diff --git a/bin/confetty b/bin/confetty
index 266b71b2..28fa6ab3 100755
--- a/bin/confetty
+++ b/bin/confetty
@@ -67,21 +67,16 @@ conserversequence = '\x05c'  # ctrl-e, c
 oldtcattr = termios.tcgetattr(sys.stdin.fileno())
 netserver = None
 
-statedata = {}
-
-
 def updatestatus(stateinfo):
     status = consolename
-    if 'clientcount' in stateinfo:
-        statedata['clientcount'] = stateinfo['clientcount']
-    if 'connectstate' in stateinfo:
-        statedata['connectstate'] = stateinfo['connectstate']
     info = []
-    if ('connectstate' in statedata and
-            statedata['connectstate'] != 'connected'):
-        info.append(statedata['connectstate'])
-    if 'clientcount' in statedata and statedata['clientcount'] != 1:
-        info.append('clients: %d' % statedata['clientcount'])
+    if ('connectstate' in stateinfo and
+            stateinfo['connectstate'] != 'connected'):
+        info.append(stateinfo['connectstate'])
+    if 'error' in stateinfo:
+        info.append(stateinfo['error'])
+    if 'clientcount' in stateinfo and stateinfo['clientcount'] != 1:
+        info.append('clients: %d' % stateinfo['clientcount'])
     if info:
         status += ' [' + ','.join(info) + ']'
     sys.stdout.write('\x1b]0;console: %s\x07' % status)
diff --git a/confluent/consoleserver.py b/confluent/consoleserver.py
index 3b270307..e988d7a6 100644
--- a/confluent/consoleserver.py
+++ b/confluent/consoleserver.py
@@ -146,8 +146,9 @@ class _ConsoleHandler(object):
                           event=log.Events.stacktrace)
         if not isinstance(self._console, conapi.Console):
             self.connectstate = 'unconnected'
-            self._send_rcpts({'connectstate': self.connectstate})
             self.error = 'misconfigured'
+            self._send_rcpts({'connectstate': self.connectstate,
+                              'error': self.error})
             return
         self.send_break = self._console.send_break
         if self._attribwatcher:
@@ -161,10 +162,20 @@ class _ConsoleHandler(object):
             (self.node,), attribstowatch, self._attribschanged)
         try:
             self._console.connect(self.get_console_output)
+        except exc.TargetEndpointBadCredentials:
+            self.error = 'badcredentials'
+            self.connectstate = 'unconnected'
+            self._send_rcpts({'connectstate': self.connectstate,
+                              'error': self.error})
+            retrytime = 30 + (30 * random.random())
+            if not self.reconnect:
+                self.reconnect = eventlet.spawn_after(retrytime, self._connect)
+            return
         except exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable:
             self.error = 'unreachable'
             self.connectstate = 'unconnected'
-            self._send_rcpts({'connectstate': self.connectstate})
+            self._send_rcpts({'connectstate': self.connectstate,
+                              'error': self.error})
             retrytime = 30 + (30 * random.random())
             if not self.reconnect:
                 self.reconnect = eventlet.spawn_after(retrytime, self._connect)
diff --git a/confluent/exceptions.py b/confluent/exceptions.py
index e8a8108d..7ed2235b 100644
--- a/confluent/exceptions.py
+++ b/confluent/exceptions.py
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ class TargetEndpointUnreachable(ConfluentException):
     # was unreachable.  http code 504
     pass
 
+class TargetEndpointBadCredentials(ConfluentException):
+    # target was reachable, but authentication/authorization
+    # failed
+    pass
+
 
 class ForbiddenRequest(ConfluentException):
     # The client request is not allowed by authorization engine
diff --git a/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py b/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
index 25e59330..c1bbdb21 100644
--- a/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
+++ b/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
@@ -138,7 +138,11 @@ class IpmiConsole(conapi.Console):
                 if self.broken:
                     break
             if self.broken:
-                raise exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable(self.error)
+                if (self.error.startswith('Incorrect password') or
+                        self.error.startswith('Unauthorized name')):
+                    raise exc.TargetEndpointBadCredentials
+                else:
+                    raise exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable(self.error)
             self.connected = True
         except socket.gaierror as err:
             raise exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable(str(err))