diff --git a/integration/querier_test.go b/integration/querier_test.go
index a823b26fa59..19ebdf0b8a6 100644
--- a/integration/querier_test.go
+++ b/integration/querier_test.go
@@ -962,9 +962,10 @@ func TestQueryLimitsWithBlocksStorageRunningInMicroServices(t *testing.T) {
 	res, err = c.Push(series4)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, 200, res.StatusCode)
+
 	_, err = c.QueryRange("{__name__=~\"series_.+\"}", series1Timestamp, series4Timestamp.Add(1*time.Hour), blockRangePeriod)
 	require.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "500")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "max number of series limit")
 }
 
 func TestHashCollisionHandling(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/distributor/query.go b/pkg/distributor/query.go
index 0ea792a85fc..cdb0cd4681b 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/query.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/query.go
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (d *Distributor) queryIngesterStream(ctx context.Context, userID string, re
 
 			for _, series := range resp.Timeseries {
 				if limitErr := queryLimiter.AddSeries(series.Labels); limitErr != nil {
-					return nil, limitErr
+					return nil, validation.LimitError(limitErr.Error())
 				}
 			}