diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ErrorCode.java b/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ErrorCode.java
index 39a558a..bba6483 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ErrorCode.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ErrorCode.java
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
  * http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/API/ErrorResponses.html
  */
 enum S3ErrorCode {
+    BUCKET_ALREADY_EXISTS(HttpServletResponse.SC_FORBIDDEN,
+            "The requested bucket name is not available." +
+            " The bucket namespace is shared by all users of the system." +
+            " Please select a different name and try again."),
     BUCKET_ALREADY_OWNED_BY_YOU(HttpServletResponse.SC_CONFLICT,
             "Your previous request to create the named bucket" +
             " succeeded and you already own it."),
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ProxyHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ProxyHandler.java
index e535850..4df9fd5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ProxyHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gaul/s3proxy/S3ProxyHandler.java
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ import org.jclouds.blobstore.options.PutOptions;
 import org.jclouds.domain.Location;
 import org.jclouds.http.HttpResponseException;
 import org.jclouds.io.ContentMetadata;
+import org.jclouds.rest.AuthorizationException;
 import org.jclouds.util.Strings2;
 import org.jclouds.util.Throwables2;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -318,9 +319,10 @@ final class S3ProxyHandler extends AbstractHandler {
                     S3ErrorCode.BUCKET_ALREADY_OWNED_BY_YOU,
                     Optional.of("  <BucketName>" + containerName +
                             "</BucketName>\r\n"));
-        } catch (RuntimeException re) {
-            logger.error("Error creating container: {}", re.getMessage());
-            response.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_FORBIDDEN);
+        } catch (AuthorizationException ae) {
+            sendSimpleErrorResponse(response,
+                    S3ErrorCode.BUCKET_ALREADY_EXISTS);
+            return;
         }
     }