diff --git a/components/engine/distribution/push.go b/components/engine/distribution/push.go
index 52ee8e77e2..fffbc56e42 100644
--- a/components/engine/distribution/push.go
+++ b/components/engine/distribution/push.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func Push(ctx context.Context, ref reference.Named, imagePushConfig *ImagePushCo
 
 	associations := imagePushConfig.ReferenceStore.ReferencesByName(repoInfo)
 	if len(associations) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Repository does not exist: %s", repoInfo.Name())
+		return fmt.Errorf("An image does not exist locally with the tag: %s", repoInfo.Name())
 	}
 
 	var (
diff --git a/components/engine/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go b/components/engine/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
index 6b3d8232cc..2e2f23177f 100644
--- a/components/engine/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
+++ b/components/engine/integration-cli/docker_cli_push_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestPushUnprefixedRepo(c *check.C) {
 
 func testPushUntagged(c *check.C) {
 	repoName := fmt.Sprintf("%v/dockercli/busybox", privateRegistryURL)
-	expected := "Repository does not exist"
+	expected := "An image does not exist locally with the tag"
 
 	out, _, err := dockerCmdWithError("push", repoName)
 	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil, check.Commentf("pushing the image to the private registry should have failed: output %q", out))