diff --git a/apply_issue.py b/apply_issue.py
index 3d606466e7..22018742d4 100755
--- a/apply_issue.py
+++ b/apply_issue.py
@@ -59,8 +59,11 @@ def main():
   obj = rietveld.Rietveld(options.server, '', None)
   try:
     properties = obj.get_issue_properties(options.issue, False)
-  except rietveld.upload.ClientLoginError:
-    # Requires login.
+  except rietveld.upload.ClientLoginError, e:
+    if sys.stdout.closed:
+      print >> sys.stderr, 'Accessing the issue requires login.'
+      return 1
+    print('Accessing the issue requires login.')
     obj = rietveld.Rietveld(options.server, None, None)
     properties = obj.get_issue_properties(options.issue, False)
 
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ def main():
   elif scm_type == 'git':
     scm_obj = checkout.GitCheckoutBase(options.root_dir, None, None)
   elif scm_type == None:
-    scm_obj = checkout.RawCheckout(options.root_dir, None)
+    scm_obj = checkout.RawCheckout(options.root_dir, None, None)
   else:
     parser.error('Couldn\'t determine the scm')
 
diff --git a/rietveld.py b/rietveld.py
index fd00e93ab0..ee8f00a879 100644
--- a/rietveld.py
+++ b/rietveld.py
@@ -47,8 +47,12 @@ class Rietveld(object):
             extra_headers=extra_headers or {})
     else:
       if email == '':
+        # If email is given as an empty string, then assume we want to make
+        # requests that do not need authentication.  Bypass authentication by
+        # setting the flag to True.
         get_creds = lambda: (email, None)
         self.rpc_server = upload.HttpRpcServer(url, get_creds)
+        self.rpc_server.authenticated = True
       else:
         self.rpc_server = upload.GetRpcServer(url, email)
 
diff --git a/third_party/upload.py b/third_party/upload.py
index 581ab4d8c4..abd17c742f 100755
--- a/third_party/upload.py
+++ b/third_party/upload.py
@@ -165,8 +165,13 @@ class ClientLoginError(urllib2.HTTPError):
   def __init__(self, url, code, msg, headers, args):
     urllib2.HTTPError.__init__(self, url, code, msg, headers, None)
     self.args = args
+    self._reason = args["Error"]
     self.info = args.get("Info", None)
 
+  @property
+  def reason(self):
+    return self._reason
+
 
 class AbstractRpcServer(object):
   """Provides a common interface for a simple RPC server."""