diff --git a/cmd/api-errors.go b/cmd/api-errors.go
index 937885a29..13a072c3e 100644
--- a/cmd/api-errors.go
+++ b/cmd/api-errors.go
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ const (
 	ErrReplicationDestinationNotFoundError
 	ErrReplicationDestinationMissingLock
 	ErrReplicationTargetNotFoundError
+	ErrReplicationRemoteConnectionError
 	ErrBucketRemoteIdenticalToSource
 	ErrBucketRemoteAlreadyExists
 	ErrBucketRemoteArnTypeInvalid
@@ -823,6 +824,11 @@ var errorCodes = errorCodeMap{
 		Description:    "The replication target does not exist",
 		HTTPStatusCode: http.StatusNotFound,
 	},
+	ErrReplicationRemoteConnectionError: {
+		Code:           "XminioAdminReplicationRemoteConnectionError",
+		Description:    "Remote service endpoint or target bucket not available",
+		HTTPStatusCode: http.StatusNotFound,
+	},
 	ErrBucketRemoteIdenticalToSource: {
 		Code:           "XminioAdminRemoteIdenticalToSource",
 		Description:    "The remote target cannot be identical to source",
@@ -1906,6 +1912,8 @@ func toAPIErrorCode(ctx context.Context, err error) (apiErr APIErrorCode) {
 		apiErr = ErrReplicationDestinationMissingLock
 	case BucketRemoteTargetNotFound:
 		apiErr = ErrReplicationTargetNotFoundError
+	case BucketRemoteConnectionErr:
+		apiErr = ErrReplicationRemoteConnectionError
 	case BucketRemoteAlreadyExists:
 		apiErr = ErrBucketRemoteAlreadyExists
 	case BucketRemoteArnTypeInvalid:
diff --git a/cmd/bucket-targets.go b/cmd/bucket-targets.go
index 2b2eedaea..8c6a01840 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-targets.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-targets.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"sync"
 
+	minio "github.com/minio/minio-go/v7"
 	miniogo "github.com/minio/minio-go/v7"
 	"github.com/minio/minio-go/v7/pkg/credentials"
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/bucket/versioning"
@@ -91,13 +92,13 @@ func (sys *BucketTargetSys) SetTarget(ctx context.Context, bucket string, tgt *m
 		}
 		vcfg, err := clnt.GetBucketVersioning(ctx, tgt.TargetBucket)
 		if err != nil {
-			if isErrBucketNotFound(err) {
+			if minio.ToErrorResponse(err).Code == "NoSuchBucket" {
 				return BucketRemoteTargetNotFound{Bucket: tgt.TargetBucket}
 			}
-			if vcfg.Status != string(versioning.Enabled) {
-				return BucketReplicationTargetNotVersioned{Bucket: tgt.TargetBucket}
-			}
-			return err
+			return BucketRemoteConnectionErr{Bucket: tgt.TargetBucket}
+		}
+		if vcfg.Status != string(versioning.Enabled) {
+			return BucketReplicationTargetNotVersioned{Bucket: tgt.TargetBucket}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/object-api-errors.go b/cmd/object-api-errors.go
index 30b346a38..caeeaa415 100644
--- a/cmd/object-api-errors.go
+++ b/cmd/object-api-errors.go
@@ -376,6 +376,13 @@ func (e BucketRemoteTargetNotFound) Error() string {
 	return "Remote target not found: " + e.Bucket
 }
 
+// BucketRemoteConnectionErr remote target connection failure.
+type BucketRemoteConnectionErr GenericError
+
+func (e BucketRemoteConnectionErr) Error() string {
+	return "Remote service endpoint or target bucket not available: " + e.Bucket
+}
+
 // BucketRemoteAlreadyExists remote already exists for this target type.
 type BucketRemoteAlreadyExists GenericError