diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
index fcef221061..668ecab70d 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_api_containers_test.go
@@ -1636,3 +1636,48 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestPostContainerStop(c *check.C) {
 		c.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+// #14170
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestPostContainersCreateWithStringOrSliceEntrypoint(c *check.C) {
+	config := struct {
+		Image      string
+		Entrypoint string
+		Cmd        []string
+	}{"busybox", "echo", []string{"hello", "world"}}
+	_, _, err := sockRequest("POST", "/containers/create?name=echotest", config)
+	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "start", "-a", "echotest")
+	c.Assert(strings.TrimSpace(out), check.Equals, "hello world")
+
+	config2 := struct {
+		Image      string
+		Entrypoint []string
+		Cmd        []string
+	}{"busybox", []string{"echo"}, []string{"hello", "world"}}
+	_, _, err = sockRequest("POST", "/containers/create?name=echotest2", config2)
+	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	out, _ = dockerCmd(c, "start", "-a", "echotest2")
+	c.Assert(strings.TrimSpace(out), check.Equals, "hello world")
+}
+
+// #14170
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestPostContainersCreateWithStringOrSliceCmd(c *check.C) {
+	config := struct {
+		Image      string
+		Entrypoint string
+		Cmd        string
+	}{"busybox", "echo", "hello world"}
+	_, _, err := sockRequest("POST", "/containers/create?name=echotest", config)
+	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	out, _ := dockerCmd(c, "start", "-a", "echotest")
+	c.Assert(strings.TrimSpace(out), check.Equals, "hello world")
+
+	config2 := struct {
+		Image string
+		Cmd   []string
+	}{"busybox", []string{"echo", "hello", "world"}}
+	_, _, err = sockRequest("POST", "/containers/create?name=echotest2", config2)
+	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
+	out, _ = dockerCmd(c, "start", "-a", "echotest2")
+	c.Assert(strings.TrimSpace(out), check.Equals, "hello world")
+}
diff --git a/runconfig/config.go b/runconfig/config.go
index 786b075618..2a7f289f26 100644
--- a/runconfig/config.go
+++ b/runconfig/config.go
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ func (e *Entrypoint) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 
 	p := make([]string, 0, 1)
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &p); err != nil {
-		p = append(p, string(b))
+		var s string
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &s); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		p = append(p, s)
 	}
 	e.parts = p
 	return nil
@@ -79,7 +83,11 @@ func (e *Command) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 
 	p := make([]string, 0, 1)
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &p); err != nil {
-		p = append(p, string(b))
+		var s string
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &s); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		p = append(p, s)
 	}
 	e.parts = p
 	return nil
diff --git a/runconfig/config_test.go b/runconfig/config_test.go
index a0687df3a6..6be68b6cc8 100644
--- a/runconfig/config_test.go
+++ b/runconfig/config_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package runconfig
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"strings"
@@ -310,3 +311,83 @@ func TestDecodeContainerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestEntrypointUnmarshalString(t *testing.T) {
+	var e *Entrypoint
+	echo, err := json.Marshal("echo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(echo, &e); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	slice := e.Slice()
+	if len(slice) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 element after unmarshal: %q", slice)
+	}
+
+	if slice[0] != "echo" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected `echo`, got: %q", slice[0])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEntrypointUnmarshalSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	var e *Entrypoint
+	echo, err := json.Marshal([]string{"echo"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(echo, &e); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	slice := e.Slice()
+	if len(slice) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 element after unmarshal: %q", slice)
+	}
+
+	if slice[0] != "echo" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected `echo`, got: %q", slice[0])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCommandUnmarshalSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	var e *Command
+	echo, err := json.Marshal([]string{"echo"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(echo, &e); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	slice := e.Slice()
+	if len(slice) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 element after unmarshal: %q", slice)
+	}
+
+	if slice[0] != "echo" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected `echo`, got: %q", slice[0])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCommandUnmarshalString(t *testing.T) {
+	var e *Command
+	echo, err := json.Marshal("echo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(echo, &e); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	slice := e.Slice()
+	if len(slice) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 element after unmarshal: %q", slice)
+	}
+
+	if slice[0] != "echo" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected `echo`, got: %q", slice[0])
+	}
+}