diff --git a/client/src/api-client/index.js b/client/src/api-client/index.js
index bca10a1a99..1fea2cd74a 100644
--- a/client/src/api-client/index.js
+++ b/client/src/api-client/index.js
@@ -111,8 +111,10 @@ class APIClient {
   ) {
     return renkuFetch(url, options)
       .catch((error) => {
-        if (error.case === API_ERRORS.authExpired)
-          return this.doLogin();
+        if (error.case === API_ERRORS.authExpired) {
+          this.doLogin();
+          return Promise.reject(error);
+        }
         // For permission errors we send the user to login
         if (reLogin && error.case === API_ERRORS.unauthorizedError)
           return this.doLogin();
diff --git a/client/src/user/User.state.js b/client/src/user/User.state.js
index a576e954f7..6c9b4b92a1 100644
--- a/client/src/user/User.state.js
+++ b/client/src/user/User.state.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class UserCoordinator {
           data: { $set: {} }
         };
         // we get 401 unauthorized when the user is not logged in, but that's not an error
-        if (error.case !== API_ERRORS.unauthorizedError)
+        if (error.case !== API_ERRORS.unauthorizedError && error.case !== API_ERRORS.authExpired)
           errorObject.error = status;
         this.model.setObject(errorObject);