diff --git a/backend/src/server/plugins/error-handler.ts b/backend/src/server/plugins/error-handler.ts
index 0cbf30f09..920f17efb 100644
--- a/backend/src/server/plugins/error-handler.ts
+++ b/backend/src/server/plugins/error-handler.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ enum HttpStatusCodes {
   NotFound = 404,
   Unauthorized = 401,
   Forbidden = 403,
+  UnprocessableContent = 422,
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-shadow
   InternalServerError = 500,
   GatewayTimeout = 504,
@@ -66,9 +67,9 @@ export const fastifyErrHandler = fastifyPlugin(async (server: FastifyZodProvider
         error: error.name
       });
     } else if (error instanceof ZodError) {
-      void res.status(HttpStatusCodes.Unauthorized).send({
+      void res.status(HttpStatusCodes.UnprocessableContent).send({
         requestId: req.id,
-        statusCode: HttpStatusCodes.Unauthorized,
+        statusCode: HttpStatusCodes.UnprocessableContent,
         error: "ValidationFailure",
         message: error.issues
       });
diff --git a/backend/src/server/routes/sanitizedSchemas.ts b/backend/src/server/routes/sanitizedSchemas.ts
index 3fbbc60e3..e24c5db6b 100644
--- a/backend/src/server/routes/sanitizedSchemas.ts
+++ b/backend/src/server/routes/sanitizedSchemas.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export const DefaultResponseErrorsSchema = {
   401: z.object({
     requestId: z.string(),
     statusCode: z.literal(401),
-    message: z.any(),
+    message: z.string(),
     error: z.string()
   }),
   403: z.object({
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ export const DefaultResponseErrorsSchema = {
     details: z.any().optional(),
     error: z.string()
   }),
+  // Zod errors return a message of varying shapes and sizes, so z.any() is used here
+  422: z.object({
+    requestId: z.string(),
+    statusCode: z.literal(422),
+    message: z.any(),
+    error: z.string()
+  }),
   500: z.object({
     requestId: z.string(),
     statusCode: z.literal(500),
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/api/types.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/api/types.ts
index 909e03a98..b387d33d1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/api/types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/api/types.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export type TApiErrors =
       requestId: string;
       error: ApiErrorTypes.ValidationError;
       message: ZodIssue[];
-      statusCode: 401;
+      statusCode: 422;
     }
   | {
       requestId: string;