diff --git a/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py b/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
index bb84739af1..305c904ad3 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/controllers/container.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from swift.proxy.controllers.base import Controller, delay_denial, \
     cors_validation, set_info_cache, clear_info_cache
 from swift.common.storage_policy import POLICIES
 from swift.common.swob import HTTPBadRequest, HTTPForbidden, \
-    HTTPNotFound, HTTPServerError
+    HTTPNotFound, HTTPServiceUnavailable
 
 
 class ContainerController(Controller):
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ class ContainerController(Controller):
             self.account_info(self.account_name, req)
         if not accounts and self.app.account_autocreate:
             if not self.autocreate_account(req, self.account_name):
-                return HTTPServerError(request=req)
+                return HTTPServiceUnavailable(request=req)
             account_partition, accounts, container_count = \
                 self.account_info(self.account_name, req)
         if not accounts:
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
index bcc5a5bed1..bd7dae5e29 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
@@ -8006,7 +8006,7 @@ class TestContainerController(unittest.TestCase):
             # fail to retrieve account info
             test_status_map(
                 (503, 503, 503),  # account_info fails on 503
-                500, missing_container=True)
+                503, missing_container=True)
             # account fail after creation
             test_status_map(
                 (404, 404, 404,   # account_info fails on 404
@@ -8017,7 +8017,7 @@ class TestContainerController(unittest.TestCase):
                 (503, 503, 404,   # account_info fails on 404
                  503, 503, 503,   # PUT account
                  503, 503, 404),  # account_info fail
-                500, missing_container=True)
+                503, missing_container=True)
             # put fails
             test_status_map(
                 (404, 404, 404,   # account_info fails on 404