diff --git a/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/ProtocolLib.ts b/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/ProtocolLib.ts
index bfe84937d764..69efd0298805 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/ProtocolLib.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/ProtocolLib.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ErrorSchema, NormalizedSchema, TypeRegistry } from "@smithy/core/schema";
+import { NormalizedSchema, TypeRegistry } from "@smithy/core/schema";
 import type { HttpResponse as IHttpResponse, MetadataBearer, ResponseMetadata, StaticErrorSchema } from "@smithy/types";
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/query/AwsQueryProtocol.ts b/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/query/AwsQueryProtocol.ts
index 8a74530c19bc..6f55e614b567 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/query/AwsQueryProtocol.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/submodules/protocols/query/AwsQueryProtocol.ts
@@ -158,10 +158,15 @@ export class AwsQueryProtocol extends RpcProtocol {
       response,
       errorData,
       metadata,
-      (registry: TypeRegistry, errorName: string) =>
-        registry.find(
-          (schema) => (NormalizedSchema.of(schema).getMergedTraits().awsQueryError as any)?.[0] === errorName
-        ) as StaticErrorSchema
+      (registry: TypeRegistry, errorName: string) => {
+        try {
+          return registry.getSchema(errorName) as StaticErrorSchema;
+        } catch (e) {
+          return registry.find(
+            (schema) => (NormalizedSchema.of(schema).getMergedTraits().awsQueryError as any)?.[0] === errorName
+          ) as StaticErrorSchema;
+        }
+      }
     );
 
     const ns = NormalizedSchema.of(errorSchema);