I have a removeImages task built on gradle-docker-plugin, which uses docker-java as its low level communication library. It appears that docker-java is having some communication issues causing gradle-docker-plugin to fail. Note that the actual docker image is successfully removed. The error seems spurious. This is using docker-java 2.1.1-SNAPSHOT (due to fixing issue #322).

org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':removeImages'.
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:69)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:46)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.execute(PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.java:35)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:64)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:52)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:53)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:208)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:186)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(AbstractTaskPlanExecutor.java:62)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(AbstractTaskPlanExecutor.java:50)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.process(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:25)
    at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:111)
    at org.gradle.execution.SelectedTaskExecutionAction.execute(SelectedTaskExecutionAction.java:37)
    at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:62)
    at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$200(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:23)
    at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$2.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:68)
    at org.gradle.execution.DryRunBuildExecutionAction.execute(DryRunBuildExecutionAction.java:32)
    at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:62)
    at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:55)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$6.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:174)
    at org.gradle.internal.Factories$1.create(Factories.java:22)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:62)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:47)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.runBuildOperation(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:189)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:171)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.access$200(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:35)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:104)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:97)
    at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:62)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.runRootBuildOperation(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:184)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuild(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:97)
    at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:86)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter$DefaultBuildController.run(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:93)
    at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ExecuteBuildActionRunner.run(ExecuteBuildActionRunner.java:28)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:43)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:27)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:72)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:44)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.java:50)
    at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.java:27)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.RunBuildAction.run(RunBuildAction.java:40)
    at org.gradle.internal.Actions$RunnableActionAdapter.execute(Actions.java:170)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:237)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:210)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:35)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:24)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:206)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:169)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:33)
    at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:22)
    at org.gradle.launcher.Main.doAction(Main.java:33)
    at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.EntryPoint.run(EntryPoint.java:45)
    at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.runNoExit(ProcessBootstrap.java:54)
    at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.run(ProcessBootstrap.java:35)
    at org.gradle.launcher.GradleMain.main(GradleMain.java:23)
    at org.gradle.wrapper.BootstrapMainStarter.start(BootstrapMainStarter.java:30)
    at org.gradle.wrapper.WrapperExecutor.execute(WrapperExecutor.java:127)
    at org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain.main(GradleWrapperMain.java:61)
Caused by: javax.ws.rs.ProcessingException: Error closing message content input stream.
    at org.glassfish.jersey.message.internal.EntityInputStream.close(EntityInputStream.java:159)
    at org.glassfish.jersey.message.internal.InboundMessageContext$EntityContent.close(InboundMessageContext.java:151)
    at org.glassfish.jersey.message.internal.InboundMessageContext.close(InboundMessageContext.java:909)
    at com.github.dockerjava.jaxrs.connector.ApacheConnectorClientResponse.close(ApacheConnectorClientResponse.java:45)
    at org.glassfish.jersey.client.InboundJaxrsResponse.close(InboundJaxrsResponse.java:163)
    at com.github.dockerjava.jaxrs.RemoveImageCmdExec.execute(RemoveImageCmdExec.java:25)
    at com.github.dockerjava.jaxrs.RemoveImageCmdExec.execute(RemoveImageCmdExec.java:10)
    at com.github.dockerjava.jaxrs.AbstrSyncDockerCmdExec.exec(AbstrSyncDockerCmdExec.java:24)
    at com.github.dockerjava.core.command.AbstrDockerCmd.exec(AbstrDockerCmd.java:33)
    at com.github.dockerjava.core.command.RemoveImageCmdImpl.exec(RemoveImageCmdImpl.java:80)
    at com.github.dockerjava.api.command.RemoveImageCmd$exec.call(Unknown Source)
    at com.bmuschko.gradle.docker.tasks.image.DockerRemoveImage.runRemoteCommand(DockerRemoveImage.groovy:22)
    at com.bmuschko.gradle.docker.tasks.AbstractDockerRemoteApiTask$_start_closure1.doCall(AbstractDockerRemoteApiTask.groovy:48)
    at com.bmuschko.gradle.docker.utils.DockerThreadContextClassLoader.withClasspath(DockerThreadContextClassLoader.groovy:40)
    at com.bmuschko.gradle.docker.utils.ThreadContextClassLoader$withClasspath.call(Unknown Source)
    at com.bmuschko.gradle.docker.tasks.AbstractDockerRemoteApiTask.start(AbstractDockerRemoteApiTask.groovy:47)
    at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:75)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.doExecute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:226)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:219)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory.java:208)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:585)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:568)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:80)
    at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:61)
    ... 61 more
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Bad file descriptor at Socket[addr=0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0,port=0,localport=0][fd=java.io.FileDescriptor@487bc2fe; file=/run/docker.sock; connected=false; bound=false]
    at org.newsclub.net.unix.AFUNIXSocketImpl$AFUNIXInputStream.read(AFUNIXSocketImpl.java:190)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.SessionInputBufferImpl.streamRead(SessionInputBufferImpl.java:136)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.SessionInputBufferImpl.fillBuffer(SessionInputBufferImpl.java:152)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.SessionInputBufferImpl.read(SessionInputBufferImpl.java:203)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.ChunkedInputStream.read(ChunkedInputStream.java:174)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.ChunkedInputStream.read(ChunkedInputStream.java:198)
    at org.apache.http.impl.io.ChunkedInputStream.close(ChunkedInputStream.java:287)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.ResponseEntityWrapper.streamClosed(ResponseEntityWrapper.java:120)
    at org.apache.http.conn.EofSensorInputStream.checkClose(EofSensorInputStream.java:227)
    at org.apache.http.conn.EofSensorInputStream.close(EofSensorInputStream.java:174)
    at com.github.dockerjava.jaxrs.connector.ApacheConnector$HttpClientResponseInputStream.close(ApacheConnector.java:616)
    at org.glassfish.jersey.message.internal.EntityInputStream.close(EntityInputStream.java:157)
    ... 84 more
Caused by: org.newsclub.net.unix.AFUNIXSocketException: Bad file descriptor
    at org.newsclub.net.unix.NativeUnixSocket.read(Native Method)
    at org.newsclub.net.unix.AFUNIXSocketImpl$AFUNIXInputStream.read(AFUNIXSocketImpl.java:187)
    ... 95 more