo ""
+
+  if [ "$(docker ps --quiet --filter name=$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME)" ]; then
+    echo "Removing existing container [$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME]"
+    docker rm --force $MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME
+  else
+    echo "No other container with name [$MONGODB_CONTAINER_NAME] exists. Nothing to delete"
+  fi
+
+  echo "::endgroup::"
+fi
 
 
 if [ -z "$MONGODB_REPLICA_SET" ]; then