diff --git a/graph/pull_v2.go b/graph/pull_v2.go
index 8666ebc21a..bc8440d215 100644
--- a/graph/pull_v2.go
+++ b/graph/pull_v2.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package graph
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ type downloadInfo struct {
 	layer   distribution.ReadSeekCloser
 	size    int64
 	err     chan error
+	out     io.Writer // Download progress is written here.
 }
 
 type errVerification struct{}
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ func (errVerification) Error() string { return "verification failed" }
 func (p *v2Puller) download(di *downloadInfo) {
 	logrus.Debugf("pulling blob %q to %s", di.digest, di.img.ID)
 
-	out := p.config.OutStream
+	out := di.out
 
 	if c, err := p.poolAdd("pull", "img:"+di.img.ID); err != nil {
 		if c != nil {
@@ -191,7 +193,7 @@ func (p *v2Puller) download(di *downloadInfo) {
 	di.err <- nil
 }
 
-func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(tag, taggedName string) (bool, error) {
+func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(tag, taggedName string) (verified bool, err error) {
 	logrus.Debugf("Pulling tag from V2 registry: %q", tag)
 	out := p.config.OutStream
 
@@ -204,7 +206,7 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(tag, taggedName string) (bool, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
-	verified, err := p.validateManifest(manifest, tag)
+	verified, err = p.validateManifest(manifest, tag)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -212,6 +214,27 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(tag, taggedName string) (bool, error) {
 		logrus.Printf("Image manifest for %s has been verified", taggedName)
 	}
 
+	// By using a pipeWriter for each of the downloads to write their progress
+	// to, we can avoid an issue where this function returns an error but
+	// leaves behind running download goroutines. By splitting the writer
+	// with a pipe, we can close the pipe if there is any error, consequently
+	// causing each download to cancel due to an error writing to this pipe.
+	pipeReader, pipeWriter := io.Pipe()
+	go func() {
+		if _, err := io.Copy(out, pipeReader); err != nil {
+			logrus.Errorf("error copying from layer download progress reader: %s", err)
+		}
+	}()
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			// All operations on the pipe are synchronous. This call will wait
+			// until all current readers/writers are done using the pipe then
+			// set the error. All successive reads/writes will return with this
+			// error.
+			pipeWriter.CloseWithError(errors.New("download canceled"))
+		}
+	}()
+
 	out.Write(p.sf.FormatStatus(tag, "Pulling from %s", p.repo.Name()))
 
 	downloads := make([]downloadInfo, len(manifest.FSLayers))
@@ -242,6 +265,7 @@ func (p *v2Puller) pullV2Tag(tag, taggedName string) (bool, error) {
 		out.Write(p.sf.FormatProgress(stringid.TruncateID(img.ID), "Pulling fs layer", nil))
 
 		downloads[i].err = make(chan error)
+		downloads[i].out = pipeWriter
 		go p.download(&downloads[i])
 	}
 
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_by_digest_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_by_digest_test.go
index ef04869667..9f2d3173ea 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_by_digest_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_by_digest_test.go
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ func (s *DockerRegistrySuite) TestPullFailsWithAlteredManifest(c *check.C) {
 	imageReference := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", repoName, manifestDigest)
 	out, exitStatus, _ := dockerCmdWithError("pull", imageReference)
 	if exitStatus == 0 {
-		c.Fatalf("expected a zero exit status but got %d: %s", exitStatus, out)
+		c.Fatalf("expected a non-zero exit status but got %d: %s", exitStatus, out)
 	}
 
 	expectedErrorMsg := fmt.Sprintf("image verification failed for digest %s", manifestDigest)