diff --git a/internal/client/errors.go b/internal/client/errors.go
index 5131ef813..51d80178b 100644
--- a/internal/client/errors.go
+++ b/internal/client/errors.go
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ func parseHTTPErrorResponse(resp *http.Response) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
 	statusCode := resp.StatusCode
 
 	// A HEAD request for example validly does not contain any body, while
@@ -53,6 +52,10 @@ func parseHTTPErrorResponse(resp *http.Response) error {
 		return makeError(statusCode, "")
 	}
 
+	if statusCode == 401 {
+		return makeError(statusCode, string(body))
+	}
+
 	ctHeader := resp.Header.Get("Content-Type")
 	if ctHeader == "" {
 		return makeError(statusCode, string(body))
@@ -101,13 +104,13 @@ func parseHTTPErrorResponse(resp *http.Response) error {
 func makeError(statusCode int, details string) error {
 	switch statusCode {
 	case http.StatusUnauthorized:
-		return errcode.ErrorCodeUnauthorized.WithMessage(details)
+		return errcode.ErrorCodeUnauthorized.WithMessageStatusCode(details, statusCode)
 	case http.StatusForbidden:
-		return errcode.ErrorCodeDenied.WithMessage(details)
+		return errcode.ErrorCodeDenied.WithMessageStatusCode(details, statusCode)
 	case http.StatusTooManyRequests:
-		return errcode.ErrorCodeTooManyRequests.WithMessage(details)
+		return errcode.ErrorCodeTooManyRequests.WithMessageStatusCode(details, statusCode)
 	default:
-		return errcode.ErrorCodeUnknown.WithMessage(details)
+		return errcode.ErrorCodeUnknown.WithMessageStatusCode(details, statusCode)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -138,6 +141,7 @@ func HandleHTTPResponseError(resp *http.Response) error {
 		for _, c := range challenge.ResponseChallenges(resp) {
 			if c.Scheme == "bearer" {
 				var err errcode.Error
+				err.StatusCode = resp.StatusCode
 				// codes defined at https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6750#section-3.1
 				switch c.Parameters["error"] {
 				case "invalid_token":
diff --git a/registry/api/errcode/errors.go b/registry/api/errcode/errors.go
index a8b52c188..6f0d49545 100644
--- a/registry/api/errcode/errors.go
+++ b/registry/api/errcode/errors.go
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ func (ec ErrorCode) WithMessage(message string) Error {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithMessage creates a new Error struct based on the passed-in info and
+// overrides the Message property.
+func (ec ErrorCode) WithMessageStatusCode(message string, statusCode int) Error {
+	return Error{
+		Code:       ec,
+		Message:    message,
+		StatusCode: statusCode,
+	}
+}
+
 // WithDetail creates a new Error struct based on the passed-in info and
 // set the Detail property appropriately
 func (ec ErrorCode) WithDetail(detail interface{}) Error {
@@ -97,10 +107,10 @@ func (ec ErrorCode) WithArgs(args ...interface{}) Error {
 
 // Error provides a wrapper around ErrorCode with extra Details provided.
 type Error struct {
-	Code    ErrorCode   `json:"code"`
-	Message string      `json:"message"`
-	Detail  interface{} `json:"detail,omitempty"`
-
+	Code       ErrorCode   `json:"code"`
+	Message    string      `json:"message"`
+	Detail     interface{} `json:"detail,omitempty"`
+	StatusCode int         `json:"statusCode"`
 	// TODO(duglin): See if we need an "args" property so we can do the
 	// variable substitution right before showing the message to the user
 }
@@ -121,9 +131,10 @@ func (e Error) Error() string {
 // some Detail info added
 func (e Error) WithDetail(detail interface{}) Error {
 	return Error{
-		Code:    e.Code,
-		Message: e.Message,
-		Detail:  detail,
+		Code:       e.Code,
+		StatusCode: e.StatusCode,
+		Message:    e.Message,
+		Detail:     detail,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/registry/handlers/manifests.go b/registry/handlers/manifests.go
index 6b7648c2b..bfe7a53b6 100644
--- a/registry/handlers/manifests.go
+++ b/registry/handlers/manifests.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package handlers
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"mime"
 	"net/http"
@@ -142,6 +143,8 @@ func (imh *manifestHandler) GetManifest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 	if err != nil {
 		if _, ok := err.(distribution.ErrManifestUnknownRevision); ok {
 			imh.Errors = append(imh.Errors, errcode.ErrorCodeManifestUnknown.WithDetail(err))
+		} else if checkAllErrorsStatusCode(err, 401) {
+			imh.Errors = append(imh.Errors, errcode.ErrorCodeUnauthorized.WithDetail(err))
 		} else {
 			imh.Errors = append(imh.Errors, errcode.ErrorCodeUnknown.WithDetail(err))
 		}
@@ -225,6 +228,21 @@ func (imh *manifestHandler) GetManifest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 	}
 }
 
+func checkAllErrorsStatusCode(err error, statusCode int) bool {
+	var errs errcode.Errors
+	if !errors.As(err, &errs) {
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, e := range errs {
+		var specificErr errcode.Error
+		ok := errors.As(e, &specificErr)
+		if !ok || specificErr.StatusCode != statusCode {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func etagMatch(r *http.Request, etag string) bool {
 	for _, headerVal := range r.Header["If-None-Match"] {
 		if headerVal == etag || headerVal == fmt.Sprintf(`"%s"`, etag) { // allow quoted or unquoted