diff --git a/remotes/docker/resolver.go b/remotes/docker/resolver.go
index 5feaee167..6e543b2c0 100644
--- a/remotes/docker/resolver.go
+++ b/remotes/docker/resolver.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/reference"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes/docker/schema1"
+	remoteerrors "github.com/containerd/containerd/remotes/errors"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/version"
 	digest "github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
 	ocispec "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
@@ -297,11 +298,11 @@ func (r *dockerResolver) Resolve(ctx context.Context, ref string) (string, ocisp
 				if resp.StatusCode > 399 {
 					// Set firstErr when encountering the first non-404 status code.
 					if firstErr == nil {
-						firstErr = fmt.Errorf("pulling from host %s failed with status code %v: %v", host.Host, u, resp.Status)
+						firstErr = remoteerrors.NewUnexpectedStatusErr(resp)
 					}
 					continue // try another host
 				}
-				return "", ocispec.Descriptor{}, fmt.Errorf("pulling from host %s failed with unexpected status code %v: %v", host.Host, u, resp.Status)
+				return "", ocispec.Descriptor{}, remoteerrors.NewUnexpectedStatusErr(resp)
 			}
 			size := resp.ContentLength
 			contentType := getManifestMediaType(resp)