diff --git a/proxy/src/auth/backend/console.rs b/proxy/src/auth/backend/console.rs
index 93462086ea..098233c648 100644
--- a/proxy/src/auth/backend/console.rs
+++ b/proxy/src/auth/backend/console.rs
@@ -92,9 +92,14 @@ impl<'a> Api<'a> {
 
     async fn get_auth_info(&self) -> Result<AuthInfo> {
         let mut url = self.endpoint.clone();
+        let project_name = self
+            .creds
+            .project_name
+            .as_ref()
+            .map_err(|e| ConsoleAuthError::BadProjectName(e.clone()))?;
         url.path_segments_mut().push("proxy_get_role_secret");
         url.query_pairs_mut()
-            .append_pair("project", &self.creds.project_name)
+            .append_pair("project", project_name)
             .append_pair("role", &self.creds.user);
 
         // TODO: use a proper logger
@@ -116,9 +121,13 @@ impl<'a> Api<'a> {
     /// Wake up the compute node and return the corresponding connection info.
     async fn wake_compute(&self) -> Result<DatabaseInfo> {
         let mut url = self.endpoint.clone();
+        let project_name = self
+            .creds
+            .project_name
+            .as_ref()
+            .map_err(|e| ConsoleAuthError::BadProjectName(e.clone()))?;
         url.path_segments_mut().push("proxy_wake_compute");
-        url.query_pairs_mut()
-            .append_pair("project", &self.creds.project_name);
+        url.query_pairs_mut().append_pair("project", project_name);
 
         // TODO: use a proper logger
         println!("cplane request: {url}");
diff --git a/proxy/src/auth/credentials.rs b/proxy/src/auth/credentials.rs
index 48dc8542ec..b5312fbe1f 100644
--- a/proxy/src/auth/credentials.rs
+++ b/proxy/src/auth/credentials.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use thiserror::Error;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncRead, AsyncWrite};
 
-#[derive(Debug, Error, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Error, PartialEq, Eq, Clone)]
 pub enum ClientCredsParseError {
     #[error("Parameter `{0}` is missing in startup packet.")]
     MissingKey(&'static str),
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ impl UserFacingError for ClientCredsParseError {}
 pub struct ClientCredentials {
     pub user: String,
     pub dbname: String,
-    pub project_name: String,
+    pub project_name: Result<String, ClientCredsParseError>,
 }
 
 impl ClientCredentials {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ impl ClientCredentials {
         let user = get_param("user")?;
         let dbname = get_param("database")?;
         let project_name = get_param("project").ok();
-        let project_name = get_project_name(sni_data, common_name, project_name.as_deref())?;
+        let project_name = get_project_name(sni_data, common_name, project_name.as_deref());
 
         Ok(Self {
             user,