diff --git a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
index 69a2dcf8e..386523f7a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeRule.java
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ public void after() {
         }
     }
 
-    public void exec(DockerComposeExecOption options, String containerName,
+    public String exec(DockerComposeExecOption options, String containerName,
             DockerComposeExecArgument arguments) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
-        dockerCompose().exec(options, containerName, arguments);
+        return dockerCompose().exec(options, containerName, arguments);
     }
 
     public static ImmutableDockerComposeRule.Builder builder() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposition.java b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposition.java
index 566d6f932..7ce0b786d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposition.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposition.java
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ public static DockerCompositionBuilder of(DockerCompose compose) {
         return new DockerCompositionBuilder().dockerCompose(compose);
     }
 
-    public void exec(DockerComposeExecOption options, String containerName, DockerComposeExecArgument arguments)
+    public String exec(DockerComposeExecOption options, String containerName, DockerComposeExecArgument arguments)
             throws IOException, InterruptedException {
-        rule.exec(options, containerName, arguments);
+        return rule.exec(options, containerName, arguments);
     }
 
     public DockerPort hostNetworkedPort(int port) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionIntegrationTest.java b/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionIntegrationTest.java
index 53be4dc67..890cb7e62 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerCompositionIntegrationTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Throwables.propagate;
 import static com.palantir.docker.compose.connection.waiting.HealthChecks.toHaveAllPortsOpen;
+import static com.palantir.docker.compose.execution.DockerComposeExecArgument.arguments;
+import static com.palantir.docker.compose.execution.DockerComposeExecOption.options;
+
 import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
 import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.is;
 
@@ -27,6 +30,8 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
+
+import org.junit.Ignore;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
@@ -97,4 +102,10 @@ public void can_access_external_port_for_internal_port_of_machine() throws IOExc
         });
     }
 
+    @Ignore // This test will not run on Circle CI because it does not currently support docker-compose exec.
+    @Test
+    public void exec_returns_output() throws Exception {
+        assertThat(composition.exec(options(), CONTAINERS.get(0), arguments("echo", "hello")), is("hello"));
+    }
+
 }