diff --git a/api/server/server.go b/api/server/server.go
index e8f66de31e..e626f269b2 100644
--- a/api/server/server.go
+++ b/api/server/server.go
@@ -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
 }
diff --git a/client/request.go b/client/request.go
index 2b913aab64..4cc64350bd 100644
--- a/client/request.go
+++ b/client/request.go
@@ -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")
diff --git a/client/request_test.go b/client/request_test.go
index 71a1bb6866..39b7439a34 100644
--- a/client/request_test.go
+++ b/client/request_test.go
@@ -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",
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_api_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_api_test.go
index f4ecbce09c..7afa9f0c71 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_api_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_api_test.go
@@ -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) {