diff --git a/opts/secret.go b/opts/secret.go
index 34ed42a680..9475d9f506 100644
--- a/opts/secret.go
+++ b/opts/secret.go
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@ func (o *SecretOpt) Set(value string) error {
 		Mode:   0444,
 	}
 
+	// support a simple syntax of --secret foo
+	if len(fields) == 1 {
+		options.Source = fields[0]
+		options.Target = fields[0]
+		o.values = append(o.values, options)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	for _, field := range fields {
 		parts := strings.SplitN(field, "=", 2)
 		key := strings.ToLower(parts[0])
@@ -62,7 +70,11 @@ func (o *SecretOpt) Set(value string) error {
 
 			options.Mode = os.FileMode(m)
 		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("invalid field in secret request: %s", key)
+			if len(fields) == 1 && value == "" {
+
+			} else {
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid field in secret request: %s", key)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/opts/secret_test.go b/opts/secret_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce4418a0bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opts/secret_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package opts
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/testutil/assert"
+)
+
+func TestSecretOptionsSimple(t *testing.T) {
+	var opt SecretOpt
+
+	testCase := "app-secret"
+	assert.NilError(t, opt.Set(testCase))
+
+	reqs := opt.Value()
+	assert.Equal(t, len(reqs), 1)
+	req := reqs[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Source, "app-secret")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Target, "app-secret")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.UID, "0")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.GID, "0")
+}
+
+func TestSecretOptionsSourceTarget(t *testing.T) {
+	var opt SecretOpt
+
+	testCase := "source=foo,target=testing"
+	assert.NilError(t, opt.Set(testCase))
+
+	reqs := opt.Value()
+	assert.Equal(t, len(reqs), 1)
+	req := reqs[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Source, "foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Target, "testing")
+}
+
+func TestSecretOptionsCustomUidGid(t *testing.T) {
+	var opt SecretOpt
+
+	testCase := "source=foo,target=testing,uid=1000,gid=1001"
+	assert.NilError(t, opt.Set(testCase))
+
+	reqs := opt.Value()
+	assert.Equal(t, len(reqs), 1)
+	req := reqs[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Source, "foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Target, "testing")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.UID, "1000")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.GID, "1001")
+}
+
+func TestSecretOptionsCustomMode(t *testing.T) {
+	var opt SecretOpt
+
+	testCase := "source=foo,target=testing,uid=1000,gid=1001,mode=0444"
+	assert.NilError(t, opt.Set(testCase))
+
+	reqs := opt.Value()
+	assert.Equal(t, len(reqs), 1)
+	req := reqs[0]
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Source, "foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Target, "testing")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.UID, "1000")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.GID, "1001")
+	assert.Equal(t, req.Mode, os.FileMode(0444))
+}