diff --git a/build_telemetry.py b/build_telemetry.py
index afe6d8211..668f91f9d 100755
--- a/build_telemetry.py
+++ b/build_telemetry.py
@@ -149,17 +149,19 @@ def load_config(cfg_path=_DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH, countdown=_DEFAULT_COUNTDOWN):
 
 def check_auth():
     """Checks auth information."""
-    p = subprocess.run(
-        "cipd auth-info --json-output -",
-        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-        text=True,
-        shell=True,
-    )
-    if p.returncode != 0:
+    try:
+        out = subprocess.check_output(
+            "cipd auth-info --json-output -",
+            text=True,
+            shell=True,
+            timeout=3,
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        print("WARNING: depot_tools.build_telemetry: "
+              f"failed to get auth info: {e}")
         return {}
     try:
-        return json.loads(p.stdout)
+        return json.loads(out)
     except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
         logging.error(e)
         return {}
diff --git a/tests/build_telemetry_test.py b/tests/build_telemetry_test.py
index d59fe3e3b..9310fd946 100755
--- a/tests/build_telemetry_test.py
+++ b/tests/build_telemetry_test.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import json
 import os
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
@@ -19,19 +20,18 @@ import build_telemetry
 class BuildTelemetryTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_check_auth(self):
-        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.run') as run_mock:
-            run_mock.return_value.returncode = 0
+        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.check_output') as run_mock:
             auth = {'email': 'bob@google.com'}
-            run_mock.return_value.stdout = json.dumps(auth)
+            run_mock.return_value = json.dumps(auth)
             self.assertEqual(build_telemetry.check_auth(), auth)
 
-        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.run') as run_mock:
-            run_mock.return_value.returncode = 1
+        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.check_output') as run_mock:
+            run_mock.side_effect = subprocess.CalledProcessError(
+                1, cmd=['check auth'], stderr='failed')
             self.assertEqual(build_telemetry.check_auth(), {})
 
-        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.run') as run_mock:
-            run_mock.return_value.returncode = 0
-            run_mock.return_value.stdout = ''
+        with unittest.mock.patch('subprocess.check_output') as run_mock:
+            run_mock.return_value = ''
             self.assertEqual(build_telemetry.check_auth(), {})
 
     def test_load_and_save_config(self):