diff --git a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner_v1/database.py b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner_v1/database.py
index 6f85d30bcbd43..da6e046c7083b 100644
--- a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner_v1/database.py
+++ b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner_v1/database.py
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
 import re
 import threading
 
+            
 import google.auth.credentials
+from google.api_core import exceptions
 from google.gax.errors import GaxError
 from google.gax.grpc import exc_to_code
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1.gapic.spanner_client import SpannerClient
@@ -208,14 +210,12 @@ def create(self):
                 options=options,
             )
         except GaxError as exc:
-            if exc_to_code(exc.cause) == StatusCode.ALREADY_EXISTS:
+            exception = exceptions.from_grpc_error(exc.cause)
+            if exception.grpc_status_code == StatusCode.ALREADY_EXISTS:
                 raise Conflict(self.name)
-            elif exc_to_code(exc.cause) == StatusCode.NOT_FOUND:
-                raise NotFound('Database not found: {name}'.format(
-                    name=db_name,
-                ))
+            elif exception.grpc_status_code == StatusCode.NOT_FOUND:
+                raise exception.errors[0]
             raise
-
         return future
 
     def exists(self):
diff --git a/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py b/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
index 5cde38d309fe1..d843bf8f51d49 100644
--- a/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
+++ b/spanner/tests/system/test_system.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 
 from google.cloud._helpers import UTC
 from google.cloud.exceptions import GrpcRendezvous
-from google.cloud.exceptions import NotFound
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1._helpers import TimestampWithNanoseconds
 from google.cloud.spanner import Client
 from google.cloud.spanner import KeyRange
@@ -283,17 +282,18 @@ def test_create_database(self):
             for database in Config.INSTANCE.list_databases()]
         self.assertIn(temp_db_id, database_ids)
 
-    def test_create_database_not_found(self):
-        temp_db_id = 'temp_db' + unique_resource_id('_')
+    def test_table_not_found(self):
+        table = 'yTable'
         temp_db = Config.INSTANCE.database(temp_db_id, ddl_statements=[
             'CREATE TABLE MyTable ('
             '    Id      STRING(36) NOT NULL,'
             '    Field1  STRING(36) NOT NULL'
             ') PRIMARY KEY (Id)',
-            'CREATE INDEX IDX ON yTable (Field1)'
+            'CREATE INDEX IDX ON {table} (Field1)'.format(table)
         ])
-        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(NotFound, 'Database not found: ' + temp_db_id):
-            operation = temp_db.create()
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(GrpcRendezvous,
+                                     'Table not found: {table}'.format(table)):
+            operation = temp_db.create()        
 
     def test_update_database_ddl(self):
         pool = BurstyPool()