diff --git a/docker/api/exec_api.py b/docker/api/exec_api.py
index 694b30a6..6c3e6383 100644
--- a/docker/api/exec_api.py
+++ b/docker/api/exec_api.py
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ class ExecApiMixin(object):
             data=data,
             stream=True
         )
-
+        if detach:
+            return self._result(res)
         if socket:
             return self._get_raw_response_socket(res)
         return self._read_from_socket(res, stream)
diff --git a/tests/integration/api_exec_test.py b/tests/integration/api_exec_test.py
index 0ceeefa9..55286e37 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api_exec_test.py
+++ b/tests/integration/api_exec_test.py
@@ -93,6 +93,21 @@ class ExecTest(BaseAPIIntegrationTest):
         data = read_exactly(socket, next_size)
         self.assertEqual(data.decode('utf-8'), line)
 
+    def test_exec_start_detached(self):
+        container = self.client.create_container(BUSYBOX, 'cat',
+                                                 detach=True, stdin_open=True)
+        container_id = container['Id']
+        self.client.start(container_id)
+        self.tmp_containers.append(container_id)
+
+        exec_id = self.client.exec_create(
+            container_id, ['printf', "asdqwe"])
+        self.assertIn('Id', exec_id)
+
+        response = self.client.exec_start(exec_id, detach=True)
+
+        self.assertEqual(response, "")
+
     def test_exec_inspect(self):
         container = self.client.create_container(BUSYBOX, 'cat',
                                                  detach=True, stdin_open=True)