@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (

 	"github.com/docker/docker/container"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/config"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/daemon/initlayer"

+	"github.com/docker/docker/errdefs"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/containerfs"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/idtools"

@@ -1294,12 +1295,26 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) registerLinks(container *container.Container, hostConfig *

 		}

 		child, err := daemon.GetContainer(name)

 		if err != nil {

+			if errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {

+				// Trying to link to a non-existing container is not valid, and

+				// should return an "invalid parameter" error. Returning a "not

+				// found" error here would make the client report the container's

+				// image could not be found (see moby/moby#39823)

+				err = errdefs.InvalidParameter(err)

+			}

 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "could not get container for %s", name)

 		}

 		for child.HostConfig.NetworkMode.IsContainer() {

 			parts := strings.SplitN(string(child.HostConfig.NetworkMode), ":", 2)

 			child, err = daemon.GetContainer(parts[1])

 			if err != nil {

+				if errdefs.IsNotFound(err) {

+					// Trying to link to a non-existing container is not valid, and

+					// should return an "invalid parameter" error. Returning a "not

+					// found" error here would make the client report the container's

+					// image could not be found (see moby/moby#39823)

+					err = errdefs.InvalidParameter(err)

+				}

 				return errors.Wrapf(err, "Could not get container for %s", parts[1])

 			}

 		}

@@ -65,6 +65,28 @@ func TestCreateFailsWhenIdentifierDoesNotExist(t *testing.T) {

 	}

 }

+// TestCreateLinkToNonExistingContainer verifies that linking to a non-existing

+// container returns an "invalid parameter" (400) status, and not the underlying

+// "non exists" (404).

+func TestCreateLinkToNonExistingContainer(t *testing.T) {

+	skip.If(t, testEnv.DaemonInfo.OSType == "windows", "legacy links are not supported on windows")

+	defer setupTest(t)()

+	c := testEnv.APIClient()

+

+	_, err := c.ContainerCreate(context.Background(),

+		&container.Config{

+			Image: "busybox",

+		},

+		&container.HostConfig{

+			Links: []string{"no-such-container"},

+		},

+		&network.NetworkingConfig{},

+		"",

+	)

+	assert.Check(t, is.ErrorContains(err, "could not get container for no-such-container"))

+	assert.Check(t, errdefs.IsInvalidParameter(err))

+}

+

 func TestCreateWithInvalidEnv(t *testing.T) {

 	defer setupTest(t)()

 	client := testEnv.APIClient()