diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 01e60df15..f895e03db 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ### Fixed
 
 - Fix escaping regex values in when editing silences #3936.
+- Fix UI handling of 401 errors #3942.
 
 ## v0.96
 
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.test.tsx b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.test.tsx
index cb0174155..34a15318d 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.test.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ describe("useFetchAny", () => {
       status: 500,
       body: "fake error",
     });
+    fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/401", 401);
     fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/error", {
       throws: new TypeError("failed to fetch"),
     });
@@ -133,6 +134,25 @@ describe("useFetchAny", () => {
     expect(result.current.responseURI).toBe("http://localhost/ok/json");
   });
 
+  it("error is using status code if body is empty", async () => {
+    const upstreams = [{ uri: "http://localhost/401", options: {} }];
+    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
+      useFetchAny(upstreams)
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.inProgress).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.current.responseURI).toBe(null);
+
+    await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe("401 Unauthorized");
+    expect(result.current.inProgress).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.responseURI).toBe(null);
+  });
+
   it("error is updated after 500 error", async () => {
     const upstreams = [{ uri: "http://localhost/500", options: {} }];
     const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.ts b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.ts
index 8288da1af..5372e65fd 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.ts
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchAny.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ const useFetchAny = <T>(
               } else {
                 setResponse({
                   response: null,
-                  error: body,
+                  error: body ? body : `${res.status} ${res.statusText}`,
                   responseURI: null,
                   inProgress: false,
                 });
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.test.tsx b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.test.tsx
index 10aacbe17..29a7b1ace 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.test.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { useFetchDelete } from "./useFetchDelete";
 describe("useFetchDelete", () => {
   beforeAll(() => {
     fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/ok", "body ok");
+    fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/401", 401);
     fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/500", {
       status: 500,
       body: "fake error",
@@ -79,6 +80,22 @@ describe("useFetchDelete", () => {
     expect(result.current.isDeleting).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("error is updated after 401 error", async () => {
+    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
+      useFetchDelete("http://localhost/401", EmptyOptions)
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.isDeleting).toBe(true);
+
+    await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe("401 Unauthorized");
+    expect(result.current.isDeleting).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("error is updated after 500 error", async () => {
     const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
       useFetchDelete("http://localhost/500", EmptyOptions)
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.ts b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.ts
index 57c284cb3..be1b83379 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.ts
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchDelete.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const useFetchDelete = (
             setResponse(text);
             setIsDeleting(false);
           } else {
-            setError(text);
+            setError(text ? text : `${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
             setIsDeleting(false);
           }
         }
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.test.tsx b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.test.tsx
index 82d2fe28e..c4394c5ca 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.test.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ describe("useFetchGet", () => {
       headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
       body: JSON.stringify({ status: "ok" }),
     });
+    fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/401", 401);
     fetchMock.mock("http://localhost/error", {
       throws: new TypeError("failed to fetch"),
     });
@@ -189,6 +190,25 @@ describe("useFetchGet", () => {
     expect(result.current.isRetrying).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("error is updated after 401 error", async () => {
+    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
+      useFetchGet<string>("http://localhost/401")
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.isLoading).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.current.isRetrying).toBe(false);
+
+    jest.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    await waitForNextUpdate();
+
+    expect(result.current.response).toBe(null);
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe("401 Unauthorized");
+    expect(result.current.isLoading).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.isRetrying).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("error is updated after failed fetch", async () => {
     const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() =>
       useFetchGet<string>("http://localhost/error")
diff --git a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.ts b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.ts
index 3c3136141..d06bd4e58 100644
--- a/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.ts
+++ b/ui/src/Hooks/useFetchGet.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ const useFetchGet = <T>(
           } else {
             setResponse({
               response: null,
-              error: body,
+              error: body ? body : `${res.status} ${res.statusText}`,
               isLoading: false,
               isRetrying: false,
               retryCount: 0,