diff --git a/distribution/push_v2.go b/distribution/push_v2.go
index f2a1f02714..d72882b0d9 100644
--- a/distribution/push_v2.go
+++ b/distribution/push_v2.go
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ func (pd *v2PushDescriptor) layerAlreadyExists(
 		layerDigests = append(layerDigests, meta.Digest)
 	}
 
+attempts:
 	for _, dgst := range layerDigests {
 		meta := digestToMetadata[dgst]
 		logrus.Debugf("Checking for presence of layer %s (%s) in %s", diffID, dgst, pd.repoInfo.FullName())
@@ -541,15 +542,14 @@ func (pd *v2PushDescriptor) layerAlreadyExists(
 			}
 			desc.MediaType = schema2.MediaTypeLayer
 			exists = true
-			break
+			break attempts
 		case distribution.ErrBlobUnknown:
 			if meta.SourceRepository == pd.repoInfo.FullName() {
 				// remove the mapping to the target repository
 				pd.v2MetadataService.Remove(*meta)
 			}
 		default:
-			progress.Update(progressOutput, pd.ID(), "Image push failed")
-			return desc, false, retryOnError(err)
+			logrus.WithError(err).Debugf("Failed to check for presence of layer %s (%s) in %s", diffID, dgst, pd.repoInfo.FullName())
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/distribution/push_v2_test.go b/distribution/push_v2_test.go
index b76e1a3733..c56f50bdae 100644
--- a/distribution/push_v2_test.go
+++ b/distribution/push_v2_test.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func TestLayerAlreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
 			maxExistenceChecks: 1,
 			metadata:           []metadata.V2Metadata{{Digest: digest.Digest("apple"), SourceRepository: "docker.io/library/busybox"}},
 			remoteErrors:       map[digest.Digest]error{digest.Digest("apple"): distribution.ErrAccessDenied},
-			expectedError:      distribution.ErrAccessDenied,
+			expectedError:      nil,
 			expectedRequests:   []string{"apple"},
 		},
 		{
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ func TestLayerAlreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedRemovals:   []metadata.V2Metadata{taggedMetadata("key3", "apple", "docker.io/library/busybox")},
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "stop on first error",
+			name:       "don't stop on first error",
 			targetRepo: "user/app",
 			hmacKey:    "key",
 			metadata: []metadata.V2Metadata{
@@ -321,9 +321,12 @@ func TestLayerAlreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
 			maxExistenceChecks: 3,
 			remoteErrors:       map[digest.Digest]error{"orange": distribution.ErrAccessDenied},
 			remoteBlobs:        map[digest.Digest]distribution.Descriptor{digest.Digest("apple"): {}},
-			expectedError:      distribution.ErrAccessDenied,
-			expectedRequests:   []string{"plum", "orange"},
-			expectedRemovals:   []metadata.V2Metadata{taggedMetadata("key", "plum", "docker.io/user/app")},
+			expectedError:      nil,
+			expectedRequests:   []string{"plum", "orange", "banana"},
+			expectedRemovals: []metadata.V2Metadata{
+				taggedMetadata("key", "plum", "docker.io/user/app"),
+				taggedMetadata("key", "banana", "docker.io/user/app"),
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name:       "remove outdated metadata",