diff --git a/lib/api/exception.dart b/lib/api/exception.dart
index d4bebeeb62..d495ec9ff8 100644
--- a/lib/api/exception.dart
+++ b/lib/api/exception.dart
@@ -81,7 +81,10 @@ class ZulipApiException extends HttpException {
     required this.code,
     required this.data,
     required super.message,
-  }) : assert(400 <= httpStatus && httpStatus <= 499);
+  }) : assert(400 <= httpStatus && httpStatus <= 499),
+       assert(!data.containsKey('result')
+           && !data.containsKey('code')
+           && !data.containsKey('msg'));
 
   @override
   String toString() {
diff --git a/test/example_data.dart b/test/example_data.dart
index 6b84bf185c..6cab496157 100644
--- a/test/example_data.dart
+++ b/test/example_data.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'dart:convert';
 import 'dart:math';
 
+import 'package:zulip/api/exception.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/api/model/events.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/api/model/initial_snapshot.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/api/model/model.dart';
@@ -18,10 +19,28 @@ void _checkPositive(int? value, String description) {
   assert(value == null || value > 0, '$description should be positive');
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Error objects.
+//
+
 Object nullCheckError() {
   try { null!; } catch (e) { return e; } // ignore: null_check_always_fails
 }
 
+/// The error the server gives when the client's credentials
+/// (API key together with email and realm URL) are no longer valid.
+///
+/// This isn't really documented, but comes from experiment and from
+/// reading the server implementation.  See:
+///   https://github.com/zulip/zulip-flutter/pull/1183#discussion_r1945865983
+///   https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/channel/378-api-design/topic/general.20handling.20HTTP.20status.20code.20401/near/2090024
+ZulipApiException apiExceptionUnauthorized({String routeName = 'someRoute'}) {
+  return ZulipApiException(
+    routeName: routeName,
+    httpStatus: 401, code: 'UNAUTHORIZED',
+    data: {}, message: 'Invalid API key');
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Realm-wide (or server-wide) metadata.
 //
diff --git a/test/model/actions_test.dart b/test/model/actions_test.dart
index e24bb3223c..46cc2c6bdd 100644
--- a/test/model/actions_test.dart
+++ b/test/model/actions_test.dart
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import 'package:checks/checks.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
-import 'package:zulip/api/exception.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/model/actions.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/model/store.dart';
 import 'package:zulip/notifications/receive.dart';
@@ -102,13 +101,7 @@ void main() {
       check(testBinding.globalStore).accountIds.single.equals(eg.selfAccount.id);
       const unregisterDelay = Duration(seconds: 5);
       assert(unregisterDelay > TestGlobalStore.removeAccountDuration);
-      final exception = ZulipApiException(
-        httpStatus: 401,
-        code: 'UNAUTHORIZED',
-        data: {"result": "error", "msg": "Invalid API key", "code": "UNAUTHORIZED"},
-        routeName: 'removeEtcEtcToken',
-        message: 'Invalid API key',
-      );
+      final exception = eg.apiExceptionUnauthorized(routeName: 'removeEtcEtcToken');
       final newConnection = separateConnection()
         ..prepare(delay: unregisterDelay, exception: exception);
 
@@ -170,14 +163,9 @@ void main() {
     test('connection closed if request errors', () => awaitFakeAsync((async) async {
       await prepare(ackedPushToken: '123');
 
+      final exception = eg.apiExceptionUnauthorized(routeName: 'removeEtcEtcToken');
       final newConnection = separateConnection()
-        ..prepare(exception: ZulipApiException(
-            httpStatus: 401,
-            code: 'UNAUTHORIZED',
-            data: {"result": "error", "msg": "Invalid API key", "code": "UNAUTHORIZED"},
-            routeName: 'removeEtcEtcToken',
-            message: 'Invalid API key',
-          ));
+        ..prepare(exception: exception);
       final future = unregisterToken(testBinding.globalStore, eg.selfAccount.id);
       async.elapse(Duration.zero);
       await future;