diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
index a7dc3f9f7fdd7..3e6dacad1de92 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/S3AFileSystem.java
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.CallableSupplier.waitForCompletionIgnoringExceptions;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.ErrorTranslation.isObjectNotFound;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.ErrorTranslation.isUnknownBucket;
+import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.InternalConstants.AP_INACCESSIBLE;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.InternalConstants.AP_REQUIRED_EXCEPTION;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.InternalConstants.AP_S3GUARD_INCOMPATIBLE;
 import static org.apache.hadoop.fs.s3a.impl.InternalConstants.ARN_BUCKET_OPTION;
@@ -785,7 +786,8 @@ protected void verifyBucketExistsV2()
                 s3.getBucketAcl(bucket);
               } catch (AmazonServiceException ex) {
                 int statusCode = ex.getStatusCode();
-                if (statusCode == SC_404 || (statusCode == SC_403 && accessPoint != null)) {
+                if (statusCode == SC_404 ||
+                    (statusCode == SC_403 && ex.getMessage().contains(AP_INACCESSIBLE))) {
                   return false;
                 }
               }
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/impl/InternalConstants.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/impl/InternalConstants.java
index 501460de072f9..286ec2125a72f 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/impl/InternalConstants.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-aws/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/s3a/impl/InternalConstants.java
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ private InternalConstants() {
   public static final String AP_REQUIRED_EXCEPTION = "Access Points usage is required" +
       " but not configured for the bucket.";
 
+  /**
+   * Error message to indicate Access Points are not accessible or don't exist.
+   */
+  public static final String AP_INACCESSIBLE = "Could not access through this access point";
+
   /**
    * AccessPoint ARN for the bucket. When set as a bucket override the requests for that bucket
    * will go through the AccessPoint.