diff --git a/cmd/registry/main.go b/cmd/registry/main.go
index ff4830d2..436b8f77 100644
--- a/cmd/registry/main.go
+++ b/cmd/registry/main.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/registry"
 	_ "github.com/docker/distribution/storagedriver/filesystem"
 	_ "github.com/docker/distribution/storagedriver/inmemory"
+	_ "github.com/docker/distribution/storagedriver/s3"
 )
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/storagedriver/s3/s3.go b/storagedriver/s3/s3.go
index 99ae9fe6..69f34877 100644
--- a/storagedriver/s3/s3.go
+++ b/storagedriver/s3/s3.go
@@ -168,7 +168,9 @@ func New(params DriverParameters) (*Driver, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if _, err := bucket.List("", "", "", 1); err != nil {
+	// Validate that the given credentials have at least read permissions in the
+	// given bucket scope.
+	if _, err := bucket.List(strings.TrimRight(params.RootDirectory, "/"), "", "", 1); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}