diff --git a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_async/request_builder.py b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_async/request_builder.py
index a575edd7..3c996922 100644
--- a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_async/request_builder.py
+++ b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_async/request_builder.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Any, Generic, Optional, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import Any, Generic, Literal, Optional, TypeVar, Union, overload
 
 from httpx import AsyncClient, BasicAuth, Headers, QueryParams, Response
 from pydantic import ValidationError
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class AsyncQueryRequestBuilder:
     def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
         self.request = request
 
-    async def execute(self) -> APIResponse | str:
+    async def execute(self) -> APIResponse:
         """Execute the query.
 
         .. tip::
@@ -47,17 +47,6 @@ async def execute(self) -> APIResponse | str:
         r = await self.request.send()
         try:
             if r.is_success:
-                if self.request.http_method != "HEAD":
-                    body = r.text
-                    if self.request.headers.get("Accept") == "text/csv":
-                        return body
-                    if self.request.headers.get(
-                        "Accept"
-                    ) and "application/vnd.pgrst.plan" in self.request.headers.get(
-                        "Accept"
-                    ):
-                        if "+json" not in self.request.headers.get("Accept"):
-                            return body
                 return APIResponse.from_http_request_response(r)
             else:
                 json_obj = model_validate_json(APIErrorFromJSON, r.content)
@@ -95,6 +84,22 @@ async def execute(self) -> SingleAPIResponse:
             raise APIError(generate_default_error_message(r))
 
 
+class AsyncExplainRequestBuilder:
+    def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
+        self.request = request
+
+    async def execute(self) -> str:
+        r = await self.request.send()
+        try:
+            if r.is_success:
+                return r.text
+            else:
+                json_obj = model_validate_json(APIErrorFromJSON, r.content)
+                raise APIError(dict(json_obj))
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            raise APIError(generate_default_error_message(r))
+
+
 class AsyncMaybeSingleRequestBuilder:
     def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
         self.request = request
@@ -176,6 +181,52 @@ def csv(self) -> AsyncSingleRequestBuilder:
         self.request.headers["Accept"] = "text/csv"
         return AsyncSingleRequestBuilder(self.request)
 
+    @overload
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        format: Literal["text"] = "text",
+    ) -> AsyncExplainRequestBuilder: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        *,
+        format: Literal["json"],
+    ) -> AsyncSingleRequestBuilder: ...
+
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        format: Literal["text", "json"] = "text",
+    ) -> AsyncExplainRequestBuilder | AsyncSingleRequestBuilder:
+        options = [
+            key
+            for key, value in locals().items()
+            if key not in ["self", "format"] and value
+        ]
+        options_str = "|".join(options)
+        self.request.headers["Accept"] = (
+            f"application/vnd.pgrst.plan+{format}; options={options_str}"
+        )
+        if format == "text":
+            return AsyncExplainRequestBuilder(self.request)
+        else:
+            return AsyncSingleRequestBuilder(self.request)
+
 
 class AsyncRequestBuilder:  #
     def __init__(
diff --git a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_sync/request_builder.py b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_sync/request_builder.py
index e7e2bd9e..a5340403 100644
--- a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_sync/request_builder.py
+++ b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/_sync/request_builder.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Any, Generic, Optional, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import Any, Generic, Literal, Optional, TypeVar, Union, overload
 
 from httpx import BasicAuth, Client, Headers, QueryParams, Response
 from pydantic import ValidationError
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class SyncQueryRequestBuilder:
     def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
         self.request = request
 
-    def execute(self) -> APIResponse | str:
+    def execute(self) -> APIResponse:
         """Execute the query.
 
         .. tip::
@@ -47,17 +47,6 @@ def execute(self) -> APIResponse | str:
         r = self.request.send()
         try:
             if r.is_success:
-                if self.request.http_method != "HEAD":
-                    body = r.text
-                    if self.request.headers.get("Accept") == "text/csv":
-                        return body
-                    if self.request.headers.get(
-                        "Accept"
-                    ) and "application/vnd.pgrst.plan" in self.request.headers.get(
-                        "Accept"
-                    ):
-                        if "+json" not in self.request.headers.get("Accept"):
-                            return body
                 return APIResponse.from_http_request_response(r)
             else:
                 json_obj = model_validate_json(APIErrorFromJSON, r.content)
@@ -95,6 +84,22 @@ def execute(self) -> SingleAPIResponse:
             raise APIError(generate_default_error_message(r))
 
 
+class SyncExplainRequestBuilder:
+    def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
+        self.request = request
+
+    def execute(self) -> str:
+        r = self.request.send()
+        try:
+            if r.is_success:
+                return r.text
+            else:
+                json_obj = model_validate_json(APIErrorFromJSON, r.content)
+                raise APIError(dict(json_obj))
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            raise APIError(generate_default_error_message(r))
+
+
 class SyncMaybeSingleRequestBuilder:
     def __init__(self, request: ReqConfig):
         self.request = request
@@ -176,6 +181,52 @@ def csv(self) -> SyncSingleRequestBuilder:
         self.request.headers["Accept"] = "text/csv"
         return SyncSingleRequestBuilder(self.request)
 
+    @overload
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        format: Literal["text"] = "text",
+    ) -> SyncExplainRequestBuilder: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        *,
+        format: Literal["json"],
+    ) -> SyncSingleRequestBuilder: ...
+
+    def explain(
+        self,
+        analyze: bool = False,
+        verbose: bool = False,
+        settings: bool = False,
+        buffers: bool = False,
+        wal: bool = False,
+        format: Literal["text", "json"] = "text",
+    ) -> SyncExplainRequestBuilder | SyncSingleRequestBuilder:
+        options = [
+            key
+            for key, value in locals().items()
+            if key not in ["self", "format"] and value
+        ]
+        options_str = "|".join(options)
+        self.request.headers["Accept"] = (
+            f"application/vnd.pgrst.plan+{format}; options={options_str}"
+        )
+        if format == "text":
+            return SyncExplainRequestBuilder(self.request)
+        else:
+            return SyncSingleRequestBuilder(self.request)
+
 
 class SyncRequestBuilder:  #
     def __init__(
diff --git a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/base_request_builder.py b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/base_request_builder.py
index f92a6158..49e84005 100644
--- a/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/base_request_builder.py
+++ b/src/postgrest/src/postgrest/base_request_builder.py
@@ -557,26 +557,6 @@ def max_affected(self: Self, value: int) -> Self:
 
 
 class BaseSelectRequestBuilder(BaseFilterRequestBuilder[C]):
-    def explain(
-        self: Self,
-        analyze: bool = False,
-        verbose: bool = False,
-        settings: bool = False,
-        buffers: bool = False,
-        wal: bool = False,
-        format: Literal["text", "json"] = "text",
-    ) -> Self:
-        options = [
-            key
-            for key, value in locals().items()
-            if key not in ["self", "format"] and value
-        ]
-        options_str = "|".join(options)
-        self.request.headers["Accept"] = (
-            f"application/vnd.pgrst.plan+{format}; options={options_str}"
-        )
-        return self
-
     def order(
         self: Self,
         column: str,