diff --git a/lib/api/middlewares/authorization.js b/lib/api/middlewares/authorization.js
index f998f9362..5d43cff10 100644
--- a/lib/api/middlewares/authorization.js
+++ b/lib/api/middlewares/authorization.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ module.exports = function authorization (metadataBackend, forceToBeMaster = fals
             req.profiler.done('authorization');
 
             return next(new Error('permission denied'));
+        } else if (!credentials.apiKeyToken) {
+            req.profiler.done('authorization');
+
+            return next(new Error('unauthorized'));
         }
 
         res.locals.api_key = credentials.apiKeyToken;
diff --git a/lib/services/error-handler.js b/lib/services/error-handler.js
index 0d346c6fd..26e7a1ff6 100644
--- a/lib/services/error-handler.js
+++ b/lib/services/error-handler.js
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class ErrorHandler extends Error {
     getHttpStatus (httpStatus = 400) {
         if (this.message.includes('permission denied')) {
             return 403;
+        } else if (this.message.includes('unauthorized')) {
+            return 401;
         }
 
         return httpStatus;