diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
index 15a2b3be4..170c41b55 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ original query accepts an '$endCursor: String' variable and that it fetches the
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&opts.ShowResponseHeaders, "include", "i", false, "Include HTTP response headers in the output")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Paginate, "paginate", false, "Make additional HTTP requests to fetch all pages of results")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.RequestInputFile, "input", "", "The file to use as body for the HTTP request")
-	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Silent, "silent", false, "Silence the output")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.Silent, "silent", false, "Do not print the response body")
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	headersOutputStream := opts.IO.Out
 	if opts.Silent {
 		opts.IO.Out = ioutil.Discard
 	}
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		endCursor, err := processResponse(resp, opts)
+		endCursor, err := processResponse(resp, opts, headersOutputStream)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -217,11 +218,11 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func processResponse(resp *http.Response, opts *ApiOptions) (endCursor string, err error) {
-	if opts.ShowResponseHeaders && !opts.Silent {
-		fmt.Fprintln(opts.IO.Out, resp.Proto, resp.Status)
-		printHeaders(opts.IO.Out, resp.Header, opts.IO.ColorEnabled())
-		fmt.Fprint(opts.IO.Out, "\r\n")
+func processResponse(resp *http.Response, opts *ApiOptions, headersOutputStream io.Writer) (endCursor string, err error) {
+	if opts.ShowResponseHeaders {
+		fmt.Fprintln(headersOutputStream, resp.Proto, resp.Status)
+		printHeaders(headersOutputStream, resp.Header, opts.IO.ColorEnabled())
+		fmt.Fprint(headersOutputStream, "\r\n")
 	}
 
 	if resp.StatusCode == 204 {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
index 75c8eaa4a..f590d93b4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
@@ -288,6 +288,36 @@ func Test_apiRun(t *testing.T) {
 			stdout: `gateway timeout`,
 			stderr: "gh: HTTP 502\n",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "silent",
+			options: ApiOptions{
+				Silent: true,
+			},
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 200,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`body`)),
+			},
+			err:    nil,
+			stdout: ``,
+			stderr: ``,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "show response headers even when silent",
+			options: ApiOptions{
+				ShowResponseHeaders: true,
+				Silent:              true,
+			},
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				Proto:      "HTTP/1.1",
+				Status:     "200 Okey-dokey",
+				StatusCode: 200,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`body`)),
+				Header:     http.Header{"Content-Type": []string{"text/plain"}},
+			},
+			err:    nil,
+			stdout: "HTTP/1.1 200 Okey-dokey\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\r\n",
+			stderr: ``,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -449,38 +479,6 @@ func Test_apiRun_paginationGraphQL(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "PAGE1_END", endCursor)
 }
 
-func Test_apiRun_silent(t *testing.T) {
-	io, _, stdout, stderr := iostreams.Test()
-	response := &http.Response{
-		StatusCode: 200,
-		Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`body`)),
-		Header:     http.Header{"Content-Type": []string{"text/plain"}},
-	}
-
-	options := ApiOptions{
-		IO: io,
-		HttpClient: func() (*http.Client, error) {
-			var tr roundTripper = func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
-				resp := response
-				resp.Request = req
-				return resp, nil
-			}
-			return &http.Client{Transport: tr}, nil
-		},
-		RequestPath:         "issues",
-		ShowResponseHeaders: true,
-		Silent:              true,
-	}
-
-	err := apiRun(&options)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, "", stdout.String(), "stdout")
-	assert.Equal(t, "", stderr.String(), "stderr")
-
-	assert.Equal(t, "https://api.github.com/issues", response.Request.URL.String())
-}
-
 func Test_apiRun_inputFile(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name          string