diff --git a/src/wp-includes/user.php b/src/wp-includes/user.php
index eb8f0a13aa..3414da0fbc 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -95,10 +95,6 @@ function wp_signon( $credentials = array(), $secure_cookie = '' ) {
 	$user = wp_authenticate( $credentials['user_login'], $credentials['user_password'] );
 
 	if ( is_wp_error( $user ) ) {
-		if ( $user->get_error_codes() == array( 'empty_username', 'empty_password' ) ) {
-			$user = new WP_Error( '', '' );
-		}
-
 		return $user;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/wp-login.php b/src/wp-login.php
index 72fcae266d..b02a2b9e70 100644
--- a/src/wp-login.php
+++ b/src/wp-login.php
@@ -1007,6 +1007,10 @@ switch ( $action ) {
 			$errors = new WP_Error();
 		}
 
+		if ( empty( $_POST ) && $errors->get_error_codes() === array( 'empty_username', 'empty_password' ) ) {
+			$errors = new WP_Error( '', '' );
+		}
+
 		if ( $interim_login ) {
 			if ( ! $errors->has_errors() ) {
 				$errors->add( 'expired', __( 'Your session has expired. Please log in to continue where you left off.' ), 'message' );