diff --git a/packages/core-app-api/src/apis/implementations/AuthErrorApi/SignInAuthErrorApi.ts b/packages/core-app-api/src/apis/implementations/AuthErrorApi/SignInAuthErrorApi.ts
index 0197f253ab..2f2ba9cb09 100644
--- a/packages/core-app-api/src/apis/implementations/AuthErrorApi/SignInAuthErrorApi.ts
+++ b/packages/core-app-api/src/apis/implementations/AuthErrorApi/SignInAuthErrorApi.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ export class SignInAuthErrorApi implements AuthErrorApi {
 
   async getSignInAuthError(): Promise<Error | undefined> {
     const baseUrl = await this.discoveryApi.getBaseUrl('auth');
+
+    // use native fetch instead of depending on fetchApi because
+    // we are not signed in and are calling an unauthenticated endpoint
     const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/.backstage/error`, {
       credentials: 'include',
     });
diff --git a/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createAuthErrorCookie.ts b/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createAuthErrorCookie.ts
index 05b1c99cee..61914e7c05 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createAuthErrorCookie.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createAuthErrorCookie.ts
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ const ONE_MINUTE_MS = 60 * 1000;
 
 const AUTH_ERROR_COOKIE = 'auth-error';
 
-function configureAuthErrorCookie(redirectUrl: string, appOrigin: string) {
-  const { hostname: domain, pathname: path, protocol } = new URL(redirectUrl);
+function configureAuthErrorCookie(apiUrl: string, appOrigin: string) {
+  const { hostname: domain, pathname: path, protocol } = new URL(apiUrl);
   const secure = protocol === 'https:';
 
   // For situations where the auth-backend is running on a
@@ -42,15 +42,15 @@ export function createAuthErrorCookie(
   origin: string,
   options: {
     error: Error;
-    redirectUrl: string;
+    apiUrl: string;
   },
 ) {
-  const { error, redirectUrl } = options;
+  const { error, apiUrl } = options;
   const jsonData = serializeError(error);
 
   res.cookie(AUTH_ERROR_COOKIE, jsonData, {
     maxAge: ONE_MINUTE_MS,
     httpOnly: true,
-    ...configureAuthErrorCookie(redirectUrl, origin),
+    ...configureAuthErrorCookie(apiUrl, origin),
   });
 }
diff --git a/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createOAuthRouteHandlers.ts b/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createOAuthRouteHandlers.ts
index 649c094dba..847dc4844f 100644
--- a/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createOAuthRouteHandlers.ts
+++ b/plugins/auth-node/src/oauth/createOAuthRouteHandlers.ts
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ export function createOAuthRouteHandlers<TProfile>(
         if (state?.flow === 'redirect' && state?.redirectUrl) {
           createAuthErrorCookie(res, state?.redirectUrl, {
             error: { name, message },
-            redirectUrl: `${baseUrl}/.backstage/error`,
+            apiUrl: `${baseUrl}/.backstage/error`,
           });
 
           const redirectUrl = new URL(state.redirectUrl);