diff --git a/hexa/connections/dhis2/DHIS2Client.py b/hexa/connections/dhis2/DHIS2Client.py
index aa1e9c1d4..0238e8747 100644
--- a/hexa/connections/dhis2/DHIS2Client.py
+++ b/hexa/connections/dhis2/DHIS2Client.py
@@ -60,15 +60,14 @@ def request(self, method: str, url: str, *args, **kwargs) -> requests.Response:
             logger.exception(exc)
             raise
 
-    def raise_if_error(self, r: requests.Response) -> None:
-        if r.status_code != 200 and "json" in r.headers["content-type"]:
-            msg = r.json()
+    def raise_if_error(self, response: requests.Response) -> None:
+        if response.status_code != 200 and "json" in response.headers["content-type"]:
+            msg = response.json()
             if msg.get("status") == "ERROR":
                 raise DHIS2ClientException(
                     f"{msg.get('status')} {msg.get('httpStatusCode')}: {msg.get('message')}"
                 )
-
-        r.raise_for_status()
+        response.raise_for_status()
 
     def ping(self) -> requests.Response:
         response = self.get(f"{self.url}/system/ping")
diff --git a/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.36/api_authenticate_failure.yaml b/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.36/api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.36/api_authenticate_failure.yaml
rename to hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.36/api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml
diff --git a/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate.yaml b/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml
similarity index 66%
rename from hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate.yaml
rename to hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml
index dcb002239..f09ea0e5f 100644
--- a/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate.yaml
+++ b/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/fixtures/2.39/api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ responses:
     body: pong
     content_type: text/plain
     method: GET
-    status: 200
-    url: http://localhost:8080/api/system/ping
+    status: 404
+    url: http://localhost:8080/api/system/ping
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/test_dhis2client.py b/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/test_dhis2client.py
index 6b646be56..0a4d3b3fb 100644
--- a/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/test_dhis2client.py
+++ b/hexa/connections/dhis2/test/test_dhis2client.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 class TestDhis2Client(test.TestCase):
     @responses.activate
     def test_successful_authentication(self):
-        VERSIONS = ["2.36", "2.37", "2.38", "2.39", "2.40", "2.41"]
+        VERSIONS = ["2.36", "2.37", "2.38", "2.40", "2.41"]
         response_dir = Path("hexa", "connections", "dhis2", "test", "fixtures")
 
         for version in VERSIONS:
@@ -18,3 +18,17 @@ def test_successful_authentication(self):
                 responses._add_from_file(path_to_version)
                 client = DHIS2Client("http://localhost:8080/", "admin", "district")
                 assert client.status.status_code == 200
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_unauthorised_authentication(self):
+        VERSIONS = ["2.36", "2.39"]  # versions where ping not impleted or fails
+        response_dir = Path("hexa", "connections", "dhis2", "test", "fixtures")
+
+        for version in VERSIONS:
+            with self.subTest(version=version):
+                path_to_version = Path(
+                    response_dir, version, "api_authenticate_unauthorised.yaml"
+                )
+                responses._add_from_file(path_to_version)
+                with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+                    DHIS2Client("http://localhost:8080/", "admin", "wrong_password")