diff --git a/libpod/container.go b/libpod/container.go
index b92255d7ed..083b4e9fc4 100644
--- a/libpod/container.go
+++ b/libpod/container.go
@@ -882,6 +882,17 @@ func (c *Container) execSessionNoCopy(id string) (*ExecSession, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no exec session with ID %s found in container %s: %w", id, c.ID(), define.ErrNoSuchExecSession)
 	}
 
+	// make sure to update the exec session if needed #18424
+	alive, err := c.ociRuntime.ExecUpdateStatus(c, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !alive {
+		if err := retrieveAndWriteExecExitCode(c, session.ID()); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return session, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/bindings/test/exec_test.go b/pkg/bindings/test/exec_test.go
index 5a2e34eaa1..67c8e4b66b 100644
--- a/pkg/bindings/test/exec_test.go
+++ b/pkg/bindings/test/exec_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman containers exec", func() {
 		bt.cleanup()
 	})
 
-	It("Podman exec create makes an exec session", func() {
+	It("Podman exec create+start makes an exec session", func() {
 		name := "testCtr"
 		cid, err := bt.RunTopContainer(&name, nil)
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman containers exec", func() {
 		Expect(inspectOut.ProcessConfig.Entrypoint).To(Equal("echo"))
 		Expect(inspectOut.ProcessConfig.Arguments).To(HaveLen(1))
 		Expect(inspectOut.ProcessConfig.Arguments[0]).To(Equal("hello world"))
+
+		err = containers.ExecStart(bt.conn, sessionID, nil)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+		inspectOut, err = containers.ExecInspect(bt.conn, sessionID, nil)
+		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(inspectOut.ContainerID).To(Equal(cid))
+		Expect(inspectOut.Running).To(BeFalse(), "session should not be running")
+		Expect(inspectOut.ExitCode).To(Equal(0), "exit code from echo")
 	})
 
 	It("Podman exec create with bad command fails", func() {