diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
index 6e22704534..97366525d0 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ public class GitOverHttpServlet extends GitServlet {
           if (user instanceof AnonymousUser) {
             throw new ServiceNotAuthorizedException();
           }
-          throw new ServiceNotEnabledException(e.getMessage());
+          throw new RepositoryNotFoundException(nameKey.get(), e);
         }
 
         return manager.openRepository(nameKey);
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/integration/git/NoAccessSameAsNotFoundIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/integration/git/NoAccessSameAsNotFoundIT.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c33ef8eba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/integration/git/NoAccessSameAsNotFoundIT.java
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2021 The Android Open Source Project
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.google.gerrit.integration.git;
+
+import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.TestProjectUpdate.block;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AccountCreator;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.StandaloneSiteTest;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.TestAccount;
+import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.project.ProjectOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.Permission;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.Project;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.api.GerritApi;
+import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.config.GerritServerConfig;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.group.SystemGroupBackend;
+import com.google.inject.Inject;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class NoAccessSameAsNotFoundIT extends StandaloneSiteTest {
+  private static final String PASSWORD = "secret";
+  private static final String REPO = "foo";
+
+  @Inject private @GerritServerConfig Config config;
+  @Inject private AccountCreator accountCreator;
+  @Inject private GerritApi gApi;
+  @Inject private ProjectOperations projectOperations;
+
+  private String repoUrl;
+
+  @Test
+  public void sameResponseForNonExistingAndNonAccessibleRepo() throws Exception {
+    try (ServerContext ctx = startServer()) {
+      setup(ctx);
+
+      // clone non-existing REPO
+      String nonExistingResponse = cloneRepo();
+
+      // create REPO and make it non-accessible then clone it again
+      createNonAccessibleRepo();
+      String noAccessResponse = cloneRepo();
+
+      // make sure the response is identical in both cases
+      assertThat(noAccessResponse).isEqualTo(nonExistingResponse);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void setup(ServerContext ctx) throws Exception {
+    ctx.getInjector().injectMembers(this);
+
+    TestAccount user = accountCreator.user();
+    gApi.accounts().id(user.username()).setHttpPassword(PASSWORD);
+
+    String canonical = config.getString("gerrit", null, "canonicalweburl");
+    repoUrl =
+        String.format(
+            "http://%s:%s@%s/a/%s", user.username(), PASSWORD, canonical.substring(7), REPO);
+  }
+
+  private String cloneRepo() {
+    try {
+      return execute(ImmutableList.of("git", "clone", repoUrl));
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      return e.getMessage();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void createNonAccessibleRepo() throws RestApiException {
+    // Create project
+    Project.NameKey project = Project.nameKey(REPO);
+    gApi.projects().create(project.get());
+
+    // Block access for everyone
+    projectOperations
+        .project(project)
+        .forUpdate()
+        .add(block(Permission.READ).ref("refs/*").group(SystemGroupBackend.ANONYMOUS_USERS))
+        .update();
+  }
+
+  private String execute(ImmutableList<String> cmd) throws Exception {
+    return execute(cmd, sitePaths.data_dir.toFile(), ImmutableMap.of());
+  }
+}