diff --git a/api/server/httputils/errors.go b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
index 92b615b8fc..5f0f5caa52 100644
--- a/api/server/httputils/errors.go
+++ b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ func GetHTTPErrorStatusCode(err error) int {
 			"conflict":              http.StatusConflict,
 			"impossible":            http.StatusNotAcceptable,
 			"wrong login/password":  http.StatusUnauthorized,
+			"unauthorized":          http.StatusUnauthorized,
 			"hasn't been activated": http.StatusForbidden,
 		} {
 			if strings.Contains(errStr, keyword) {
diff --git a/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go b/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go
index f21c22835b..b9168bc89d 100644
--- a/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go
+++ b/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go
@@ -6,10 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/api/errcode"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/server/httputils"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/backend"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/ioutils"
@@ -106,13 +104,6 @@ func (s *imageRouter) postImagesCreate(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWrite
 		}
 
 		err = s.backend.PullImage(ctx, image, tag, metaHeaders, authConfig, output)
-
-		// Check the error from pulling an image to make sure the request
-		// was authorized. Modify the status if the request was
-		// unauthorized to respond with 401 rather than 500.
-		if err != nil && isAuthorizedError(err) {
-			err = errcode.ErrorCodeUnauthorized.WithMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Authentication is required: %s", err))
-		}
 	} else { //import
 		src := r.Form.Get("fromSrc")
 		// 'err' MUST NOT be defined within this block, we need any error
@@ -316,16 +307,3 @@ func (s *imageRouter) getImagesSearch(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter
 	}
 	return httputils.WriteJSON(w, http.StatusOK, query.Results)
 }
-
-func isAuthorizedError(err error) bool {
-	if urlError, ok := err.(*url.Error); ok {
-		err = urlError.Err
-	}
-
-	if dError, ok := err.(errcode.Error); ok {
-		if dError.ErrorCode() == errcode.ErrorCodeUnauthorized {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}