diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/galaxy-error-reason.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/galaxy-error-reason.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a1bf0ab4c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/galaxy-error-reason.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- ansible-galaxy - Return the HTTP code reason if no error msg was returned by the server - https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/64850
diff --git a/lib/ansible/galaxy/api.py b/lib/ansible/galaxy/api.py
index ed9be32af3d..037e0666d21 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/galaxy/api.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/galaxy/api.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class GalaxyError(AnsibleError):
 
         url_split = self.url.split('/')
         if 'v2' in url_split:
-            galaxy_msg = err_info.get('message', 'Unknown error returned by Galaxy server.')
+            galaxy_msg = err_info.get('message', http_error.reason)
             code = err_info.get('code', 'Unknown')
             full_error_msg = u"%s (HTTP Code: %d, Message: %s Code: %s)" % (message, self.http_code, galaxy_msg, code)
         elif 'v3' in url_split:
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class GalaxyError(AnsibleError):
 
             message_lines = []
             for error in errors:
-                error_msg = error.get('detail') or error.get('title') or 'Unknown error returned by Galaxy server.'
+                error_msg = error.get('detail') or error.get('title') or http_error.reason
                 error_code = error.get('code') or 'Unknown'
                 message_line = u"(HTTP Code: %d, Message: %s Code: %s)" % (self.http_code, error_msg, error_code)
                 message_lines.append(message_line)
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class GalaxyError(AnsibleError):
             full_error_msg = "%s %s" % (message, ', '.join(message_lines))
         else:
             # v1 and unknown API endpoints
-            galaxy_msg = err_info.get('default', 'Unknown error returned by Galaxy server.')
+            galaxy_msg = err_info.get('default', http_error.reason)
             full_error_msg = u"%s (HTTP Code: %d, Message: %s)" % (message, self.http_code, galaxy_msg)
 
         self.message = to_native(full_error_msg)
diff --git a/test/units/galaxy/test_api.py b/test/units/galaxy/test_api.py
index 7464a7d7f4e..86cfaeaa6f4 100644
--- a/test/units/galaxy/test_api.py
+++ b/test/units/galaxy/test_api.py
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ def test_initialise_unknown(monkeypatch):
 
     api = GalaxyAPI(None, "test", "https://galaxy.ansible.com/api/", token=GalaxyToken(token='my_token'))
 
-    expected = "Error when finding available api versions from test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: Unknown " \
-               "error returned by Galaxy server.)" % api.api_server
+    expected = "Error when finding available api versions from test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: msg)" \
+        % api.api_server
     with pytest.raises(AnsibleError, match=re.escape(expected)):
         api.authenticate("github_token")
 
@@ -292,15 +292,13 @@ def test_publish_collection(api_version, collection_url, collection_artifact, mo
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('api_version, collection_url, response, expected', [
     ('v2', 'collections', {},
-     'Error when publishing collection to test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: Unknown error returned by Galaxy '
-     'server. Code: Unknown)'),
+     'Error when publishing collection to test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: msg Code: Unknown)'),
     ('v2', 'collections', {
         'message': u'Galaxy error messäge',
         'code': 'GWE002',
     }, u'Error when publishing collection to test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: Galaxy error messäge Code: GWE002)'),
     ('v3', 'artifact/collections', {},
-     'Error when publishing collection to test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: Unknown error returned by Galaxy '
-     'server. Code: Unknown)'),
+     'Error when publishing collection to test (%s) (HTTP Code: 500, Message: msg Code: Unknown)'),
     ('v3', 'artifact/collections', {
         'errors': [
             {
diff --git a/test/units/galaxy/test_collection_install.py b/test/units/galaxy/test_collection_install.py
index ae86d91db6a..eee00e53b31 100644
--- a/test/units/galaxy/test_collection_install.py
+++ b/test/units/galaxy/test_collection_install.py
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ def test_build_requirement_from_name_401_unauthorized(galaxy_server, monkeypatch
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(galaxy_server, 'get_collection_versions', mock_open)
 
-    expected = "error (HTTP Code: 401, Message: Unknown error returned by Galaxy server.)"
+    expected = "error (HTTP Code: 401, Message: msg)"
     with pytest.raises(api.GalaxyError, match=re.escape(expected)):
         collection.CollectionRequirement.from_name('namespace.collection', [galaxy_server, galaxy_server], '*', False)