diff --git a/storage/integration_test.go b/storage/integration_test.go
index 0b90c7dee64..a0679ecc60a 100644
--- a/storage/integration_test.go
+++ b/storage/integration_test.go
@@ -3206,14 +3206,12 @@ func TestIntegration_CancelWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	cancel()
 	// The next Write should return context.Canceled.
 	_, err = w.Write(buf)
-	// TODO: Once we drop support for Go versions < 1.13, use errors.Is() to
-	// check for context cancellation instead.
-	if err != context.Canceled && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "context canceled") {
+	if !xerrors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 		t.Fatalf("got %v, wanted context.Canceled", err)
 	}
 	// The Close should too.
 	err = w.Close()
-	if err != context.Canceled && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "context canceled") {
+	if !xerrors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 		t.Fatalf("got %v, wanted context.Canceled", err)
 	}
 }
@@ -3865,7 +3863,7 @@ func TestIntegration_ReaderCancel(t *testing.T) {
 		buf := make([]byte, 1000)
 		_, readErr = r.Read(buf)
 		if readErr != nil {
-			if readErr == context.Canceled {
+			if xerrors.Is(readErr, context.Canceled) {
 				return
 			}
 			break
diff --git a/storage/invoke.go b/storage/invoke.go
index 2ecf48fffd4..0c44c2db14c 100644
--- a/storage/invoke.go
+++ b/storage/invoke.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func runWithRetry(ctx context.Context, call func() error) error {
 			return true, nil
 		}
 		if shouldRetry(err) {
-			return false, nil
+			return false, err
 		}
 		return true, err
 	})
diff --git a/storage/writer.go b/storage/writer.go
index ff30ff78bd2..a0ca9ae51a0 100644
--- a/storage/writer.go
+++ b/storage/writer.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
+	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 	"google.golang.org/api/googleapi"
 	raw "google.golang.org/api/storage/v1"
 	storagepb "google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/storage/v2"
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ func (w *Writer) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		// Preserve existing functionality that when context is canceled, Write will return
 		// context.Canceled instead of "io: read/write on closed pipe". This hides the
 		// pipe implementation detail from users and makes Write seem as though it's an RPC.
-		if werr == context.Canceled || werr == context.DeadlineExceeded {
+		if xerrors.Is(werr, context.Canceled) || xerrors.Is(werr, context.DeadlineExceeded){
 			return n, werr
 		}
 	}