diff --git a/include/proto/http_htx.h b/include/proto/http_htx.h
index 40e608a93..4e9c7c861 100644
--- a/include/proto/http_htx.h
+++ b/include/proto/http_htx.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ unsigned int http_get_htx_fhdr(const struct htx *htx, const struct ist hdr,
 int http_str_to_htx(struct buffer *buf, struct ist raw);
 
 void release_http_reply(struct http_reply *http_reply);
+int http_check_http_reply(struct http_reply *reply, struct proxy*px, char **errmsg);
 struct http_reply *http_parse_http_reply(const char **args, int *orig_arg, struct proxy *px,
 					 int default_status, char **errmsg);
 
diff --git a/src/http_act.c b/src/http_act.c
index d15030378..b7a6603c9 100644
--- a/src/http_act.c
+++ b/src/http_act.c
@@ -1939,42 +1939,18 @@ static enum act_return http_action_return(struct act_rule *rule, struct proxy *p
 	goto leave;
 }
 
-/* Check an "http-request return" action when an http-errors section is referenced.
- *
- * The function returns 1 in success case, otherwise, it returns 0 and err is
- * filled.
+/* Check an "http-request return" action. The function returns 1 in success
+ * case, otherwise, it returns 0 and err is filled.
  */
 static int check_http_return_action(struct act_rule *rule, struct proxy *px, char **err)
 {
 	struct http_reply *reply = rule->arg.http_reply;
-	struct http_errors *http_errs;
-	int ret = 1;
 
-	if (reply->type != HTTP_REPLY_ERRFILES)
-		goto end;
-
-	list_for_each_entry(http_errs, &http_errors_list, list) {
-		if (strcmp(http_errs->id, reply->body.http_errors) == 0) {
-			reply->type = HTTP_REPLY_ERRMSG;
-			free(reply->body.http_errors);
-			reply->body.errmsg = http_errs->errmsg[http_get_status_idx(reply->status)];
-			if (!reply->body.errmsg)
-				ha_warning("Proxy '%s': status '%d' referenced by http return rule "
-					   "not declared in http-errors section '%s'.\n",
-					   px->id, reply->status, http_errs->id);
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (&http_errs->list == &http_errors_list) {
-		memprintf(err, "unknown http-errors section '%s' referenced by http return rule",
-			  reply->body.http_errors);
+	if (!http_check_http_reply(reply, px, err)) {
 		release_http_return(rule);
-		ret = 0;
+		return 0;
 	}
-
-  end:
-	return ret;
+	return 1;
 }
 
 /* Parse a "return" action. It returns ACT_RET_PRS_OK on success,
diff --git a/src/http_htx.c b/src/http_htx.c
index 3015320ec..d98b2b994 100644
--- a/src/http_htx.c
+++ b/src/http_htx.c
@@ -1241,6 +1241,46 @@ out:
 	return buf;
 }
 
+/* Check an "http reply" and, for replies referencing an http-errors section,
+ * try to find the right section and the right error message in this section. If
+ * found, the reply is updated. If the http-errors section exists but the error
+ * message is not found, no error message is set to fallback on the default
+ * ones.  Otherwise (unknown section) an error is returned.
+ *
+ * The function returns 1 in success case, otherwise, it returns 0 and errmsg is
+ * filled.
+ */
+int http_check_http_reply(struct http_reply *reply, struct proxy *px, char **errmsg)
+{
+	struct http_errors *http_errs;
+	int ret = 1;
+
+	if (reply->type != HTTP_REPLY_ERRFILES)
+		goto end;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(http_errs, &http_errors_list, list) {
+		if (strcmp(http_errs->id, reply->body.http_errors) == 0) {
+			reply->type = HTTP_REPLY_ERRMSG;
+			free(reply->body.http_errors);
+			reply->body.errmsg = http_errs->errmsg[http_get_status_idx(reply->status)];
+			if (!reply->body.errmsg)
+				ha_warning("Proxy '%s': status '%d' referenced by an http reply "
+					   "not declared in http-errors section '%s'.\n",
+					   px->id, reply->status, http_errs->id);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (&http_errs->list == &http_errors_list) {
+		memprintf(errmsg, "unknown http-errors section '%s' referenced by an http reply ",
+			  reply->body.http_errors);
+		ret = 0;
+	}
+
+  end:
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /* Parse an "http reply". It returns the reply on success or NULL on error. This
  * function creates one of the following http replies :
  *