diff --git a/api/client/image/pull.go b/api/client/image/pull.go
index e5968db269..5753c14bae 100644
--- a/api/client/image/pull.go
+++ b/api/client/image/pull.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package image
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 
@@ -77,9 +78,16 @@ func runPull(dockerCli *client.DockerCli, opts pullOptions) error {
 
 	if client.IsTrusted() && !registryRef.HasDigest() {
 		// Check if tag is digest
-		return dockerCli.TrustedPull(ctx, repoInfo, registryRef, authConfig, requestPrivilege)
+		err = dockerCli.TrustedPull(ctx, repoInfo, registryRef, authConfig, requestPrivilege)
+	} else {
+		err = dockerCli.ImagePullPrivileged(ctx, authConfig, distributionRef.String(), requestPrivilege, opts.all)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "target is a plugin") {
+			return errors.New(err.Error() + " - Use `docker plugin install`")
+		}
+		return err
 	}
 
-	return dockerCli.ImagePullPrivileged(ctx, authConfig, distributionRef.String(), requestPrivilege, opts.all)
-
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/distribution/pull_v2.go b/distribution/pull_v2.go
index 8ee6ed8aa3..958f1bf3fc 100644
--- a/distribution/pull_v2.go
+++ b/distribution/pull_v2.go
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
-var errRootFSMismatch = errors.New("layers from manifest don't match image configuration")
+var (
+	errRootFSMismatch  = errors.New("layers from manifest don't match image configuration")
+	errMediaTypePlugin = errors.New("target is a plugin")
+	errRootFSInvalid   = errors.New("invalid rootfs in image configuration")
+)
 
 // ImageConfigPullError is an error pulling the image config blob
 // (only applies to schema2).
@@ -356,6 +360,12 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named) (tagUpdat
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("image manifest does not exist for tag or digest %q", tagOrDigest)
 	}
 
+	if m, ok := manifest.(*schema2.DeserializedManifest); ok {
+		if m.Manifest.Config.MediaType == schema2.MediaTypePluginConfig {
+			return false, errMediaTypePlugin
+		}
+	}
+
 	// If manSvc.Get succeeded, we can be confident that the registry on
 	// the other side speaks the v2 protocol.
 	p.confirmedV2 = true
@@ -574,6 +584,10 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullSchema2(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, mfst *s
 		}
 	}
 
+	if unmarshalledConfig.RootFS == nil {
+		return "", "", errRootFSInvalid
+	}
+
 	// The DiffIDs returned in rootFS MUST match those in the config.
 	// Otherwise the image config could be referencing layers that aren't
 	// included in the manifest.
diff --git a/plugin/distribution/pull.go b/plugin/distribution/pull.go
index 1bae8d4bb7..c60865340c 100644
--- a/plugin/distribution/pull.go
+++ b/plugin/distribution/pull.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func Pull(name string, rs registry.Service, metaheader http.Header, authConfig *
 		logrus.Debugf("pull.go: error in json.Unmarshal(): %v", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if m.Config.MediaType != MediaTypeConfig {
+	if m.Config.MediaType != schema2.MediaTypePluginConfig {
 		return nil, ErrUnsupportedMediaType
 	}
 
diff --git a/plugin/distribution/push.go b/plugin/distribution/push.go
index 27e717af4c..5a9f689492 100644
--- a/plugin/distribution/push.go
+++ b/plugin/distribution/push.go
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ func Push(name string, rs registry.Service, metaHeader http.Header, authConfig *
 			return "", err
 		}
 		f.Close()
-		mt := MediaTypeLayer
+		mt := schema2.MediaTypeLayer
 		if i == 0 {
-			mt = MediaTypeConfig
+			mt = schema2.MediaTypePluginConfig
 		}
 		// Commit completes the write process to the BlobService.
 		// The descriptor arg to Commit is called the "provisional" descriptor and
diff --git a/plugin/distribution/types.go b/plugin/distribution/types.go
index 0b1fd7aea1..8a327d1042 100644
--- a/plugin/distribution/types.go
+++ b/plugin/distribution/types.go
@@ -10,10 +10,5 @@ var ErrUnsupportedRegistry = errors.New("only V2 repositories are supported for
 // ErrUnsupportedMediaType indicates we are pulling content that's not a plugin
 var ErrUnsupportedMediaType = errors.New("content is not a plugin")
 
-// Plugin related media types
-const (
-	MediaTypeManifest = "application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json"
-	MediaTypeConfig   = "application/vnd.docker.plugin.v0+json"
-	MediaTypeLayer    = "application/vnd.docker.image.rootfs.diff.tar.gzip"
-	DefaultTag        = "latest"
-)
+// DefaultTag is the default tag for plugins
+const DefaultTag = "latest"