diff --git a/client/devicemanager/instance.go b/client/devicemanager/instance.go
index 3119f7207df..edeeb2e8eb7 100644
--- a/client/devicemanager/instance.go
+++ b/client/devicemanager/instance.go
@@ -336,7 +336,11 @@ START:
 
 	// Start fingerprinting
 	fingerprintCh, err := devicePlugin.Fingerprint(i.ctx)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err == device.ErrPluginDisabled {
+		i.logger.Info("fingerprinting failed: plugin is not enabled")
+		i.handleFingerprintError()
+		return
+	} else if err != nil {
 		i.logger.Error("fingerprinting failed", "error", err)
 		i.handleFingerprintError()
 		return
diff --git a/devices/gpu/nvidia/device.go b/devices/gpu/nvidia/device.go
index c0abf874396..67680dc2a0e 100644
--- a/devices/gpu/nvidia/device.go
+++ b/devices/gpu/nvidia/device.go
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ var (
 			hclspec.NewLiteral("\"1m\""),
 		),
 	})
-
-	errDeviceNotEnabled = fmt.Errorf("Nvidia device is not enabled")
 )
 
 // Config contains configuration information for the plugin.
@@ -160,7 +158,7 @@ func (d *NvidiaDevice) SetConfig(cfg *base.Config) error {
 // devices health changes, messages will be emitted.
 func (d *NvidiaDevice) Fingerprint(ctx context.Context) (<-chan *device.FingerprintResponse, error) {
 	if !d.enabled {
-		return nil, errDeviceNotEnabled
+		return nil, device.ErrPluginDisabled
 	}
 
 	outCh := make(chan *device.FingerprintResponse)
@@ -184,7 +182,7 @@ func (d *NvidiaDevice) Reserve(deviceIDs []string) (*device.ContainerReservation
 		return &device.ContainerReservation{}, nil
 	}
 	if !d.enabled {
-		return nil, errDeviceNotEnabled
+		return nil, device.ErrPluginDisabled
 	}
 
 	// Due to the asynchronous nature of NvidiaPlugin, there is a possibility
@@ -221,7 +219,7 @@ func (d *NvidiaDevice) Reserve(deviceIDs []string) (*device.ContainerReservation
 // Stats streams statistics for the detected devices.
 func (d *NvidiaDevice) Stats(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration) (<-chan *device.StatsResponse, error) {
 	if !d.enabled {
-		return nil, errDeviceNotEnabled
+		return nil, device.ErrPluginDisabled
 	}
 
 	outCh := make(chan *device.StatsResponse)
diff --git a/devices/gpu/nvidia/device_test.go b/devices/gpu/nvidia/device_test.go
index 0554a0b4205..a5ec354e243 100644
--- a/devices/gpu/nvidia/device_test.go
+++ b/devices/gpu/nvidia/device_test.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestReserve(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Name:                "Device is disabled",
 			ExpectedReservation: nil,
-			ExpectedError:       errDeviceNotEnabled,
+			ExpectedError:       device.ErrPluginDisabled,
 			RequestedIDs: []string{
 				"UUID1",
 				"UUID2",
diff --git a/plugins/device/device.go b/plugins/device/device.go
index c1e8b0bf406..32fa16133a7 100644
--- a/plugins/device/device.go
+++ b/plugins/device/device.go
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ const (
 	DeviceTypeGPU = "gpu"
 )
 
+var (
+	// ErrPluginDisabled indicates that the device plugin is disabled
+	ErrPluginDisabled = fmt.Errorf("device is not enabled")
+)
+
 // DevicePlugin is the interface for a plugin that can expose detected devices
 // to Nomad and inform it how to mount them.
 type DevicePlugin interface {