How to fix Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp connection refused in Docker

What this error means

The "proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp connection refused" error indicates that Docker is attempting to route its network traffic through a proxy server, but the connection to that proxy is being actively refused. This typically happens when: - A proxy is configured in Docker's settings, but the proxy server is not running or is unreachable - Environment variables (HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY) are set to a proxy address that no longer exists - Docker Desktop has stale or incorrect proxy settings from a previous network configuration - You've moved from a corporate network (with proxy) to a home network (without proxy) but Docker still has the old settings The error message contains the proxy IP address and port (e.g., `127.0.0.1:8080` or `192.168.65.1:3128`), which helps identify whether the issue is with a local proxy, corporate proxy, or Docker Desktop's internal proxy configuration. This is different from a general "connection refused" error - this specifically indicates the proxy connection is failing, not the connection to Docker Hub itself.

Typical symptoms

• Docker pull commands fail with 'proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp... connection refused'
• Cannot pull images from Docker Hub or other registries
• Docker login fails with proxy connection errors
• Docker build fails when downloading base images
• Error message shows a proxy IP address (often 127.0.0.1:8080 or 192.168.65.1:3128)
• Commands work when connected to corporate network but fail at home
• Docker Desktop shows proxy-related errors in logs

Common causes

1. Proxy server is not running but Docker is configured to use it
2. Stale proxy settings in Docker Desktop from a previous network environment
3. HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY environment variables pointing to an unavailable proxy
4. Corporate proxy requires authentication but credentials are not configured
5. Docker daemon systemd configuration has outdated proxy settings
6. Moved from corporate network (with proxy) to home network (without proxy)
7. VPN disconnected but proxy settings remain active
8. Docker Desktop auto-detected incorrect proxy from WPAD/PAC settings
9. Proxy configuration in daemon.json pointing to wrong address or port

How to fix "Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp connection refused"

Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8080: connect: connection refused

# Linux/macOS
echo "HTTP_PROXY: $HTTP_PROXY"
echo "HTTPS_PROXY: $HTTPS_PROXY"
echo "http_proxy: $http_proxy"
echo "https_proxy: $https_proxy"
echo "NO_PROXY: $NO_PROXY"

# Windows PowerShell
echo $env:HTTP_PROXY
echo $env:HTTPS_PROXY

# Linux/macOS
unset HTTP_PROXY HTTPS_PROXY http_proxy https_proxy NO_PROXY no_proxy

# Windows PowerShell
$env:HTTP_PROXY = ""
$env:HTTPS_PROXY = ""

docker pull hello-world

# Settings file location
notepad "$env:APPDATA\Docker\settings.json"

# Settings file location
open ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker/settings.json

# List Docker service drop-in files
ls -la /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/

# View proxy configuration if it exists
cat /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/http-proxy.conf 2>/dev/null
cat /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/https-proxy.conf 2>/dev/null

# Remove proxy drop-in files
sudo rm -f /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/http-proxy.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/https-proxy.conf

# Or move them for backup
sudo mv /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/http-proxy.conf ~/http-proxy.conf.bak

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker

sudo systemctl show --property=Environment docker
# Should not show HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY

# Linux
cat /etc/docker/daemon.json

# Windows
type "%PROGRAMDATA%\docker\config\daemon.json"

# macOS (Docker Desktop stores this internally)
cat ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker/settings.json

{
  "proxies": {
    "http-proxy": "",
    "https-proxy": "",
    "no-proxy": ""
  }
}

# Linux
sudo systemctl restart docker

# Windows/macOS
# Restart Docker Desktop

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/http-proxy.conf << EOF
[Service]
Environment="HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080"
Environment="HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080"
Environment="NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1,.company.com,docker-registry.local"
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker

{
  "proxies": {
    "http-proxy": "http://proxy.company.com:8080",
    "https-proxy": "http://proxy.company.com:8080",
    "no-proxy": "localhost,127.0.0.1,.company.com"
  }
}

# Format: http://username:password@proxy:port
HTTP_PROXY=http://myuser:mypassword@proxy.company.com:8080

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/http-proxy.conf << EOF
[Service]
Environment="HTTP_PROXY=http://myuser:mypassword@proxy.company.com:8080"
Environment="HTTPS_PROXY=http://myuser:mypassword@proxy.company.com:8080"
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker

# Check if proxy port is open
nc -zv proxy.company.com 8080
# or
telnet proxy.company.com 8080

# Without proxy (direct connection)
curl -v https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/

# With proxy
curl -v --proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080 https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/

# With authenticated proxy
curl -v --proxy http://user:password@proxy.company.com:8080 https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/

nslookup registry-1.docker.io
# Should return valid IP addresses

# macOS - remove all Docker Desktop data
rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
rm -rf ~/.docker

# Then reinstall Docker Desktop

Advanced notes

# Add to daemon.json
{
  "debug": true
}

# View daemon logs
journalctl -u docker -f

NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1,::1,.local,.internal,192.168.0.0/16,10.0.0.0/8

Frequently asked questions

What does "Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: prox" mean?

The "proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp connection refused" error indicates that Docker is attempting to route its network traffic through a proxy server, but the connection to that proxy is being actively refused. 1:3128), which helps identify whether the issue is with a local proxy, corporate proxy, or Docker Desktop's internal proxy configuration. This is different from a general "connection refused" error - this specifically indicates the proxy connection is failing, not the connection to Docker Hub itself.

How do I fix "Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: prox"?

This error occurs when Docker is configured to use a proxy server, but the proxy is unreachable or not running. The Docker daemon cannot connect to Docker Hub or other registries through the specified proxy, resulting in image pull and push failures.

What causes "Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: prox"?

Proxy server is not running but Docker is configured to use it Stale proxy settings in Docker Desktop from a previous network environment HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY environment variables pointing to an unavailable proxy

Is the "Error response from daemon: Get https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/: prox" error serious?

It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

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Official resources & further reading

• 📚Docker Official Documentation
• 📖
  Daemon proxy configuration - Docker Docs(Official Docs)
• 📖
  Configure Docker CLI proxy - Docker Docs(Official Docs)
• 🐙
  proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8080 connection refused - docker/for-win(GitHub)
• 🐙
  proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp 192.168.65.1:3128 connection refused - docker/for-win(GitHub)
• 🐙
  proxyconnect tcp connection refused without experimental features - docker/for-mac(GitHub)
• 💬
  Can't docker pull - connection refused - Stack Overflow(Stack Overflow)
• 💬
  proxyconnect tcp: dial tcp 192.168.65.1 - Stack Overflow(Stack Overflow)
• 💬
  Error response from daemon: connection refused - Docker Forums(Stack Overflow)
• 📖
  Docker Proxy: Complete Guide for Corporate Firewalls - DataCamp(Official Docs)
• 📖
  Configuring a Proxy in Docker - Baeldung(Official Docs)
• 📖
  100 Common Docker Errors and Solutions - DEV Community(Official Docs)