diff --git a/packages/plugins/auth-memory/test/index.spec.ts b/packages/plugins/auth-memory/test/index.spec.ts
index 658db5b5c..343bee715 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/auth-memory/test/index.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/auth-memory/test/index.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
 
 import { Config, getDefaultConfig } from '@verdaccio/config';
-import { pluginUtils } from '@verdaccio/core';
+import { API_ERROR, errorUtils, pluginUtils } from '@verdaccio/core';
 
 import Memory from '../src/index';
 import { Users, VerdaccioMemoryConfig } from '../src/types';
@@ -307,8 +307,8 @@ describe('Memory', function () {
     test('fails if user does not exist', function () {
       return new Promise((done) => {
         auth.authenticate('john', 'secret', function (err, groups) {
-          expect(err).toBeNull();
-          expect(groups).toBeFalsy();
+          expect(err).toEqual(errorUtils.getUnauthorized(API_ERROR.BAD_USERNAME_PASSWORD));
+          expect(groups).toBeUndefined();
           done(true);
         });
       });