diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetlibsshsession.c b/src/rpc/virnetlibsshsession.c
index 21eb9f2500..7c5f158f4d 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetlibsshsession.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetlibsshsession.c
@@ -637,8 +637,6 @@ virNetLibsshAuthenticatePassword(virNetLibsshSessionPtr sess,
             if (!(password = virAuthGetPasswordPath(sess->authPath, sess->cred,
                                                     "ssh", sess->username,
                                                     sess->hostname))) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                               _("failed to retrieve password"));
                 ret = SSH_AUTH_ERROR;
                 goto cleanup;
             }
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetsshsession.c b/src/rpc/virnetsshsession.c
index 6566f36ce0..35dc6c5356 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetsshsession.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetsshsession.c
@@ -726,11 +726,8 @@ virNetSSHAuthenticatePassword(virNetSSHSessionPtr sess,
         while (true) {
             if (!(password = virAuthGetPasswordPath(sess->authPath, sess->cred,
                                                     "ssh", priv->username,
-                                                    sess->hostname))) {
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                               _("failed to retrieve password"));
+                                                    sess->hostname)))
                 goto cleanup;
-            }
 
             /* tunelled password authentication */
             if ((rc = libssh2_userauth_password(sess->session,