diff --git a/api/server/router/system/backend.go b/api/server/router/system/backend.go
index 1d704348c4..940bd4050e 100644
--- a/api/server/router/system/backend.go
+++ b/api/server/router/system/backend.go
@@ -38,3 +38,8 @@ type Backend interface {
 type ClusterBackend interface {
 	Info() swarm.Info
 }
+
+// StatusProvider provides methods to get the swarm status of the current node.
+type StatusProvider interface {
+	Status() string
+}
diff --git a/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go b/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
index 44f80dba5f..d95b5fc13f 100644
--- a/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
+++ b/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/events"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/registry"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/swarm"
 	timetypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/time"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/ioutils"
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ func (s *systemRouter) pingHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	if bv := builderVersion; bv != "" {
 		w.Header().Set("Builder-Version", string(bv))
 	}
+
+	w.Header().Set("Swarm", s.swarmStatus())
+
 	if r.Method == http.MethodHead {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/plain; charset=utf-8")
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Length", "0")
@@ -43,6 +47,15 @@ func (s *systemRouter) pingHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	return err
 }
 
+func (s *systemRouter) swarmStatus() string {
+	if s.cluster != nil {
+		if p, ok := s.cluster.(StatusProvider); ok {
+			return p.Status()
+		}
+	}
+	return string(swarm.LocalNodeStateInactive)
+}
+
 func (s *systemRouter) getInfo(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, vars map[string]string) error {
 	info := s.backend.SystemInfo()
 
diff --git a/api/swagger.yaml b/api/swagger.yaml
index bf93564f15..f0e463bd16 100644
--- a/api/swagger.yaml
+++ b/api/swagger.yaml
@@ -8377,6 +8377,13 @@ paths:
             Docker-Experimental:
               type: "boolean"
               description: "If the server is running with experimental mode enabled"
+            Swarm:
+              type: "string"
+              enum: ["inactive", "pending", "error", "locked", "active/worker", "active/manager"]
+              description: |
+                Contains information about Swarm status of the daemon,
+                and if the daemon is acting as a manager or worker node.
+              default: "inactive"
             Cache-Control:
               type: "string"
               default: "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate"
@@ -8416,6 +8423,13 @@ paths:
             Docker-Experimental:
               type: "boolean"
               description: "If the server is running with experimental mode enabled"
+            Swarm:
+              type: "string"
+              enum: ["inactive", "pending", "error", "locked", "active/worker", "active/manager"]
+              description: |
+                Contains information about Swarm status of the daemon,
+                and if the daemon is acting as a manager or worker node.
+              default: "inactive"
             Cache-Control:
               type: "string"
               default: "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate"
diff --git a/daemon/cluster/swarm.go b/daemon/cluster/swarm.go
index e7bb7cc21d..b5b2ffd765 100644
--- a/daemon/cluster/swarm.go
+++ b/daemon/cluster/swarm.go
@@ -492,6 +492,23 @@ func (c *Cluster) Info() types.Info {
 	return info
 }
 
+// Status returns a textual representation of the node's swarm status and role (manager/worker)
+func (c *Cluster) Status() string {
+	c.mu.RLock()
+	s := c.currentNodeState()
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	state := string(s.status)
+	if s.status == types.LocalNodeStateActive {
+		if s.IsActiveManager() || s.IsManager() {
+			state += "/manager"
+		} else {
+			state += "/worker"
+		}
+	}
+	return state
+}
+
 func validateAndSanitizeInitRequest(req *types.InitRequest) error {
 	var err error
 	req.ListenAddr, err = validateAddr(req.ListenAddr)
diff --git a/docs/api/version-history.md b/docs/api/version-history.md
index 9035659ad1..9440dabd1f 100644
--- a/docs/api/version-history.md
+++ b/docs/api/version-history.md
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@ keywords: "API, Docker, rcli, REST, documentation"
   if they are not set.
 * `GET /info` now omits the `KernelMemory` and `KernelMemoryTCP` if they are not
   supported by the host or host's configuration (if cgroups v2 are in use).
+* `GET /_ping` and `HEAD /_ping` now return a `Swarm` header, which allows a
+  client to detect if Swarm is enabled on the daemon, without having to call
+  additional endpoints.
+  This change is not versioned, and affects all API versions if the daemon has
+  this patch. Clients must consider this header "optional", and fall back to
+  using other endpoints to get this information if the header is not present.
+
+  The `Swarm` header can contain one of the following values:
+
+    - "inactive"
+    - "pending"
+    - "error"
+    - "locked"
+    - "active/worker"
+    - "active/manager"
 
 ## v1.41 API changes
 
diff --git a/integration/system/ping_test.go b/integration/system/ping_test.go
index cd7a1c8eff..788d2df59e 100644
--- a/integration/system/ping_test.go
+++ b/integration/system/ping_test.go
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package system // import "github.com/docker/docker/integration/system"
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/swarm"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/testutil/daemon"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/testutil/request"
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
 	"gotest.tools/v3/skip"
@@ -50,6 +53,46 @@ func TestPingHead(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Check(t, hdr(res, "API-Version") != "")
 }
 
+func TestPingSwarmHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	skip.If(t, testEnv.IsRemoteDaemon)
+	skip.If(t, testEnv.DaemonInfo.OSType == "windows")
+
+	defer setupTest(t)()
+	d := daemon.New(t)
+	d.Start(t)
+	defer d.Stop(t)
+	client := d.NewClientT(t)
+	defer client.Close()
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+
+	t.Run("before swarm init", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res, _, err := request.Get("/_ping")
+		assert.NilError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, res.StatusCode, http.StatusOK)
+		assert.Equal(t, hdr(res, "Swarm"), "inactive")
+	})
+
+	_, err := client.SwarmInit(ctx, swarm.InitRequest{ListenAddr: "127.0.0.1", AdvertiseAddr: "127.0.0.1:2377"})
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
+	t.Run("after swarm init", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res, _, err := request.Get("/_ping", request.Host(d.Sock()))
+		assert.NilError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, res.StatusCode, http.StatusOK)
+		assert.Equal(t, hdr(res, "Swarm"), "active/manager")
+	})
+
+	err = client.SwarmLeave(ctx, true)
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
+	t.Run("after swarm leave", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res, _, err := request.Get("/_ping", request.Host(d.Sock()))
+		assert.NilError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, res.StatusCode, http.StatusOK)
+		assert.Equal(t, hdr(res, "Swarm"), "inactive")
+	})
+}
+
 func hdr(res *http.Response, name string) string {
 	val, ok := res.Header[http.CanonicalHeaderKey(name)]
 	if !ok || len(val) == 0 {