diff --git a/packages/-ember-data/tests/integration/adapter/handle-response-test.js b/packages/-ember-data/tests/integration/adapter/handle-response-test.js
index 88feedac345..50ae40bb39d 100644
--- a/packages/-ember-data/tests/integration/adapter/handle-response-test.js
+++ b/packages/-ember-data/tests/integration/adapter/handle-response-test.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ module('integration/adapter/handle-response', function(hooks) {
     assert.equal(handleResponseCalled, 1, 'handle response is called');
   });
 
-  test('handleResponse is called on empty string repsonse', async function(assert) {
+  test('handleResponse is called on empty string response', async function(assert) {
     let handleResponseCalled = 0;
 
     this.server.get('/people', function() {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ module('integration/adapter/handle-response', function(hooks) {
     assert.equal(handleResponseCalled, 1, 'handle response is called');
   });
 
-  test('handleResponse is not called on invalid repsonse', async function(assert) {
+  test('handleResponse is not called on invalid response', async function(assert) {
     let handleResponseCalled = 0;
 
     this.server.get('/people', function() {
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ module('integration/adapter/handle-response', function(hooks) {
     assert.equal(handleResponseCalled, 0, 'handle response is not called');
   });
 
-  test('handleResponse is called on empty string repsonse with 400 status', async function(assert) {
+  test('handleResponse is called on empty string response with 400 status', async function(assert) {
     let handleResponseCalled = 0;
 
     this.server.get('/people', function() {
@@ -175,4 +175,34 @@ module('integration/adapter/handle-response', function(hooks) {
 
     assert.equal(handleResponseCalled, 1, 'handle response is called');
   });
+
+  test('handleResponse is called with correct parameters on string response with 422 status', async function(assert) {
+    let handleResponseCalled = 0;
+
+    let errorObject = { errors: {} };
+
+    this.server.get('/people', function() {
+      return [422, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, JSON.stringify(errorObject)];
+    });
+
+    class TestAdapter extends JSONAPIAdapter {
+      handleResponse(status, headers, payload, requestData) {
+        handleResponseCalled++;
+        assert.deepEqual(payload, errorObject, 'payload from handleResponse matches expected error');
+
+        return super.handleResponse(status, headers, payload, requestData);
+      }
+    }
+
+    this.owner.register('adapter:application', TestAdapter);
+
+    try {
+      await this.store.findAll('person');
+      assert.ok(false, 'promise should reject');
+    } catch {
+      assert.ok(true, 'promise rejected');
+    }
+
+    assert.equal(handleResponseCalled, 1, 'handle response is called');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/adapter/addon/rest.js b/packages/adapter/addon/rest.js
index 02944d083b5..d61f7a67137 100644
--- a/packages/adapter/addon/rest.js
+++ b/packages/adapter/addon/rest.js
@@ -1301,11 +1301,13 @@ function fetchSuccessHandler(adapter, payload, response, requestData) {
 
 function fetchErrorHandler(adapter, payload, response, errorThrown, requestData) {
   let responseData = fetchResponseData(response);
+
   if (responseData.status === 200 && payload instanceof Error) {
     responseData.errorThrown = payload;
     payload = responseData.errorThrown.payload;
   } else {
     responseData.errorThrown = errorThrown;
+    payload = adapter.parseErrorResponse(payload);
   }
   return ajaxError(adapter, payload, requestData, responseData);
 }