diff --git a/request.go b/request.go
index f5c239bf25..0749ae3254 100644
--- a/request.go
+++ b/request.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
@@ -129,6 +130,14 @@ func (cli *Client) sendClientRequest(ctx context.Context, method, path string, q
 			return serverResp, err
 		}
 
+		if nErr, ok := err.(*url.Error); ok {
+			if nErr, ok := nErr.Err.(*net.OpError); ok {
+				if os.IsPermission(nErr.Err) {
+					return serverResp, errors.Wrapf(err, "Got permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at %v", cli.host)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		if err, ok := err.(net.Error); ok {
 			if err.Timeout() {
 				return serverResp, ErrorConnectionFailed(cli.host)