diff --git a/exec.go b/exec.go
index db1f72651..a0b4f4f4e 100644
--- a/exec.go
+++ b/exec.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 var execCommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:  "exec",
 	Usage: "execute new process inside the container",
-	ArgsUsage: `<container-id> -- <container command> [command options]
+	ArgsUsage: `<container-id> <container command> [command options]
 
 Where "<container-id>" is the name for the instance of the container and
 "<container command>" is the command to be executed in the container.
@@ -158,9 +158,6 @@ func getProcess(context *cli.Context, bundle string) (*specs.Process, error) {
 	}
 	p := spec.Process
 	p.Args = context.Args()[1:]
-	if len(p.Args) > 1 && p.Args[0] == "--" {
-		p.Args = p.Args[1:]
-	}
 	// override the cwd, if passed
 	if context.String("cwd") != "" {
 		p.Cwd = context.String("cwd")
diff --git a/tests/integration/exec.bats b/tests/integration/exec.bats
index 4754da272..b5da57702 100644
--- a/tests/integration/exec.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/exec.bats
@@ -43,3 +43,17 @@ function teardown() {
   [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
   [[ ${lines[0]} =~ [0-9]+ ]]
 }
+
+@test "runc exec ls -la" {
+  # run busybox detached
+  runc run -d --console /dev/pts/ptmx test_busybox
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+  wait_for_container 15 1 test_busybox
+
+  runc exec test_busybox ls -la
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [[ ${lines[0]} == *"total"* ]]
+  [[ ${lines[1]} == *"."* ]]
+  [[ ${lines[2]} == *".."* ]]
+}