diff --git a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
index a5f066498..c155301fb 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 #ifndef TORRENT_NO_DEPRECATE
 			entry dht_state() const;
+			void start_dht_deprecated(entry const& startup_state);
 #endif
 			void on_dht_announce(error_code const& e);
 			void on_dht_name_lookup(error_code const& e
diff --git a/src/session_handle.cpp b/src/session_handle.cpp
index 6e160f4df..cf359759b 100644
--- a/src/session_handle.cpp
+++ b/src/session_handle.cpp
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	void session_handle::start_dht(entry const& startup_state)
 	{
 #ifndef TORRENT_DISABLE_DHT
-		TORRENT_ASYNC_CALL1(start_dht, startup_state);
+		TORRENT_ASYNC_CALL1(start_dht_deprecated, startup_state);
 #else
 		TORRENT_UNUSED(startup_state);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index dc695b902..dc87c438a 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -5704,6 +5704,12 @@ retry:
 		if (!m_dht) return entry();
 		return m_dht->state();
 	}
+
+	void session_impl::start_dht_deprecated(entry const& startup_state)
+	{
+		m_settings.set_bool(settings_pack::enable_dht, true);
+		start_dht(startup_state);
+	}
 #endif
 
 	void session_impl::add_dht_node_name(std::pair<std::string, int> const& node)