diff --git a/distribution/pull_v2_test.go b/distribution/pull_v2_test.go
index 010c90bd25..8c32a7fb57 100644
--- a/distribution/pull_v2_test.go
+++ b/distribution/pull_v2_test.go
@@ -268,6 +268,27 @@ func TestPullSchema2Config(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "unauthorized",
 			handler: func(callCount int, w http.ResponseWriter) {
 				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+				// FIXME: current distribution client does not handle plain-text error-responses, so this response is ignored.
+				_, _ = w.Write([]byte("you need to be authenticated"))
+			},
+			expectError:    "unauthorized: authentication required",
+			expectAttempts: 1,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unauthorized JSON",
+			handler: func(callCount int, w http.ResponseWriter) {
+				w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+				_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`					{ "errors":	[{"code": "UNAUTHORIZED", "message": "you need to be authenticated", "detail": "more detail"}]}`))
+			},
+			expectError:    "unauthorized: you need to be authenticated",
+			expectAttempts: 1,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unauthorized JSON no body",
+			handler: func(callCount int, w http.ResponseWriter) {
+				w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
 			},
 			expectError:    "unauthorized: authentication required",
 			expectAttempts: 1,
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
index 29065e5a70..4b0c317a11 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
@@ -235,13 +235,13 @@ func getTestTokenService(status int, body string, retries int) *httptest.Server
 	return httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		mu.Lock()
 		if retries > 0 {
-			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
 			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
 			w.Write([]byte(`{"errors":[{"code":"UNAVAILABLE","message":"cannot create token at this time"}]}`))
 			retries--
 		} else {
-			w.WriteHeader(status)
 			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			w.WriteHeader(status)
 			w.Write([]byte(body))
 		}
 		mu.Unlock()