diff --git a/gateway/src/resty/http_ng/backend/resty.lua b/gateway/src/resty/http_ng/backend/resty.lua
index 0dfb748ef..0cc7a3b71 100644
--- a/gateway/src/resty/http_ng/backend/resty.lua
+++ b/gateway/src/resty/http_ng/backend/resty.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ backend.send = function(_, request)
   local httpc, err = http_proxy.new(request)
 
   if err then
-    return nil, err
+    return response.error(request, err)
   end
 
   if httpc then
diff --git a/spec/resty/http_ng/backend/resty_spec.lua b/spec/resty/http_ng/backend/resty_spec.lua
index 9f4e5ff7c..dba755bfe 100755
--- a/spec/resty/http_ng/backend/resty_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/resty/http_ng/backend/resty_spec.lua
@@ -37,8 +37,11 @@ describe('resty backend', function()
       local req = { method = method, url = 'http://0.0.0.0:0/' }
       local response, err = backend:send(req)
 
-      assert.falsy(response)
-      assert.equal("connection refused", err)
+      assert.falsy(err)
+      assert.truthy(response.error)
+      assert.equal("connection refused", response.error)
+      assert.falsy(response.ok)
+      assert.same(req, response.request)
     end)
 
     context('http proxy is set', function()
diff --git a/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua b/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
index 1fdcb8b85..b14eafa0b 100755
--- a/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
@@ -224,18 +224,18 @@ describe('http_ng', function()
   end)
 
   describe('when there is error #network', function()
-    local response, err
+    local response
     before_each(function()
       http = http_ng.new{ backend = resty_backend }
-      response, err = http.get('http://127.0.0.1:1')
+      response = http.get('http://127.0.0.1:1')
     end)
 
     it('is not ok', function()
-      assert.falsy(response)
+      assert.equal(false, response.ok)
     end)
 
     it('has error', function()
-      assert.equal("connection refused", err)
+      assert.equal("connection refused", response.error)
     end)
   end)