diff --git a/auth/middleware.go b/auth/middleware.go
index 74d44aa48d0d914e9d78bff0429f659caf803675..24fd0cc6869b4fa3f380b08e496fa0e0c76852e9 100644
--- a/auth/middleware.go
+++ b/auth/middleware.go
@@ -101,11 +101,12 @@ 	}
 }
 
 func authError(w http.ResponseWriter, reason string, code int) {
-	gqlerr := gqlerror.Errorf("Authentication error: %s", reason)
 	b, err := json.Marshal(struct {
 		Errors []*gqlerror.Error `json:"errors"`
 	}{
-		Errors: []*gqlerror.Error{gqlerr},
+		Errors: []*gqlerror.Error{
+			errors.New(errors.Unauthorized, reason),
+		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)