diff --git a/tools/commands-packages.js b/tools/commands-packages.js
index aa9e929762..ddd2535473 100644
--- a/tools/commands-packages.js
+++ b/tools/commands-packages.js
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     // We are going to call the server to check if we are authorized, so that when
     // we implement things like organizations, we are not handicapped by the
     // user's meteor version.
-    if (!packageClient.amIAuthorized(relConf.track, true)) {
+    if (!packageClient.amIAuthorized(relConf.track,conn,  true)) {
       process.stderr.write('\n You are not an authorized maintainer of ' + relConf.track + ".\n");
       process.stderr.write('Only authorized maintainers may publish new versions.\n');
       return 1;
diff --git a/tools/package-client.js b/tools/package-client.js
index 803fb7fe05..1a07b75a47 100644
--- a/tools/package-client.js
+++ b/tools/package-client.js
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ exports.publishPackage = function (packageSource, compileResult, conn, options)
       return 1;
     }
 
-    if (!amIAuthorized(name, false)) {
+    if (!amIAuthorized(name, conn, false)) {
       process.stderr.write('You are not an authorized maintainer of ' + name + ".\n");
       process.stderr.write('Only authorized maintainers may publish new versions. \n');
       return 1;
@@ -654,8 +654,7 @@ exports.publishPackage = function (packageSource, compileResult, conn, options)
 //
 // If this returns FALSE, then we are NOT authorized.
 // Otherwise, return true.
-var amIAuthorized = function (name, isRelease) {
-  var conn = openPackageServerConnection();
+var amIAuthorized = function (name, conn, isRelease) {
   var methodName = "amIAuthorized" +
     (isRelease ? "Release" : "Package");
 
@@ -663,7 +662,7 @@ var amIAuthorized = function (name, isRelease) {
      conn.call(methodName, name);
   } catch (err) {
     conn.close();
-    if (err.error === 404) {
+    if (err.error === 401) {
       return false;
     }