diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 698e5b429a..864a577fd1 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -751,8 +751,18 @@ func postContainersAttach(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing parameter")
 	}
 
-	c, err := srv.ContainerInspect(vars["name"])
-	if err != nil {
+	// TODO: replace the buffer by job.AddEnv()
+	var (
+		job    = srv.Eng.Job("inspect", vars["name"], "container")
+		buffer = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+		c      Container
+	)
+	job.Stdout.Add(buffer)
+	if err := job.Run(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(buffer.Bytes(), &c); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -786,7 +796,7 @@ func postContainersAttach(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 		errStream = outStream
 	}
 
-	job := srv.Eng.Job("attach", vars["name"])
+	job = srv.Eng.Job("attach", vars["name"])
 	job.Setenv("logs", r.Form.Get("logs"))
 	job.Setenv("stream", r.Form.Get("stream"))
 	job.Setenv("stdin", r.Form.Get("stdin"))
@@ -810,7 +820,7 @@ func wsContainersAttach(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r *
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing parameter")
 	}
 
-	if _, err := srv.ContainerInspect(vars["name"]); err != nil {
+	if err := srv.Eng.Job("inspect", vars["name"], "container").Run(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -838,41 +848,20 @@ func getContainersByName(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r
 	if vars == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing parameter")
 	}
-	name := vars["name"]
-
-	container, err := srv.ContainerInspect(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	_, err = srv.ImageInspect(name)
-	if err == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Conflict between containers and images")
-	}
-
-	container.readHostConfig()
-	c := APIContainer{container, container.hostConfig}
-
-	return writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, c)
+	var job = srv.Eng.Job("inspect", vars["name"], "container")
+	job.Stdout.Add(w)
+	job.SetenvBool("conflict", true) //conflict=true to detect conflict between containers and images in the job
+	return job.Run()
 }
 
 func getImagesByName(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, vars map[string]string) error {
 	if vars == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Missing parameter")
 	}
-	name := vars["name"]
-
-	image, err := srv.ImageInspect(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	_, err = srv.ContainerInspect(name)
-	if err == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Conflict between containers and images")
-	}
-
-	return writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, image)
+	var job = srv.Eng.Job("inspect", vars["name"], "image")
+	job.Stdout.Add(w)
+	job.SetenvBool("conflict", true) //conflict=true to detect conflict between containers and images in the job
+	return job.Run()
 }
 
 func postBuild(srv *Server, version float64, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, vars map[string]string) error {
diff --git a/api_params.go b/api_params.go
index 92dde2906a..5de1255524 100644
--- a/api_params.go
+++ b/api_params.go
@@ -67,10 +67,6 @@ type (
 		Resource string
 		HostPath string
 	}
-	APIContainer struct {
-		*Container
-		HostConfig *HostConfig
-	}
 )
 
 func (api APIContainers) ToLegacy() *APIContainersOld {
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 95b8433676..f7aaf90812 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func jobInitApi(job *engine.Job) engine.Status {
 		"pull":             srv.ImagePull,
 		"import":           srv.ImageImport,
 		"image_delete":     srv.ImageDelete,
+		"inspect":          srv.JobInspect,
 	} {
 		if err := job.Eng.Register(name, handler); err != nil {
 			job.Error(err)
@@ -2310,6 +2311,56 @@ func (srv *Server) ImageInspect(name string) (*Image, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("No such image: %s", name)
 }
 
+func (srv *Server) JobInspect(job *engine.Job) engine.Status {
+	// TODO: deprecate KIND/conflict
+	if n := len(job.Args); n != 2 {
+		job.Errorf("Usage: %s CONTAINER|IMAGE KIND", job.Name)
+		return engine.StatusErr
+	}
+	var (
+		name                    = job.Args[0]
+		kind                    = job.Args[1]
+		object                  interface{}
+		conflict                = job.GetenvBool("conflict") //should the job detect conflict between containers and images
+		image, errImage         = srv.ImageInspect(name)
+		container, errContainer = srv.ContainerInspect(name)
+	)
+
+	if conflict && image != nil && container != nil {
+		job.Errorf("Conflict between containers and images")
+		return engine.StatusErr
+	}
+
+	switch kind {
+	case "image":
+		if errImage != nil {
+			job.Error(errImage)
+			return engine.StatusErr
+		}
+		object = image
+	case "container":
+		if errContainer != nil {
+			job.Error(errContainer)
+			return engine.StatusErr
+		}
+		object = &struct {
+			*Container
+			HostConfig *HostConfig
+		}{container, container.hostConfig}
+	default:
+		job.Errorf("Unknown kind: %s", kind)
+		return engine.StatusErr
+	}
+
+	b, err := json.Marshal(object)
+	if err != nil {
+		job.Error(err)
+		return engine.StatusErr
+	}
+	job.Stdout.Write(b)
+	return engine.StatusOK
+}
+
 func (srv *Server) ContainerCopy(job *engine.Job) engine.Status {
 	if len(job.Args) != 2 {
 		job.Errorf("Usage: %s CONTAINER RESOURCE\n", job.Name)