diff --git a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/mappers/ThrowableToErrorMapper.java b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/mappers/ThrowableToErrorMapper.java
index cf97141a21..a808440b5e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/mappers/ThrowableToErrorMapper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/exception/mappers/ThrowableToErrorMapper.java
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ public final class ThrowableToErrorMapper {
         if (throwable instanceof UnauthorizedException) {
           return ErrorCode.UNAUTHENTICATED_REQUEST
               .toApiException()
-              .getCommandResultError(
-                  ErrorCode.UNAUTHENTICATED_REQUEST.getMessage(), Response.Status.UNAUTHORIZED);
+              .getCommandResultError(message, Response.Status.UNAUTHORIZED);
         }
 
         // handle all driver exceptions
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CQLSessionCache.java b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CQLSessionCache.java
index 7eb85b3342..edb9a349f9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CQLSessionCache.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CQLSessionCache.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import io.stargate.sgv2.jsonapi.JsonApiStartUp;
 import io.stargate.sgv2.jsonapi.api.request.DataApiRequestInfo;
 import io.stargate.sgv2.jsonapi.config.OperationsConfig;
+import io.stargate.sgv2.jsonapi.exception.ErrorCode;
 import jakarta.enterprise.context.ApplicationScoped;
 import jakarta.inject.Inject;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ private CqlSession getNewSession(SessionCacheKey cacheKey) {
           builder.withAuthCredentials(
               Objects.requireNonNull(upc.userName()), Objects.requireNonNull(upc.password()));
         } else {
-          throw new RuntimeException(
+          throw new UnauthorizedException(
               "Invalid credentials format, expected `Cassandra:Base64(username):Base64(password)`");
         }
       } else {
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ public CqlSession getSession() {
     String fixedToken;
     if ((fixedToken = getFixedToken()) != null
         && !dataApiRequestInfo.getCassandraToken().orElseThrow().equals(fixedToken)) {
-      throw new UnauthorizedException("Unauthorized");
+      throw new UnauthorizedException(ErrorCode.UNAUTHENTICATED_REQUEST.getMessage());
     }
     return sessionCache.get(getSessionCacheKey());
   }
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ private record UsernamePasswordCredentials(String userName, String password)
     public static UsernamePasswordCredentials from(String encodedCredentials) {
       String[] parts = encodedCredentials.split(":");
       if (parts.length != 3) {
-        throw new RuntimeException(
+        throw new UnauthorizedException(
             "Invalid credentials format, expected `Cassandra:Base64(username):Base64(password)`");
       }
       try {
@@ -247,7 +248,7 @@ public static UsernamePasswordCredentials from(String encodedCredentials) {
         String password = new String(Base64.getDecoder().decode(parts[2]));
         return new UsernamePasswordCredentials(userName, password);
       } catch (Exception e) {
-        throw new RuntimeException(
+        throw new UnauthorizedException(
             "Invalid credentials format, expected `Cassandra:Base64(username):Base64(password)`");
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CqlSessionCacheTests.java b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CqlSessionCacheTests.java
index c925637244..da2718b2c2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CqlSessionCacheTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/stargate/sgv2/jsonapi/service/cqldriver/CqlSessionCacheTests.java
@@ -137,7 +137,10 @@ public void testOSSCxCQLSessionCacheWithInvalidFixedToken()
     operationsConfigField.set(cqlSessionCacheForTest, operationsConfig);
     // Throwable
     Throwable t = catchThrowable(cqlSessionCacheForTest::getSession);
-    assertThat(t).isNotNull().isInstanceOf(UnauthorizedException.class).hasMessage("Unauthorized");
+    assertThat(t)
+        .isNotNull()
+        .isInstanceOf(UnauthorizedException.class)
+        .hasMessage("UNAUTHENTICATED: Invalid token");
     // metrics test
     Gauge cacheSizeMetric =
         meterRegistry.find("cache.size").tag("cache", "cql_sessions_cache").gauge();