diff --git a/api/v3rpc/rpctypes/error.go b/api/v3rpc/rpctypes/error.go
index c03e91cfb..73dd84ee7 100644
--- a/api/v3rpc/rpctypes/error.go
+++ b/api/v3rpc/rpctypes/error.go
@@ -68,19 +68,19 @@ var (
 	ErrGRPCNoLeader                   = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: no leader").Err()
 	ErrGRPCNotLeader                  = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: not leader").Err()
 	ErrGRPCLeaderChanged              = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: leader changed").Err()
-	ErrGRPCNotCapable                 = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: not capable").Err()
+	ErrGRPCNotCapable                 = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: not capable").Err()
 	ErrGRPCStopped                    = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: server stopped").Err()
 	ErrGRPCTimeout                    = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: request timed out").Err()
 	ErrGRPCTimeoutDueToLeaderFail     = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: request timed out, possibly due to previous leader failure").Err()
 	ErrGRPCTimeoutDueToConnectionLost = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: request timed out, possibly due to connection lost").Err()
 	ErrGRPCUnhealthy                  = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: unhealthy cluster").Err()
 	ErrGRPCCorrupt                    = status.New(codes.DataLoss, "etcdserver: corrupt cluster").Err()
-	ErrGPRCNotSupportedForLearner     = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: rpc not supported for learner").Err()
+	ErrGPRCNotSupportedForLearner     = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: rpc not supported for learner").Err()
 	ErrGRPCBadLeaderTransferee        = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: bad leader transferee").Err()
 
-	ErrGRPCClusterVersionUnavailable     = status.New(codes.Unavailable, "etcdserver: cluster version not found during downgrade").Err()
 	ErrGRPCWrongDowngradeVersionFormat   = status.New(codes.InvalidArgument, "etcdserver: wrong downgrade target version format").Err()
 	ErrGRPCInvalidDowngradeTargetVersion = status.New(codes.InvalidArgument, "etcdserver: invalid downgrade target version").Err()
+	ErrGRPCClusterVersionUnavailable     = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: cluster version not found during downgrade").Err()
 	ErrGRPCDowngradeInProcess            = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: cluster has a downgrade job in progress").Err()
 	ErrGRPCNoInflightDowngrade           = status.New(codes.FailedPrecondition, "etcdserver: no inflight downgrade job").Err()
 
diff --git a/client/v3/retry_interceptor.go b/client/v3/retry_interceptor.go
index 9586c334a..9ce2c7696 100644
--- a/client/v3/retry_interceptor.go
+++ b/client/v3/retry_interceptor.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package clientv3
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ func (c *Client) unaryClientInterceptor(optFuncs ...retryOption) grpc.UnaryClien
 				}
 				continue
 			}
-			if !isSafeRetry(c.lg, lastErr, callOpts) {
+			if !isSafeRetry(c, lastErr, callOpts) {
 				return lastErr
 			}
 		}
@@ -257,7 +258,7 @@ func (s *serverStreamingRetryingStream) receiveMsgAndIndicateRetry(m interface{}
 		return true, err
 
 	}
-	return isSafeRetry(s.client.lg, err, s.callOpts), err
+	return isSafeRetry(s.client, err, s.callOpts), err
 }
 
 func (s *serverStreamingRetryingStream) reestablishStreamAndResendBuffer(callCtx context.Context) (grpc.ClientStream, error) {
@@ -297,17 +298,28 @@ func waitRetryBackoff(ctx context.Context, attempt uint, callOpts *options) erro
 }
 
 // isSafeRetry returns "true", if request is safe for retry with the given error.
-func isSafeRetry(lg *zap.Logger, err error, callOpts *options) bool {
+func isSafeRetry(c *Client, err error, callOpts *options) bool {
 	if isContextError(err) {
 		return false
 	}
+
+	// Situation when learner refuses RPC it is supposed to not serve is from the server
+	// perspective not retryable.
+	// But for backward-compatibility reasons we need  to support situation that
+	// customer provides mix of learners (not yet voters) and voters with an
+	// expectation to pick voter in the next attempt.
+	// TODO: Ideally client should be 'aware' which endpoint represents: leader/voter/learner with high probability.
+	if errors.Is(err, rpctypes.ErrGPRCNotSupportedForLearner) && len(c.Endpoints()) > 1 {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	switch callOpts.retryPolicy {
 	case repeatable:
 		return isSafeRetryImmutableRPC(err)
 	case nonRepeatable:
 		return isSafeRetryMutableRPC(err)
 	default:
-		lg.Warn("unrecognized retry policy", zap.String("retryPolicy", callOpts.retryPolicy.String()))
+		c.lg.Warn("unrecognized retry policy", zap.String("retryPolicy", callOpts.retryPolicy.String()))
 		return false
 	}
 }