diff --git a/registry/client/repository.go b/registry/client/repository.go
index fc709ded9..6fc2bf727 100644
--- a/registry/client/repository.go
+++ b/registry/client/repository.go
@@ -391,17 +391,18 @@ func (bs *blobs) Get(ctx context.Context, dgst digest.Digest) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func (bs *blobs) Open(ctx context.Context, dgst digest.Digest) (distribution.ReadSeekCloser, error) {
-	stat, err := bs.statter.Stat(ctx, dgst)
+	blobURL, err := bs.ub.BuildBlobURL(bs.name, dgst)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	blobURL, err := bs.ub.BuildBlobURL(bs.name, stat.Digest)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return transport.NewHTTPReadSeeker(bs.client, blobURL, stat.Size), nil
+	return transport.NewHTTPReadSeeker(bs.client, blobURL,
+		func(resp *http.Response) error {
+			if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+				return distribution.ErrBlobUnknown
+			}
+			return handleErrorResponse(resp)
+		}), nil
 }
 
 func (bs *blobs) ServeBlob(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, dgst digest.Digest) error {
diff --git a/registry/client/transport/http_reader.go b/registry/client/transport/http_reader.go
index b2e74ddb8..b27b6c237 100644
--- a/registry/client/transport/http_reader.go
+++ b/registry/client/transport/http_reader.go
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ package transport
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 )
@@ -21,11 +19,11 @@ type ReadSeekCloser interface {
 // request. When seeking and starting a read from a non-zero offset
 // the a "Range" header will be added which sets the offset.
 // TODO(dmcgowan): Move this into a separate utility package
-func NewHTTPReadSeeker(client *http.Client, url string, size int64) ReadSeekCloser {
+func NewHTTPReadSeeker(client *http.Client, url string, errorHandler func(*http.Response) error) ReadSeekCloser {
 	return &httpReadSeeker{
-		client: client,
-		url:    url,
-		size:   size,
+		client:       client,
+		url:          url,
+		errorHandler: errorHandler,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -33,12 +31,26 @@ type httpReadSeeker struct {
 	client *http.Client
 	url    string
 
+	// errorHandler creates an error from an unsuccessful HTTP response.
+	// This allows the error to be created with the HTTP response body
+	// without leaking the body through a returned error.
+	errorHandler func(*http.Response) error
+
 	size int64
 
-	rc     io.ReadCloser // remote read closer
-	brd    *bufio.Reader // internal buffered io
-	offset int64
-	err    error
+	// rc is the remote read closer.
+	rc io.ReadCloser
+	// brd is a buffer for internal buffered io.
+	brd *bufio.Reader
+	// readerOffset tracks the offset as of the last read.
+	readerOffset int64
+	// seekOffset allows Seek to override the offset. Seek changes
+	// seekOffset instead of changing readOffset directly so that
+	// connection resets can be delayed and possibly avoided if the
+	// seek is undone (i.e. seeking to the end and then back to the
+	// beginning).
+	seekOffset int64
+	err        error
 }
 
 func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
@@ -46,16 +58,29 @@ func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		return 0, hrs.err
 	}
 
+	// If we seeked to a different position, we need to reset the
+	// connection. This logic is here instead of Seek so that if
+	// a seek is undone before the next read, the connection doesn't
+	// need to be closed and reopened. A common example of this is
+	// seeking to the end to determine the length, and then seeking
+	// back to the original position.
+	if hrs.readerOffset != hrs.seekOffset {
+		hrs.reset()
+	}
+
+	hrs.readerOffset = hrs.seekOffset
+
 	rd, err := hrs.reader()
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 
 	n, err = rd.Read(p)
-	hrs.offset += int64(n)
+	hrs.seekOffset += int64(n)
+	hrs.readerOffset += int64(n)
 
 	// Simulate io.EOF error if we reach filesize.
-	if err == nil && hrs.offset >= hrs.size {
+	if err == nil && hrs.size >= 0 && hrs.readerOffset >= hrs.size {
 		err = io.EOF
 	}
 
@@ -67,13 +92,20 @@ func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (int64, error) {
 		return 0, hrs.err
 	}
 
-	var err error
-	newOffset := hrs.offset
+	_, err := hrs.reader()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	newOffset := hrs.seekOffset
 
 	switch whence {
 	case os.SEEK_CUR:
 		newOffset += int64(offset)
 	case os.SEEK_END:
+		if hrs.size < 0 {
+			return 0, errors.New("content length not known")
+		}
 		newOffset = hrs.size + int64(offset)
 	case os.SEEK_SET:
 		newOffset = int64(offset)
@@ -82,15 +114,10 @@ func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (int64, error) {
 	if newOffset < 0 {
 		err = errors.New("cannot seek to negative position")
 	} else {
-		if hrs.offset != newOffset {
-			hrs.reset()
-		}
-
-		// No problems, set the offset.
-		hrs.offset = newOffset
+		hrs.seekOffset = newOffset
 	}
 
-	return hrs.offset, err
+	return hrs.seekOffset, err
 }
 
 func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) Close() error {
@@ -130,17 +157,12 @@ func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) reader() (io.Reader, error) {
 		return hrs.brd, nil
 	}
 
-	// If the offset is great than or equal to size, return a empty, noop reader.
-	if hrs.offset >= hrs.size {
-		return ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader([]byte{})), nil
-	}
-
 	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", hrs.url, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if hrs.offset > 0 {
+	if hrs.readerOffset > 0 {
 		// TODO(stevvooe): Get this working correctly.
 
 		// If we are at different offset, issue a range request from there.
@@ -158,8 +180,16 @@ func (hrs *httpReadSeeker) reader() (io.Reader, error) {
 	// import
 	if resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode <= 399 {
 		hrs.rc = resp.Body
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusOK {
+			hrs.size = resp.ContentLength
+		} else {
+			hrs.size = -1
+		}
 	} else {
 		defer resp.Body.Close()
+		if hrs.errorHandler != nil {
+			return nil, hrs.errorHandler(resp)
+		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status resolving reader: %v", resp.Status)
 	}