diff --git a/cli/command/network/remove.go b/cli/command/network/remove.go
index ed1b7f264f7a..151c531f2391 100644
--- a/cli/command/network/remove.go
+++ b/cli/command/network/remove.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package network
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ func runRemove(ctx context.Context, dockerCLI command.Cli, networks []string, op
 	}
 
 	if status != 0 {
-		return cli.StatusError{StatusCode: status}
+		return cli.StatusError{StatusCode: status, Status: "exit status " + strconv.Itoa(status)}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cli/error.go b/cli/error.go
index 1d35b4e77d65..3d198917ccf9 100644
--- a/cli/error.go
+++ b/cli/error.go
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 package cli
 
-import (
-	"strconv"
-)
-
 // StatusError reports an unsuccessful exit by a command.
 type StatusError struct {
 	Cause      error
@@ -21,7 +17,9 @@ func (e StatusError) Error() string {
 	if e.Cause != nil {
 		return e.Cause.Error()
 	}
-	return "exit status " + strconv.Itoa(e.StatusCode)
+	// we don't want to set a default message here,
+	// some commands might want to be explicit about the error message
+	return ""
 }
 
 func (e StatusError) Unwrap() error {
diff --git a/cmd/docker/docker.go b/cmd/docker/docker.go
index 46a235c4bdb8..5183d455f9cd 100644
--- a/cmd/docker/docker.go
+++ b/cmd/docker/docker.go
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if err != nil && !errdefs.IsCancelled(err) {
-		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
+		if err.Error() != "" {
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
+		}
 		os.Exit(getExitCode(err))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/e2e/cli-plugins/socket_test.go b/e2e/cli-plugins/socket_test.go
index c641f0b7dac4..c754e27111fc 100644
--- a/e2e/cli-plugins/socket_test.go
+++ b/e2e/cli-plugins/socket_test.go
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ func TestPluginSocketBackwardsCompatible(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Assert(t, errors.As(err, &exitError))
 			assert.Check(t, exitError.Exited())
 			assert.Check(t, is.Equal(exitError.ExitCode(), 1))
-			assert.Check(t, is.ErrorContains(err, "exit status 1"))
 
 			// the plugin process does not receive a SIGINT and does
 			// the CLI cannot cancel it over the socket, so it kills
@@ -199,11 +198,10 @@ func TestPluginSocketCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Assert(t, errors.As(err, &exitError))
 			assert.Check(t, exitError.Exited())
 			assert.Check(t, is.Equal(exitError.ExitCode(), 2))
-			assert.Check(t, is.ErrorContains(err, "exit status 2"))
 
 			// the plugin does not get signalled, but it does get its
 			// context canceled by the CLI through the socket
-			const expected = "test-socket: exiting after context was done\nexit status 2"
+			const expected = "test-socket: exiting after context was done"
 			actual := strings.TrimSpace(string(out))
 			assert.Check(t, is.Equal(actual, expected))
 		})
@@ -238,7 +236,6 @@ func TestPluginSocketCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Assert(t, errors.As(err, &exitError))
 			assert.Check(t, exitError.Exited())
 			assert.Check(t, is.Equal(exitError.ExitCode(), 1))
-			assert.Check(t, is.ErrorContains(err, "exit status 1"))
 
 			// the plugin process does not receive a SIGINT and does
 			// not exit after having it's context canceled, so the CLI
diff --git a/e2e/container/attach_test.go b/e2e/container/attach_test.go
index 545d86ed707a..49765da891a8 100644
--- a/e2e/container/attach_test.go
+++ b/e2e/container/attach_test.go
@@ -58,5 +58,4 @@ func TestAttachInterrupt(t *testing.T) {
 	// the CLI should exit with 33 (the SIGINT was forwarded to the container), and the
 	// CLI process waited for the container exit and properly captured/set the exit code
 	assert.Equal(t, c.ProcessState.ExitCode(), 33)
-	assert.Equal(t, d.String(), "exit status 33\n")
 }
diff --git a/e2e/container/run_test.go b/e2e/container/run_test.go
index f4e591e21d4d..ec56d03b2b56 100644
--- a/e2e/container/run_test.go
+++ b/e2e/container/run_test.go
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ func TestRunAttach(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, c.ProcessState.ExitCode(), 7)
-			assert.Check(t, is.Contains(d.String(), "exit status 7"))
 		})
 	}
 }