diff --git a/docs/development/testing.md b/docs/development/testing.md
index 5b4d23c67..90ea77a1a 100644
--- a/docs/development/testing.md
+++ b/docs/development/testing.md
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ While we do provide official packages for a variety of platforms, as our test su
   # run linter & update vagrant Dokku install from local git clone
   make lint copyfiles
 
+  # build a specific plugin
+  make go-build-plugin copyplugin PLUGIN_NAME=apps
+
   # execute all bats tests
   make unit-tests
 
diff --git a/plugins/common/functions b/plugins/common/functions
index 1aa97ffde..ae16049dc 100755
--- a/plugins/common/functions
+++ b/plugins/common/functions
@@ -384,7 +384,10 @@ copy_from_image() {
       fi
     fi
     local CID=$(docker create "$DOKKU_GLOBAL_RUN_ARGS" "$IMAGE")
-    docker cp "$CID:$SRC_FILE" "$DST_DIR"
+    if ! docker cp "$CID:$SRC_FILE" "$DST_DIR"; then
+      docker rm -f "$CID" &>/dev/null
+      return 1
+    fi
     docker rm -f "$CID" &>/dev/null
   else
     return 1
diff --git a/plugins/ps/functions b/plugins/ps/functions
index 2a8f0cde4..f2de8ed18 100755
--- a/plugins/ps/functions
+++ b/plugins/ps/functions
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ generate_scale_file() {
   local DOKKU_PROCFILE="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/DOKKU_PROCFILE"
   verify_app_name "$APP"
 
-  copy_from_image "$IMAGE" "DOKKU_SCALE" "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" 2>/dev/null || true
+  if copy_from_image "$IMAGE" "DOKKU_SCALE" "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    cp "$DOKKU_SCALE_FILE" "${DOKKU_SCALE_FILE}.extracted"
+  else
+    rm -f "${DOKKU_SCALE_FILE}.extracted"
+  fi
+
   if [[ ! -f $DOKKU_SCALE_FILE ]]; then
     dokku_log_info1_quiet "DOKKU_SCALE file not found in app image. Generating one based on Procfile..."
 
@@ -182,7 +187,7 @@ ps_scale() {
   local DOKKU_PROCFILE="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/DOKKU_PROCFILE"
   shift 1
 
-  [[ ! -e $DOKKU_SCALE_FILE ]] && generate_scale_file "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG"
+  [[ ! -e $DOKKU_SCALE_FILE ]] && generate_scale_file "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG" >/dev/null 2>&1
   if [[ -z "$@" ]]; then
     dokku_log_info1_quiet "Scaling for $APP"
     dokku_col_log_msg_quiet "proctype" "qty"
@@ -194,8 +199,12 @@ ps_scale() {
       dokku_col_log_msg "${PROC_NAME}:" "$PROC_COUNT"
     done <"$DOKKU_SCALE_FILE"
   else
-    set_scale "$APP" "$@"
-    release_and_deploy "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG"
+    if [[ "$(fn-ps-can-scale "$APP")" == "true" ]]; then
+      set_scale "$APP" "$@"
+      release_and_deploy "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG"
+    else
+      dokku_log_fail "App contains DOKKU_SCALE file and cannot be manually scaled"
+    fi
   fi
 }
 
@@ -241,3 +250,17 @@ fn-ps-is-app-running() {
   APP_STATUS=$(fn-ps-app-status "$APP")
   echo "$APP_STATUS" | cut -d ' ' -f 2
 }
+
+fn-ps-can-scale() {
+  declare APP="$1"
+  local IMAGE_TAG=$(get_running_image_tag "$APP")
+  local DOKKU_SCALE_FILE="$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP/DOKKU_SCALE"
+  local CAN_SCALE=false
+
+  [[ ! -e $DOKKU_SCALE_FILE ]] && generate_scale_file "$APP" "$IMAGE_TAG" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  if [[ ! -f "${DOKKU_SCALE_FILE}.extracted" ]]; then
+    CAN_SCALE=true
+  fi
+
+  echo "$CAN_SCALE"
+}
diff --git a/plugins/ps/internal-functions b/plugins/ps/internal-functions
index cb145acb3..4cab309cb 100755
--- a/plugins/ps/internal-functions
+++ b/plugins/ps/internal-functions
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ cmd-ps-report-single() {
 
   if (is_deployed "$APP"); then DEPLOYED="true"; else DEPLOYED="false"; fi
   local passed_phases="deploy"
-  RESTARTPOLICY=$(get_restart_policies "$(get_phase_file_path "$passed_phases")" || true)
+  local RESTARTPOLICY=$(get_restart_policies "$(get_phase_file_path "$passed_phases")" || true)
+  local CAN_SCALE="$(fn-ps-can-scale "$APP")"
 
   local CONTAINER_FILES="$(find "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" -maxdepth 1 -name "CONTAINER.*" -printf "%f\n" 2>/dev/null | sort -t . -k 2 -n | xargs)"
   local CONTAINER_FILE
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ cmd-ps-report-single() {
     "--running: $RUNNING"
     "--restore: $RESTORE"
     "--restart-policy: $RESTARTPOLICY"
+    "--ps-can-scale: $CAN_SCALE"
   )
 
   if [[ -z "$INFO_FLAG" ]]; then
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/CHECKS b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/CHECKS
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..068926825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/CHECKS
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+WAIT=2 # wait 2 seconds
+TIMEOUT=5 # set timeout to 5 seconds
+ATTEMPTS=2 # try 2 times
+
+/ nodejs/express
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/DOKKU_SCALE b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/DOKKU_SCALE
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3cb9829e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/DOKKU_SCALE
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+web=1
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Dockerfile b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa82185d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+FROM node:4
+
+EXPOSE 3001/udp
+EXPOSE  3000/tcp
+EXPOSE 3003
+
+COPY . /app
+WORKDIR /app
+RUN npm install
+
+CMD npm start
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Procfile b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Procfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c49227a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/Procfile
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+###############################
+#         DEVELOPMENT         #
+###############################
+
+# Procfile for development using the new threaded worker (scheduler, twitter stream and delayed job)
+cron: node worker.js
+web: node web.js
+worker: node worker.js
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/check_deploy b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/check_deploy
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e4519b442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/check_deploy
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+output="$(curl -s -S "$1")"
+echo "$output"
+test "$output" == "nodejs/express"
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/package.json b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..397b0ce84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "name": "node-example",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "express": "2.5.x"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": "4.2.x"
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "start": "false"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/web.js b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/web.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b8f4d819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/web.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+var express = require('express');
+
+var app = express.createServer(express.logger());
+
+app.get('/', function(request, response) {
+  response.send('nodejs/express');
+});
+
+var port = process.env.PORT || 5000;
+app.listen(port, function() {
+  console.log("Listening on " + port);
+});
diff --git a/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/worker.js b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/worker.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12133530d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/apps/dockerfile-dokku-scale/worker.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+function worker() {
+  console.log('sleeping for 60 seconds');
+  setTimeout(worker, 60 * 1000);
+}
+
+worker();
diff --git a/tests/unit/10_ps-dockerfile.bats b/tests/unit/10_ps-dockerfile.bats
index 3101dc6b0..2c0061f08 100644
--- a/tests/unit/10_ps-dockerfile.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/10_ps-dockerfile.bats
@@ -134,6 +134,35 @@ teardown() {
   assert_success
 }
 
+@test "(ps:scale) dockerfile dokku-scale" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku ps:scale $TEST_APP web=2"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  deploy_app dockerfile-dokku-scale
+  CIDS=""
+  for CID_FILE in $DOKKU_ROOT/$TEST_APP/CONTAINER.web.*; do
+    CIDS+=$(< $CID_FILE)
+    CIDS+=" "
+  done
+  CIDS_PATTERN=$(echo $CIDS | sed -e "s: :|:g")
+  run /bin/bash -c "docker ps -q --no-trunc | egrep \"$CIDS_PATTERN\" | wc -l | grep 1"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku ps:scale $TEST_APP web=1"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku ps:report $TEST_APP --ps-can-scale"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_output "false"
+}
+
 @test "(ps) dockerfile with procfile" {
   deploy_app dockerfile-procfile
   run /bin/bash -c "dokku ps:stop $TEST_APP"