diff --git a/zun/common/utils.py b/zun/common/utils.py
index 7b4c3adac..4f3a4cacf 100644
--- a/zun/common/utils.py
+++ b/zun/common/utils.py
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ def parse_image_name(image, driver=None):
     if image_parts['tag']:
         image_tag = image_parts['tag']
 
+    registry, _ = image_parts.split_hostname()
+    if not registry and CONF.docker.default_registry:
+        image_repo = '%s/%s' % (CONF.docker.default_registry, image_repo)
+
     return image_repo, image_tag
 
 
diff --git a/zun/conf/docker.py b/zun/conf/docker.py
index 278fa9f24..94f97f168 100644
--- a/zun/conf/docker.py
+++ b/zun/conf/docker.py
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ docker_opts = [
                default='/var/lib/docker',
                deprecated_for_removal=True,
                help='Root directory of persistent Docker state.'),
+    cfg.StrOpt('default_registry',
+               help='The default registry from which docker images are '
+                    'pulled. Its value can be the registry domain name '
+                    '(e.g. docker.io) or None.'),
 ]
 
 ALL_OPTS = (docker_opts)
diff --git a/zun/container/docker/driver.py b/zun/container/docker/driver.py
index 86f8035e1..36235bd85 100644
--- a/zun/container/docker/driver.py
+++ b/zun/container/docker/driver.py
@@ -191,6 +191,8 @@ class DockerDriver(driver.ContainerDriver):
                 context, repo, tag, image_pull_policy)
             if image:
                 image['driver'] = driver_name.split('.')[0]
+        except exception.ZunException:
+            raise
         except Exception as e:
             LOG.exception('Unknown exception occurred while loading '
                           'image: %s', six.text_type(e))
diff --git a/zun/image/docker/driver.py b/zun/image/docker/driver.py
index efa90d5bd..77561670a 100644
--- a/zun/image/docker/driver.py
+++ b/zun/image/docker/driver.py
@@ -23,10 +23,13 @@ from zun.common.docker_image import reference as docker_image
 from zun.common import exception
 from zun.common.i18n import _
 from zun.common import utils
+import zun.conf
 from zun.container.docker import utils as docker_utils
 from zun.image import driver
 
 
+CONF = zun.conf.CONF
+
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -68,6 +71,11 @@ class DockerDriver(driver.ContainerImageDriver):
                 docker.pull(repo, tag=tag)
             except errors.NotFound as e:
                 raise exception.ImageNotFound(message=six.text_type(e))
+            except errors.APIError as e:
+                LOG.exception('Error on pulling image')
+                message = _('Error on pulling image: %(repo)s:%(tag)s') % {
+                    'repo': repo, 'tag': tag}
+                raise exception.ZunException(message)
 
     def pull_image(self, context, repo, tag, image_pull_policy):
         image_loaded = True
diff --git a/zun/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py b/zun/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
index 279903c96..7a40ef79f 100644
--- a/zun/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
+++ b/zun/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@ from zun.common import exception
 from zun.common import utils
 from zun.common.utils import check_container_id
 from zun.common.utils import translate_exception
+import zun.conf
 from zun import objects
 from zun.objects.container import Container
 from zun.tests import base
 from zun.tests.unit.db import utils as db_utils
 
 
+CONF = zun.conf.CONF
+
+
 class TestUtils(base.TestCase):
     """Test cases for zun.common.utils"""
 
@@ -60,6 +64,15 @@ class TestUtils(base.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(('test-test', 'test'),
                          utils.parse_image_name('test-test:test'))
 
+    def test_parse_image_name_with_registry(self):
+        CONF.set_override('default_registry', 'test.io', group='docker')
+        self.assertEqual(('test.io/test', 'latest'),
+                         utils.parse_image_name('test'))
+        self.assertEqual(('test.io/test/test', 'latest'),
+                         utils.parse_image_name('test/test'))
+        self.assertEqual(('other.com/test/test', 'latest'),
+                         utils.parse_image_name('other.com/test/test'))
+
     def test_get_image_pull_policy(self):
         self.assertEqual('always',
                          utils.get_image_pull_policy('always',
diff --git a/zun/tests/unit/image/docker/test_driver.py b/zun/tests/unit/image/docker/test_driver.py
index 00d05b3ad..7ace5e3f1 100644
--- a/zun/tests/unit/image/docker/test_driver.py
+++ b/zun/tests/unit/image/docker/test_driver.py
@@ -80,16 +80,13 @@ class TestDriver(base.BaseTestCase):
         mock_should_pull_image.return_value = True
         mock_search.return_value = {'image': 'nginx', 'path': 'xyz'}
         mock_parse_image.return_value = ('repo', 'tag')
-        with mock.patch.object(errors.APIError, '__str__',
-                               return_value='404 Not Found') as mock_init:
-            self.mock_docker.pull = mock.Mock(
-                side_effect=errors.APIError('Error', '', ''))
-            self.assertRaises(exception.ZunException, self.driver.pull_image,
-                              None, 'repo', 'tag', 'always')
-            self.mock_docker.pull.assert_called_once_with(
-                'repo',
-                tag='tag')
-            self.assertEqual(1, mock_init.call_count)
+        self.mock_docker.pull = mock.Mock(
+            side_effect=errors.APIError('Error', '', ''))
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ZunException, self.driver.pull_image,
+                          None, 'repo', 'tag', 'always')
+        self.mock_docker.pull.assert_called_once_with(
+            'repo',
+            tag='tag')
 
     @mock.patch('zun.common.utils.parse_image_name')
     @mock.patch.object(driver.DockerDriver,