diff --git a/python/restate/__init__.py b/python/restate/__init__.py
index 3b32d65..84173d5 100644
--- a/python/restate/__init__.py
+++ b/python/restate/__init__.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 from .context import Context, ObjectContext, ObjectSharedContext
 from .context import WorkflowContext, WorkflowSharedContext
 from .retry_policy import InvocationRetryPolicy
-from .client_types import RestateClient, RestateClientSendHandle
+from .client_types import RestateClient, HttpError, RestateClientSendHandle
 
 # pylint: disable=line-too-long
 from .context import (
@@ -119,5 +119,6 @@ async def create_client(
     "getLogger",
     "RestateClient",
     "RestateClientSendHandle",
+    "HttpError",
     "create_client",
 ]
diff --git a/python/restate/client.py b/python/restate/client.py
index d674961..2e8eda5 100644
--- a/python/restate/client.py
+++ b/python/restate/client.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import typing
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 
-from .client_types import RestateClient, RestateClientSendHandle
+from .client_types import RestateClient, RestateClientSendHandle, HttpError
 
 from .context import HandlerType
 from .serde import BytesSerde, JsonSerde, Serde
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ async def post(
         if idempotency_key is not None:
             dict_headers["Idempotency-Key"] = idempotency_key
         res = await self.client.post(endpoint, headers=dict_headers, content=content)
-        res.raise_for_status()
+        if res.status_code >= 400:
+            raise HttpError(res.status_code, res.reason_phrase, res.text)
         return res.content
 
     @typing.final
diff --git a/python/restate/client_types.py b/python/restate/client_types.py
index b8d5121..8d1bb23 100644
--- a/python/restate/client_types.py
+++ b/python/restate/client_types.py
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ def __init__(self, invocation_id: str, status_code: int):
         self.status_code = status_code
 
 
+class HttpError(Exception):
+    """
+    An error that occurs during an HTTP request.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, status_code: int, message: str, body: str | None = None):
+        super().__init__(f"HTTP {status_code}: {message}")
+        self.status_code = status_code
+        self.message = message
+        self.body = body
+
+
 class RestateClient(abc.ABC):
     """
     An abstract base class for a Restate client.