@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (

 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/server/middleware"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/server/router"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"

+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/dockerversion"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/internal/otelutil"

 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"

@@ -62,9 +63,20 @@ func (s *Server) makeHTTPHandler(handler httputils.APIFunc, operation string) ht

 			if statusCode >= 500 {

 				log.G(ctx).Errorf("Handler for %s %s returned error: %v", r.Method, r.URL.Path, err)

 			}

-			_ = httputils.WriteJSON(w, statusCode, &types.ErrorResponse{

-				Message: err.Error(),

-			})

+			// While we no longer support API versions older 1.24 [api.MinSupportedAPIVersion],

+			// a client may try to connect using an older version and expect a plain-text error

+			// instead of a JSON error. This would result in an "API version too old" error

+			// formatted in JSON being printed as-is.

+			//

+			// Let's be nice, and return errors in plain-text to provide a more readable error

+			// to help the user understand the API version they're using is no longer supported.

+			if v := vars["version"]; v != "" && versions.LessThan(v, "1.24") {

+				http.Error(w, err.Error(), statusCode)

+			} else {

+				_ = httputils.WriteJSON(w, statusCode, &types.ErrorResponse{

+					Message: err.Error(),

+				})

+			}

 		}

 	}), operation).ServeHTTP

 }

@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func (cli *Client) checkResponseErr(serverResp *http.Response) (retErr error) {

 	}

 	var daemonErr error

-	if serverResp.Header.Get("Content-Type") == "application/json" && (cli.version == "" || versions.GreaterThan(cli.version, "1.23")) {

+	if serverResp.Header.Get("Content-Type") == "application/json" {

 		var errorResponse types.ErrorResponse

 		if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &errorResponse); err != nil {

 			return errors.Wrap(err, "Error reading JSON")

@@ -132,12 +132,15 @@ func TestResponseErrors(t *testing.T) {

 			expected:    `Error response from daemon: Some error occurred`,

 		},

 		{

-			// API versions before 1.24 did not support JSON errors, and return response as-is.

+			// API versions before 1.24 did not support JSON errors. Technically,

+			// we no longer downgrade to older API versions, but we make an

+			// exception for errors so that older clients would print a more

+			// readable error.

 			doc:         "JSON error on old API",

 			apiVersion:  "1.23",

-			contentType: "application/json",

-			response:    `{"message":"Some error occurred"}`,

-			expected:    `Error response from daemon: {"message":"Some error occurred"}`,

+			contentType: "text/plain; charset=utf-8",

+			response:    `client version 1.10 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.24, please upgrade your client to a newer version`,

+			expected:    `Error response from daemon: client version 1.10 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.24, please upgrade your client to a newer version`,

 		},

 		{

 			doc:         "plain-text error",

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@

 package main

 import (

+	"bytes"

 	"context"

 	"fmt"

 	"net/http"

@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import (

 	"strings"

 	"testing"

+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/runconfig"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/testutil"

 	"github.com/docker/docker/testutil/request"

@@ -63,7 +65,11 @@ func (s *DockerAPISuite) TestAPIClientVersionOldNotSupported(c *testing.T) {

 	expected := fmt.Sprintf("client version %s is too old. Minimum supported API version is %s, please upgrade your client to a newer version", version, testEnv.DaemonVersion.MinAPIVersion)

 	b, err := request.ReadBody(body)

 	assert.NilError(c, err)

-	assert.Equal(c, getErrorMessage(c, b), expected)

+	errMessage := string(bytes.TrimSpace(b))

+	if versions.GreaterThanOrEqualTo(version, "1.24") {

+		errMessage = getErrorMessage(c, b)

+	}

+	assert.Equal(c, errMessage, expected)

 }

 func (s *DockerAPISuite) TestAPIErrorJSON(c *testing.T) {