diff --git a/api/server/httputils/errors.go b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
index 6b1c50411e..82da21c2a0 100644
--- a/api/server/httputils/errors.go
+++ b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ func GetHTTPErrorStatusCode(err error) int {
 			{"this node", http.StatusServiceUnavailable},
 			{"needs to be unlocked", http.StatusServiceUnavailable},
 			{"certificates have expired", http.StatusServiceUnavailable},
+			{"repository does not exist", http.StatusNotFound},
 		} {
 			if strings.Contains(errStr, status.keyword) {
 				statusCode = status.code
diff --git a/distribution/errors.go b/distribution/errors.go
index adf272a5cf..7f97c1d5eb 100644
--- a/distribution/errors.go
+++ b/distribution/errors.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func TranslatePullError(err error, ref reference.Named) error {
 		switch v.Code {
 		case errcode.ErrorCodeDenied:
 			// ErrorCodeDenied is used when access to the repository was denied
-			newErr = errors.Errorf("repository %s not found: does not exist or no pull access", reference.FamiliarName(ref))
+			newErr = errors.Errorf("pull access denied for %s, repository does not exist or may require 'docker login'", reference.FamiliarName(ref))
 		case v2.ErrorCodeManifestUnknown:
 			newErr = errors.Errorf("manifest for %s not found", reference.FamiliarString(ref))
 		case v2.ErrorCodeNameUnknown:
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_pull_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_pull_test.go
index cfd9933bd9..fd91edb81e 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_pull_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_pull_test.go
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ func (s *DockerHubPullSuite) TestPullNonExistingImage(c *check.C) {
 	for record := range recordChan {
 		if len(record.option) == 0 {
 			c.Assert(record.err, checker.NotNil, check.Commentf("expected non-zero exit status when pulling non-existing image: %s", record.out))
-			c.Assert(record.out, checker.Contains, fmt.Sprintf("repository %s not found: does not exist or no pull access", record.e.repo), check.Commentf("expected image not found error messages"))
+			c.Assert(record.out, checker.Contains, fmt.Sprintf("pull access denied for %s, repository does not exist or may require 'docker login'", record.e.repo), check.Commentf("expected image not found error messages"))
 		} else {
 			// pull -a on a nonexistent registry should fall back as well
 			c.Assert(record.err, checker.NotNil, check.Commentf("expected non-zero exit status when pulling non-existing image: %s", record.out))
-			c.Assert(record.out, checker.Contains, fmt.Sprintf("repository %s not found", record.e.repo), check.Commentf("expected image not found error messages"))
+			c.Assert(record.out, checker.Contains, fmt.Sprintf("pull access denied for %s, repository does not exist or may require 'docker login'", record.e.repo), check.Commentf("expected image not found error messages"))
 			c.Assert(record.out, checker.Not(checker.Contains), "unauthorized", check.Commentf(`message should not contain "unauthorized"`))
 		}
 	}