diff --git a/cmd/cli/app/auth/auth_login.go b/cmd/cli/app/auth/auth_login.go
index 84220f5a0b..c5e6ab8464 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/app/auth/auth_login.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/app/auth/auth_login.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/minder/credentials.json`,
 }
 
 // LoginCommand is the login subcommand
-func LoginCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string, conn *grpc.ClientConn) error {
+func LoginCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string, _ *grpc.ClientConn) error {
 	clientConfig, err := config.ReadConfigFromViper[clientconfig.Config](viper.GetViper())
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.MessageAndError("Unable to read config", err)
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ func LoginCommand(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string, conn *grp
 		return cli.MessageAndError("Error ensuring credentials", err)
 	}
 
+	// Get a connection to the GRPC server after we have the credentials
+	conn, err := cli.GrpcForCommand(cmd, viper.GetViper())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
 	client := minderv1.NewUserServiceClient(conn)
 
 	// check if the user already exists in the local database