diff --git a/api/server/httputils/errors.go b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
index c6b0a6b2d8..cf8d2ae639 100644
--- a/api/server/httputils/errors.go
+++ b/api/server/httputils/errors.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ func WriteError(w http.ResponseWriter, err error) {
 			"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 0ead075df8..58abd4b457 100644
--- a/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go
+++ b/api/server/router/image/image_routes.go
@@ -7,11 +7,9 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/digest"
-	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/api/errcode"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/server/httputils"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/builder/dockerfile"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/ioutils"
@@ -132,12 +130,6 @@ func (s *imageRouter) postImagesCreate(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWrite
 				err = s.backend.PullImage(ctx, ref, 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
 		var newRef reference.Named
 		if repo != "" {
@@ -389,16 +381,3 @@ 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
-}