diff --git a/changelog.d/7844.bugfix b/changelog.d/7844.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad296f1b3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/7844.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Errors which occur while using the non-standard JWT login now return the proper error: `403 Forbidden` with an error code of `M_FORBIDDEN`.
diff --git a/docs/jwt.md b/docs/jwt.md
index 93b8d05236..5be9fd26e3 100644
--- a/docs/jwt.md
+++ b/docs/jwt.md
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ The `token` field should include the JSON web token with the following claims:
   Providing the audience claim when not configured will cause validation to fail.
 
 In the case that the token is not valid, the homeserver must respond with
-`401 Unauthorized` and an error code of `M_UNAUTHORIZED`.
-
-(Note that this differs from the token based logins which return a
-`403 Forbidden` and an error code of `M_FORBIDDEN` if an error occurs.)
+`403 Forbidden` and an error code of `M_FORBIDDEN`.
 
 As with other login types, there are additional fields (e.g. `device_id` and
 `initial_device_display_name`) which can be included in the above request.
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py b/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
index 326ffa0056..379f668d6f 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v1/login.py
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ class LoginRestServlet(RestServlet):
         token = login_submission.get("token", None)
         if token is None:
             raise LoginError(
-                401, "Token field for JWT is missing", errcode=Codes.UNAUTHORIZED
+                403, "Token field for JWT is missing", errcode=Codes.FORBIDDEN
             )
 
         import jwt
@@ -387,14 +387,12 @@ class LoginRestServlet(RestServlet):
         except jwt.PyJWTError as e:
             # A JWT error occurred, return some info back to the client.
             raise LoginError(
-                401,
-                "JWT validation failed: %s" % (str(e),),
-                errcode=Codes.UNAUTHORIZED,
+                403, "JWT validation failed: %s" % (str(e),), errcode=Codes.FORBIDDEN,
             )
 
         user = payload.get("sub", None)
         if user is None:
-            raise LoginError(401, "Invalid JWT", errcode=Codes.UNAUTHORIZED)
+            raise LoginError(403, "Invalid JWT", errcode=Codes.FORBIDDEN)
 
         user_id = UserID(user, self.hs.hostname).to_string()
         result = await self._complete_login(
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_login.py b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_login.py
index 4413bb3932..db52725cfe 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_login.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_login.py
@@ -547,8 +547,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
     def test_login_jwt_invalid_signature(self):
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "frog"}, "notsecret")
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"],
             "JWT validation failed: Signature verification failed",
@@ -556,8 +556,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
     def test_login_jwt_expired(self):
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "frog", "exp": 864000})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"], "JWT validation failed: Signature has expired"
         )
@@ -565,8 +565,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
     def test_login_jwt_not_before(self):
         now = int(time.time())
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "frog", "nbf": now + 3600})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"],
             "JWT validation failed: The token is not yet valid (nbf)",
@@ -574,8 +574,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
     def test_login_no_sub(self):
         channel = self.jwt_login({"username": "root"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["error"], "Invalid JWT")
 
     @override_config(
@@ -597,16 +597,16 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
         # An invalid issuer.
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "kermit", "iss": "invalid"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"], "JWT validation failed: Invalid issuer"
         )
 
         # Not providing an issuer.
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "kermit"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"],
             'JWT validation failed: Token is missing the "iss" claim',
@@ -637,16 +637,16 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
         # An invalid audience.
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "kermit", "aud": "invalid"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"], "JWT validation failed: Invalid audience"
         )
 
         # Not providing an audience.
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "kermit"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"],
             'JWT validation failed: Token is missing the "aud" claim',
@@ -655,7 +655,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
     def test_login_aud_no_config(self):
         """Test providing an audience without requiring it in the configuration."""
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "kermit", "aud": "invalid"})
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"], "JWT validation failed: Invalid audience"
         )
@@ -664,8 +665,8 @@ class JWTTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
         params = json.dumps({"type": "org.matrix.login.jwt"})
         request, channel = self.make_request(b"POST", LOGIN_URL, params)
         self.render(request)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["error"], "Token field for JWT is missing")
 
 
@@ -747,8 +748,8 @@ class JWTPubKeyTestCase(unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
 
     def test_login_jwt_invalid_signature(self):
         channel = self.jwt_login({"sub": "frog"}, self.bad_privatekey)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"401", channel.result)
-        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_UNAUTHORIZED")
+        self.assertEqual(channel.result["code"], b"403", channel.result)
+        self.assertEqual(channel.json_body["errcode"], "M_FORBIDDEN")
         self.assertEqual(
             channel.json_body["error"],
             "JWT validation failed: Signature verification failed",