diff --git a/app/vmauth/main.go b/app/vmauth/main.go
index bc8cb17e5..5cf685519 100644
--- a/app/vmauth/main.go
+++ b/app/vmauth/main.go
@@ -105,15 +105,15 @@ func requestHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) bool {
 	ui := ac[authToken]
 	if ui == nil {
 		invalidAuthTokenRequests.Inc()
-		err := fmt.Errorf("cannot find the provided auth token %q in config", authToken)
 		if *logInvalidAuthTokens {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("cannot find the provided auth token %q in config", authToken)
 			err = &httpserver.ErrorWithStatusCode{
 				Err:        err,
 				StatusCode: http.StatusUnauthorized,
 			}
 			httpserver.Errorf(w, r, "%s", err)
 		} else {
-			http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			http.Error(w, "Unauthorized", http.StatusUnauthorized)
 		}
 		return true
 	}
diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 34199c2d9..28bf3c714 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ The following tip changes can be tested by building VictoriaMetrics components f
 * BUGFIX: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html): retry failed read request on the closed connection one more time. This improves rules execution reliability when connection between vmalert and datasource closes unexpectedly.
 * BUGFIX: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html): properly display an error when using `query` function for templating value of `-external.alert.source` flag. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4181).
 * BUGFIX: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html): properly return empty slices instead of nil for `/api/v1/rules` and `/api/v1/alerts` API handlers. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4221).
+* BUGFIX: [vmauth](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmauth.html): do not return invalid auth credentials in http response by default, since it may be logged by client. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4188).
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix the display of the tenant selector. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/4160).
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix UI freeze when the query returns non-histogram series alongside histogram series.
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix the text display on buttons in Safari 16.4.