diff --git a/src/include/switch_ivr.h b/src/include/switch_ivr.h
index 8641766760..f379f02030 100644
--- a/src/include/switch_ivr.h
+++ b/src/include/switch_ivr.h
@@ -224,6 +224,13 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_detect_speech_disable_all_grammars(sw
 
 SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_set_param_detect_speech(switch_core_session_t *session, const char *name, const char *val);
 
+/*!
+  \brief Start input timers on a background speech detection handle
+  \param session The session to start the timers on
+  \return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS if all is well
+*/
+SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_detect_speech_start_input_timers(switch_core_session_t *session);
+
 /*!
   \brief Record a session to disk
   \param session the session to record
diff --git a/src/mod/applications/mod_dptools/mod_dptools.c b/src/mod/applications/mod_dptools/mod_dptools.c
index f573661165..fe089a6a50 100755
--- a/src/mod/applications/mod_dptools/mod_dptools.c
+++ b/src/mod/applications/mod_dptools/mod_dptools.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ SWITCH_STANDARD_DIALPLAN(inline_dialplan_hunt)
 	return extension;
 }
 
-#define DETECT_SPEECH_SYNTAX "<mod_name> <gram_name> <gram_path> [<addr>] OR grammar <gram_name> [<path>] OR nogrammar <gram_name> OR grammaron/grammaroff <gram_name> OR grammarsalloff OR pause OR resume OR stop OR param <name> <value>"
+#define DETECT_SPEECH_SYNTAX "<mod_name> <gram_name> <gram_path> [<addr>] OR grammar <gram_name> [<path>] OR nogrammar <gram_name> OR grammaron/grammaroff <gram_name> OR grammarsalloff OR pause OR resume OR start_input_timers OR stop OR param <name> <value>"
 SWITCH_STANDARD_APP(detect_speech_function)
 {
 	char *argv[4];
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ SWITCH_STANDARD_APP(detect_speech_function)
 			switch_ivr_stop_detect_speech(session);
 		} else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "param")) {
 			switch_ivr_set_param_detect_speech(session, argv[1], argv[2]);
+		} else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0], "start_input_timers")) {
+			switch_ivr_detect_speech_start_input_timers(session);
 		} else if (argc >= 3) {
 			switch_ivr_detect_speech(session, argv[0], argv[1], argv[2], argv[3], NULL);
 		}
diff --git a/src/switch_ivr_async.c b/src/switch_ivr_async.c
index 672750a4c3..66cd36963b 100644
--- a/src/switch_ivr_async.c
+++ b/src/switch_ivr_async.c
@@ -2729,6 +2729,18 @@ SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_set_param_detect_speech(switch_core_s
 	return status;
 }
 
+SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_detect_speech_start_input_timers(switch_core_session_t *session)
+{
+	switch_channel_t *channel = switch_core_session_get_channel(session);
+	struct speech_thread_handle *sth = switch_channel_get_private(channel, SWITCH_SPEECH_KEY);
+
+	if (sth) {
+		switch_core_asr_start_input_timers(sth->ah);
+		return SWITCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+	}
+	return SWITCH_STATUS_FALSE;
+}
+
 SWITCH_DECLARE(switch_status_t) switch_ivr_detect_speech_unload_grammar(switch_core_session_t *session, const char *name)
 {
 	switch_channel_t *channel = switch_core_session_get_channel(session);