diff --git a/tools/auth.js b/tools/auth.js
index f3287582a9..1b0a876782 100644
--- a/tools/auth.js
+++ b/tools/auth.js
@@ -434,6 +434,8 @@ var logInToGalaxy = function (galaxyName) {
 // include:
 // - retry: if true, then if the user gets the password wrong,
 //   reprompt.
+// - suppressErrorMessage: true if the function should not print an
+//   error message to stderr if the login fails
 var doInteractivePasswordLogin = function (options) {
   var loginData = {};
 
@@ -445,7 +447,9 @@ var doInteractivePasswordLogin = function (options) {
     throw new Error("Need username or email");
 
   var loginFailed = function () {
-    process.stderr.write("Login failed.\n");
+    if (! options.suppressErrorMessage) {
+      process.stderr.write("Login failed.\n");
+    }
   };
 
   var conn = authConn();
@@ -493,6 +497,8 @@ var doInteractivePasswordLogin = function (options) {
   return true;
 };
 
+exports.doInteractivePasswordLogin = doInteractivePasswordLogin;
+
 exports.loginCommand = function (options) {
   config.printUniverseBanner();
 
diff --git a/tools/deploy.js b/tools/deploy.js
index 6398684552..ff4f314c8a 100644
--- a/tools/deploy.js
+++ b/tools/deploy.js
@@ -153,13 +153,18 @@ var authedRpc = function (options) {
   if (infoResult.statusCode === 403 && rpcOptions.promptIfAuthFails) {
     // Our authentication didn't validate, so prompt the user to log in
     // again, and resend the RPC if the login succeeds.
-    var loginResult = auth.loginCommand(_.extend({}, rpcOptions, {
-      overwriteExistingToken: true
-    }));
-    if (loginResult === 0) {
-      // If the login prompt succeeded, then resend the RPC with the
-      // original options.
+    var username = utils.readLine({ prompt: "Username: " });
+    var loginOptions = {
+      username: username,
+      suppressErrorMessage: true
+    };
+    if (auth.doInteractivePasswordLogin(loginOptions)) {
       return authedRpc(options);
+    } else {
+      return {
+        statusCode: 403,
+        errorMessage: "login failed."
+      };
     }
   }