diff --git a/scrape/scrape.go b/scrape/scrape.go
index e40ae81d2..299ffdc98 100644
--- a/scrape/scrape.go
+++ b/scrape/scrape.go
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@ func appender(app storage.Appender, sampleLimit, bucketLimit int) storage.Append
 
 // A scraper retrieves samples and accepts a status report at the end.
 type scraper interface {
-	scrape(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) (string, error)
+	scrape(ctx context.Context) (*http.Response, error)
+	readResponse(ctx context.Context, resp *http.Response, w io.Writer) (string, error)
 	Report(start time.Time, dur time.Duration, err error)
 	offset(interval time.Duration, offsetSeed uint64) time.Duration
 }
@@ -814,11 +815,11 @@ const (
 
 var UserAgent = fmt.Sprintf("Prometheus/%s", version.Version)
 
-func (s *targetScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) (string, error) {
+func (s *targetScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context) (*http.Response, error) {
 	if s.req == nil {
 		req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", s.URL().String(), nil)
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		req.Header.Add("Accept", s.acceptHeader)
 		req.Header.Add("Accept-Encoding", "gzip")
@@ -828,10 +829,10 @@ func (s *targetScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) (string, error)
 		s.req = req
 	}
 
-	resp, err := s.client.Do(s.req.WithContext(ctx))
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
+	return s.client.Do(s.req.WithContext(ctx))
+}
+
+func (s *targetScraper) readResponse(ctx context.Context, resp *http.Response, w io.Writer) (string, error) {
 	defer func() {
 		io.Copy(io.Discard, resp.Body)
 		resp.Body.Close()
@@ -858,13 +859,14 @@ func (s *targetScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) (string, error)
 
 	if s.gzipr == nil {
 		s.buf = bufio.NewReader(resp.Body)
+		var err error
 		s.gzipr, err = gzip.NewReader(s.buf)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
 	} else {
 		s.buf.Reset(resp.Body)
-		if err = s.gzipr.Reset(s.buf); err != nil {
+		if err := s.gzipr.Reset(s.buf); err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
 	}
@@ -1326,11 +1328,7 @@ func (sl *scrapeLoop) scrapeAndReport(last, appendTime time.Time, errc chan<- er
 		)
 	}
 
-	b := sl.buffers.Get(sl.lastScrapeSize).([]byte)
-	defer sl.buffers.Put(b)
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(b)
-
-	var total, added, seriesAdded, bytes int
+	var total, added, seriesAdded, bytesRead int
 	var err, appErr, scrapeErr error
 
 	app := sl.appender(sl.appenderCtx)
@@ -1346,7 +1344,7 @@ func (sl *scrapeLoop) scrapeAndReport(last, appendTime time.Time, errc chan<- er
 	}()
 
 	defer func() {
-		if err = sl.report(app, appendTime, time.Since(start), total, added, seriesAdded, bytes, scrapeErr); err != nil {
+		if err = sl.report(app, appendTime, time.Since(start), total, added, seriesAdded, bytesRead, scrapeErr); err != nil {
 			level.Warn(sl.l).Log("msg", "Appending scrape report failed", "err", err)
 		}
 	}()
@@ -1367,8 +1365,17 @@ func (sl *scrapeLoop) scrapeAndReport(last, appendTime time.Time, errc chan<- er
 	}
 
 	var contentType string
+	var resp *http.Response
+	var b []byte
+	var buf *bytes.Buffer
 	scrapeCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(sl.parentCtx, sl.timeout)
-	contentType, scrapeErr = sl.scraper.scrape(scrapeCtx, buf)
+	resp, scrapeErr = sl.scraper.scrape(scrapeCtx)
+	if scrapeErr == nil {
+		b = sl.buffers.Get(sl.lastScrapeSize).([]byte)
+		defer sl.buffers.Put(b)
+		buf = bytes.NewBuffer(b)
+		contentType, scrapeErr = sl.scraper.readResponse(scrapeCtx, resp, buf)
+	}
 	cancel()
 
 	if scrapeErr == nil {
@@ -1379,14 +1386,14 @@ func (sl *scrapeLoop) scrapeAndReport(last, appendTime time.Time, errc chan<- er
 		if len(b) > 0 {
 			sl.lastScrapeSize = len(b)
 		}
-		bytes = len(b)
+		bytesRead = len(b)
 	} else {
 		level.Debug(sl.l).Log("msg", "Scrape failed", "err", scrapeErr)
 		if errc != nil {
 			errc <- scrapeErr
 		}
 		if errors.Is(scrapeErr, errBodySizeLimit) {
-			bytes = -1
+			bytesRead = -1
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/scrape/scrape_test.go b/scrape/scrape_test.go
index 3b7d6a7ab..6c09b95e5 100644
--- a/scrape/scrape_test.go
+++ b/scrape/scrape_test.go
@@ -2619,7 +2619,9 @@ func TestTargetScraperScrapeOK(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		var buf bytes.Buffer
 
-		contentType, err := ts.scrape(context.Background(), &buf)
+		resp, err := ts.scrape(context.Background())
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		contentType, err := ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, &buf)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.Equal(t, "text/plain; version=0.0.4", contentType)
 		require.Equal(t, "metric_a 1\nmetric_b 2\n", buf.String())
@@ -2665,7 +2667,7 @@ func TestTargetScrapeScrapeCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 
 	go func() {
-		_, err := ts.scrape(ctx, io.Discard)
+		_, err := ts.scrape(ctx)
 		switch {
 		case err == nil:
 			errc <- errors.New("Expected error but got nil")
@@ -2711,7 +2713,9 @@ func TestTargetScrapeScrapeNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 		acceptHeader: scrapeAcceptHeader,
 	}
 
-	_, err = ts.scrape(context.Background(), io.Discard)
+	resp, err := ts.scrape(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, io.Discard)
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "404", "Expected \"404 NotFound\" error but got: %s", err)
 }
 
@@ -2755,26 +2759,34 @@ func TestTargetScraperBodySizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 
 	// Target response uncompressed body, scrape with body size limit.
-	_, err = ts.scrape(context.Background(), &buf)
+	resp, err := ts.scrape(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, &buf)
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errBodySizeLimit)
 	require.Equal(t, bodySizeLimit, buf.Len())
 	// Target response gzip compressed body, scrape with body size limit.
 	gzipResponse = true
 	buf.Reset()
-	_, err = ts.scrape(context.Background(), &buf)
+	resp, err = ts.scrape(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, &buf)
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errBodySizeLimit)
 	require.Equal(t, bodySizeLimit, buf.Len())
 	// Target response uncompressed body, scrape without body size limit.
 	gzipResponse = false
 	buf.Reset()
 	ts.bodySizeLimit = 0
-	_, err = ts.scrape(context.Background(), &buf)
+	resp, err = ts.scrape(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, &buf)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, len(responseBody), buf.Len())
 	// Target response gzip compressed body, scrape without body size limit.
 	gzipResponse = true
 	buf.Reset()
-	_, err = ts.scrape(context.Background(), &buf)
+	resp, err = ts.scrape(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = ts.readResponse(context.Background(), resp, &buf)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, len(responseBody), buf.Len())
 }
@@ -2802,7 +2814,11 @@ func (ts *testScraper) Report(start time.Time, duration time.Duration, err error
 	ts.lastError = err
 }
 
-func (ts *testScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer) (string, error) {
+func (ts *testScraper) scrape(ctx context.Context) (*http.Response, error) {
+	return nil, ts.scrapeErr
+}
+
+func (ts *testScraper) readResponse(ctx context.Context, resp *http.Response, w io.Writer) (string, error) {
 	if ts.scrapeFunc != nil {
 		return "", ts.scrapeFunc(ctx, w)
 	}