@@ -644,6 +644,9 @@ func postContainersStart(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r

 	}

 	name := vars["name"]

 	job := srv.Eng.Job("start", name)

+	if err := job.ImportEnv(HostConfig{}); err != nil {

+		return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't initialize host configuration")

+	}

 	// allow a nil body for backwards compatibility

 	if r.Body != nil {

 		if matchesContentType(r.Header.Get("Content-Type"), "application/json") {

@@ -149,10 +149,22 @@ func (job *Job) DecodeEnv(src io.Reader) error {

 }

 func (job *Job) EncodeEnv(dst io.Writer) error {

-	return json.NewEncoder(dst).Encode(job.Environ())

+	m := make(map[string]interface{})

+	for k, v := range job.Environ() {

+		var val interface{}

+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(v), &val); err == nil {

+			m[k] = val

+		} else {

+			m[k] = v

+		}

+	}

+	if err := json.NewEncoder(dst).Encode(&m); err != nil {

+		return err

+	}

+	return nil

 }

-func (job *Job) ExportEnv(dst interface{}) error {

+func (job *Job) ExportEnv(dst interface{}) (err error) {

 	var buf bytes.Buffer

 	if err := job.EncodeEnv(&buf); err != nil {

 		return err