diff --git a/lib/api/api-stream.js b/lib/api/api-stream.js
index f33f459f9d4..7560a2e6505 100644
--- a/lib/api/api-stream.js
+++ b/lib/api/api-stream.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const { finished } = require('stream')
+const { finished, PassThrough } = require('stream')
 const {
   InvalidArgumentError,
   InvalidReturnValueError,
-  RequestAbortedError
+  RequestAbortedError,
+  ResponseStatusCodeError
 } = require('../core/errors')
 const util = require('../core/util')
 const { AsyncResource } = require('async_hooks')
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
       throw new InvalidArgumentError('invalid opts')
     }
 
-    const { signal, method, opaque, body, onInfo, responseHeaders } = opts
+    const { signal, method, opaque, body, onInfo, responseHeaders, throwOnError } = opts
 
     try {
       if (typeof callback !== 'function') {
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.trailers = null
     this.body = body
     this.onInfo = onInfo || null
+    this.throwOnError = throwOnError || false
 
     if (util.isStream(body)) {
       body.on('error', (err) => {
@@ -76,8 +78,8 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
     this.context = context
   }
 
-  onHeaders (statusCode, rawHeaders, resume) {
-    const { factory, opaque, context } = this
+  onHeaders (statusCode, rawHeaders, resume, statusMessage) {
+    const { factory, opaque, context, callback } = this
 
     if (statusCode < 200) {
       if (this.onInfo) {
@@ -96,6 +98,32 @@ class StreamHandler extends AsyncResource {
       context
     })
 
+    if (this.throwOnError && statusCode >= 400) {
+      const headers = this.responseHeaders === 'raw' ? util.parseRawHeaders(rawHeaders) : util.parseHeaders(rawHeaders)
+      const chunks = []
+      const pt = new PassThrough()
+      pt
+        .on('data', (chunk) => chunks.push(chunk))
+        .on('end', () => {
+          const payload = Buffer.concat(chunks).toString('utf8')
+          this.runInAsyncScope(
+            callback,
+            null,
+            new ResponseStatusCodeError(
+              `Response status code ${statusCode}${statusMessage ? `: ${statusMessage}` : ''}`,
+              statusCode,
+              headers,
+              payload
+            )
+          )
+        })
+        .on('error', (err) => {
+          this.onError(err)
+        })
+      this.res = pt
+      return
+    }
+
     if (
       !res ||
       typeof res.write !== 'function' ||
diff --git a/test/async_hooks.js b/test/async_hooks.js
index 8a77af35d72..2e8533d2d9b 100644
--- a/test/async_hooks.js
+++ b/test/async_hooks.js
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ test('async hooks client is destroyed', (t) => {
     const client = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
     t.teardown(client.destroy.bind(client))
 
-    client.request({ path: '/', method: 'GET' }, (err, { body }) => {
+    client.request({ path: '/', method: 'GET', throwOnError: true }, (err, { body }) => {
       t.error(err)
       body.resume()
       body.on('error', (err) => {
diff --git a/test/client-stream.js b/test/client-stream.js
index 2ff5fa53563..e67727b74c7 100644
--- a/test/client-stream.js
+++ b/test/client-stream.js
@@ -785,4 +785,63 @@ test('stream legacy needDrain', (t) => {
       t.pass()
     })
   })
+
+  test('steam throwOnError', (t) => {
+    t.plan(2)
+
+    const errStatusCode = 500
+    const errMessage = 'Internal Server Error'
+
+    const server = createServer((req, res) => {
+      res.writeHead(errStatusCode, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' })
+      res.end(errMessage)
+    })
+    t.teardown(server.close.bind(server))
+
+    server.listen(0, async () => {
+      const client = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+      t.teardown(client.close.bind(client))
+
+      client.stream({
+        path: '/',
+        method: 'GET',
+        throwOnError: true,
+        opaque: new PassThrough()
+      }, ({ opaque: pt }) => {
+        pt.on('data', () => {
+          t.fail()
+        })
+        return pt
+      }, (e) => {
+        t.equal(e.status, errStatusCode)
+        t.equal(e.body, errMessage)
+        t.end()
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  test('steam throwOnError=true, error on stream', (t) => {
+    t.plan(1)
+
+    const server = createServer((req, res) => {
+      res.end('asd')
+    })
+    t.teardown(server.close.bind(server))
+
+    server.listen(0, async () => {
+      const client = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+      t.teardown(client.close.bind(client))
+
+      client.stream({
+        path: '/',
+        method: 'GET',
+        throwOnError: true,
+        opaque: new PassThrough()
+      }, () => {
+        throw new Error('asd')
+      }, (e) => {
+        t.equal(e.message, 'asd')
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })