diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResource.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResource.kt
index 87d4aa53c..fb49f93bd 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResource.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResource.kt
@@ -112,11 +112,13 @@ open class ClusterResource protected constructor(
             context.get(initialResource)
         } catch (e: RuntimeException) {
             val message =
-                if (e is KubernetesClientException
-                    && e.isUnsupported()
-                ) {
-                    // api discovery error
-                    e.status.message
+                if (e is KubernetesClientException) {
+                    when {
+                        // api discovery error
+                        e.isUnsupported() -> e.status.message
+                        e.isUnauthorized() -> "Unauthorized. Verify username and password, refresh token, etc."
+                        else -> e.message
+                    }
                 } else {
                     "Could not retrieve ${initialResource.kind} ${initialResource.metadata?.name ?: ""}" +
                             " in version ${initialResource.apiVersion} from server"
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResourceTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResourceTest.kt
index 7a2f12c5d..96b8b43e2 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResourceTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/com/redhat/devtools/intellij/kubernetes/editor/ClusterResourceTest.kt
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class ClusterResourceTest {
     fun `#pull(true) should throw exception that happens when operator#get throws`() {
         // given
         whenever(context.get(any()))
-            .doThrow(KubernetesClientException("forbidden", 401, null))
+            .doThrow(KubernetesClientException("forbidden", 401, StatusBuilder().withMessage("Unauthorized").build()))
         // when
         cluster.pull(true)
     }