diff --git a/pkg/pod/status.go b/pkg/pod/status.go
index 082201797a0..2a1ba103d05 100644
--- a/pkg/pod/status.go
+++ b/pkg/pod/status.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ const (
 	// to resource constraints on the node
 	ReasonExceededNodeResources = "ExceededNodeResources"
 
+	// ReasonPullImageFailed indicates that the TaskRun's pod failed to pull image
+	ReasonPullImageFailed = "PullImageFailed"
+
 	// ReasonCreateContainerConfigError indicates that the TaskRun failed to create a pod due to
 	// config error of container
 	ReasonCreateContainerConfigError = "CreateContainerConfigError"
@@ -314,6 +317,8 @@ func updateIncompleteTaskRunStatus(trs *v1beta1.TaskRunStatus, pod *corev1.Pod)
 			markStatusRunning(trs, ReasonExceededNodeResources, "TaskRun Pod exceeded available resources")
 		case isPodHitConfigError(pod):
 			markStatusFailure(trs, ReasonCreateContainerConfigError, "Failed to create pod due to config error")
+		case isPullImageError(pod):
+			markStatusRunning(trs, ReasonPullImageFailed, getWaitingMessage(pod))
 		default:
 			markStatusRunning(trs, ReasonPending, getWaitingMessage(pod))
 		}
@@ -408,6 +413,34 @@ func isPodHitConfigError(pod *corev1.Pod) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// isPullImageError returns true if the Pod's status indicates there are any error when pulling image
+func isPullImageError(pod *corev1.Pod) bool {
+	for _, containerStatus := range pod.Status.ContainerStatuses {
+		if containerStatus.State.Waiting != nil && isImageErrorReason(containerStatus.State.Waiting.Reason) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func isImageErrorReason(reason string) bool {
+	// Reference from https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/a1c8e9386af844757333733714fa1757489735b3/pkg/kubelet/images/types.go#L26
+	imageErrorReasons := []string{
+		"ImagePullBackOff",
+		"ImageInspectError",
+		"ErrImagePull",
+		"ErrImageNeverPull",
+		"RegistryUnavailable",
+		"InvalidImageName",
+	}
+	for _, imageReason := range imageErrorReasons {
+		if imageReason == reason {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func getWaitingMessage(pod *corev1.Pod) string {
 	// First, try to surface reason for pending/unknown about the actual build step.
 	for _, status := range pod.Status.ContainerStatuses {
diff --git a/pkg/pod/status_test.go b/pkg/pod/status_test.go
index 6cbdb0f85a2..006f76ae215 100644
--- a/pkg/pod/status_test.go
+++ b/pkg/pod/status_test.go
@@ -988,6 +988,46 @@ func TestMakeTaskRunStatus(t *testing.T) {
 				CompletionTime: &metav1.Time{Time: time.Now()},
 			},
 		},
+	}, {
+		desc: "when pod is pending because of pulling image then the error should bubble up to taskrun status",
+		pod: corev1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "pod",
+			},
+			Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []corev1.Container{{
+					Name: "step-first",
+				}},
+			},
+			Status: corev1.PodStatus{
+				Phase: corev1.PodPending,
+				ContainerStatuses: []corev1.ContainerStatus{{
+					Name: "step-first",
+					State: corev1.ContainerState{
+						Waiting: &corev1.ContainerStateWaiting{
+							Reason:  "ImagePullBackOff",
+							Message: "Back-off pulling image xxxxxxx",
+						},
+					},
+				}},
+			},
+		},
+		want: v1beta1.TaskRunStatus{
+			Status: statusPending("PullImageFailed", `build step "step-first" is pending with reason "Back-off pulling image xxxxxxx"`),
+			TaskRunStatusFields: v1beta1.TaskRunStatusFields{
+				Steps: []v1beta1.StepState{{
+					ContainerState: corev1.ContainerState{
+						Waiting: &corev1.ContainerStateWaiting{
+							Reason:  "ImagePullBackOff",
+							Message: "Back-off pulling image xxxxxxx",
+						},
+					},
+					Name:          "first",
+					ContainerName: "step-first",
+				}},
+				Sidecars: []v1beta1.SidecarState{},
+			},
+		},
 	}} {
 		t.Run(c.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
 			now := metav1.Now()