diff --git a/daemon/exec.go b/daemon/exec.go
index 54b3e1d527..41e27bc068 100644
--- a/daemon/exec.go
+++ b/daemon/exec.go
@@ -89,7 +89,16 @@ func (d *Daemon) registerExecCommand(execConfig *execConfig) {
 }
 
 func (d *Daemon) getExecConfig(name string) (*execConfig, error) {
-	if execConfig := d.execCommands.Get(name); execConfig != nil {
+	execConfig := d.execCommands.Get(name)
+
+	// If the exec is found but its container is not in the daemon's list of
+	// containers then it must have been delete, in which case instead of
+	// saying the container isn't running, we should return a 404 so that
+	// the user sees the same error now that they will after the
+	// 5 minute clean-up loop is run which erases old/dead execs.
+
+	if execConfig != nil && d.containers.Get(execConfig.Container.ID) != nil {
+
 		if !execConfig.Container.IsRunning() {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Container %s is not running", execConfig.Container.ID)
 		}
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_exec_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_exec_test.go
index c9d49766d2..104a1dd3b1 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_exec_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_exec_test.go
@@ -369,6 +369,17 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestInspectExecID(c *check.C) {
 	if sc != http.StatusOK {
 		c.Fatalf("received status != 200 OK: %d\n%s", sc, body)
 	}
+
+	// Now delete the container and then an 'inspect' on the exec should
+	// result in a 404 (not 'container not running')
+	out, ec := dockerCmd(c, "rm", "-f", id)
+	if ec != 0 {
+		c.Fatalf("error removing container: %s", out)
+	}
+	sc, body, err = sockRequest("GET", "/exec/"+execID+"/json", nil)
+	if sc != http.StatusNotFound {
+		c.Fatalf("received status != 404: %s\n%s", sc, body)
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *DockerSuite) TestLinksPingLinkedContainersOnRename(c *check.C) {