diff --git a/cmd/litcli/main.go b/cmd/litcli/main.go
index 72f94ffc..79d18a09 100644
--- a/cmd/litcli/main.go
+++ b/cmd/litcli/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ func getAuthContext(cliCtx *cli.Context) context.Context {
 	ctxb := context.Background()
 	md := metadata.MD{}
 
-	md.Set("macaroon", "no-macaroons-for-litcli")
+	md.Set("macaroon", hex.EncodeToString(terminal.EmptyMacaroonBytes))
 	md.Set("authorization", fmt.Sprintf("Basic %s", basicAuth))
 
 	return metadata.NewOutgoingContext(ctxb, md)
diff --git a/rpc_proxy.go b/rpc_proxy.go
index a51c8829..717ea9ef 100644
--- a/rpc_proxy.go
+++ b/rpc_proxy.go
@@ -33,6 +33,15 @@ const (
 	HeaderMacaroon = "Macaroon"
 )
 
+var (
+	// EmptyMacaroonBytes is the byte representation of an empty but
+	// formally valid macaroon.
+	EmptyMacaroonBytes, _ = hex.DecodeString(
+		"020205656d7074790000062062083e2ea599285ac29350abb4ea21fd7c5a" +
+			"15aca8b4c0d38e6c058829369e50",
+	)
+)
+
 // proxyErr is an error type that adds more context to an error occurring in the
 // proxy.
 type proxyErr struct {
@@ -499,7 +508,7 @@ func (p *rpcProxy) basicAuthToMacaroon(basicAuth, requestURI string,
 		}
 
 	case isLitURI(requestURI):
-		return []byte("no-macaroons-for-litcli"), nil
+		return EmptyMacaroonBytes, nil
 
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown gRPC web request: %v",