diff --git a/docs/client/auth/session.go b/docs/client/auth/session.go
index c80108ac9..f3497b17a 100644
--- a/docs/client/auth/session.go
+++ b/docs/client/auth/session.go
@@ -15,9 +15,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry/client/transport"
 )
 
-// ErrNoBasicAuthCredentials is returned if a request can't be authorized with
-// basic auth due to lack of credentials.
-var ErrNoBasicAuthCredentials = errors.New("no basic auth credentials")
+var (
+	// ErrNoBasicAuthCredentials is returned if a request can't be authorized with
+	// basic auth due to lack of credentials.
+	ErrNoBasicAuthCredentials = errors.New("no basic auth credentials")
+
+	// ErrNoToken is returned if a request is successful but the body does not
+	// contain an authorization token.
+	ErrNoToken = errors.New("authorization server did not include a token in the response")
+)
 
 const defaultClientID = "registry-client"
 
@@ -402,7 +408,7 @@ func (th *tokenHandler) fetchTokenWithBasicAuth(realm *url.URL, service string,
 	}
 
 	if tr.Token == "" {
-		return "", time.Time{}, errors.New("authorization server did not include a token in the response")
+		return "", time.Time{}, ErrNoToken
 	}
 
 	if tr.ExpiresIn < minimumTokenLifetimeSeconds {