diff --git a/internal/am/upload_transfer_test.go b/internal/am/upload_transfer_test.go
index d50cb8512..125fe967c 100644
--- a/internal/am/upload_transfer_test.go
+++ b/internal/am/upload_transfer_test.go
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ func TestUploadTransferActivity(t *testing.T) {
 				).Return(
 					0,
 					"",
-					sftp.NewAuthError(
-						errors.New("ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain"),
-					),
+					&sftp.AuthError{
+						Message: "ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain",
+					},
 				)
 			},
-			wantErr:         "activity error (type: UploadTransferActivity, scheduledEventID: 0, startedEventID: 0, identity: ): UploadTransferActivity: ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain",
+			wantErr:         "activity error (type: UploadTransferActivity, scheduledEventID: 0, startedEventID: 0, identity: ): UploadTransferActivity: auth: ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain",
 			wantNonRetryErr: true,
 		},
 	} {
diff --git a/internal/sftp/client.go b/internal/sftp/client.go
index a74d5aa03..159700d41 100644
--- a/internal/sftp/client.go
+++ b/internal/sftp/client.go
@@ -2,23 +2,20 @@ package sftp
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 )
 
 type AuthError struct {
-	err error
+	Message string
 }
 
 func (e *AuthError) Error() string {
-	return e.err.Error()
+	return fmt.Sprintf("auth: %s", e.Message)
 }
 
-func (e *AuthError) Unwrap() error {
-	return e.err
-}
-
-func NewAuthError(e error) *AuthError {
-	return &AuthError{err: e}
+func NewAuthError(e error) error {
+	return &AuthError{Message: e.Error()}
 }
 
 // A Client manages the transmission of data over SFTP.
diff --git a/internal/sftp/goclient_test.go b/internal/sftp/goclient_test.go
index f6f0bcd3b..1f559ba9c 100644
--- a/internal/sftp/goclient_test.go
+++ b/internal/sftp/goclient_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
@@ -233,9 +232,9 @@ func TestUpload(t *testing.T) {
 				src:  strings.NewReader("Testing 1-2-3"),
 				dest: "test.txt",
 			},
-			wantErr: sftp.NewAuthError(
-				errors.New("ssh: parse private key with passphrase: x509: decryption password incorrect"),
-			),
+			wantErr: &sftp.AuthError{
+				Message: "ssh: parse private key with passphrase: x509: decryption password incorrect",
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Errors when the SFTP server isn't there",
@@ -266,9 +265,9 @@ func TestUpload(t *testing.T) {
 					Path: "./testdata/clientkeys/test_unk_ed25519",
 				},
 			},
-			wantErr: sftp.NewAuthError(
-				errors.New("ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain"),
-			),
+			wantErr: &sftp.AuthError{
+				Message: "ssh: handshake failed: ssh: unable to authenticate, attempted methods [none publickey], no supported methods remain",
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Errors when the host key is not in known_hosts",
@@ -280,9 +279,9 @@ func TestUpload(t *testing.T) {
 					Path: "./testdata/clientkeys/test_ed25519",
 				},
 			},
-			wantErr: sftp.NewAuthError(
-				errors.New("ssh: handshake failed: knownhosts: key is unknown"),
-			),
+			wantErr: &sftp.AuthError{
+				Message: "ssh: handshake failed: knownhosts: key is unknown",
+			},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Errors when the known_hosts file doesn't exist",
@@ -294,9 +293,9 @@ func TestUpload(t *testing.T) {
 					Path: "./testdata/clientkeys/test_ed25519",
 				},
 			},
-			wantErr: sftp.NewAuthError(
-				errors.New("ssh: parse known_hosts: open testdata/missing: no such file or directory"),
-			),
+			wantErr: &sftp.AuthError{
+				Message: "ssh: parse known_hosts: open testdata/missing: no such file or directory",
+			},
 		},
 	} {
 		tc := tc