diff --git a/site/src/components/PreferencesAccountForm/PreferencesAccountForm.tsx b/site/src/components/PreferencesAccountForm/PreferencesAccountForm.tsx
index c64556e2de..b33b75fe9a 100644
--- a/site/src/components/PreferencesAccountForm/PreferencesAccountForm.tsx
+++ b/site/src/components/PreferencesAccountForm/PreferencesAccountForm.tsx
@@ -49,13 +49,14 @@ export const AccountForm: React.FC<AccountFormProps> = ({
     validationSchema,
     onSubmit,
   })
+  const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<AccountFormValues>(form, formErrors)
 
   return (
     <>
       <form onSubmit={form.handleSubmit}>
         <Stack>
           <TextField
-            {...getFormHelpers<AccountFormValues>(form, "name")}
+            {...getFieldHelpers("name")}
             autoFocus
             autoComplete="name"
             fullWidth
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ export const AccountForm: React.FC<AccountFormProps> = ({
             variant="outlined"
           />
           <TextField
-            {...getFormHelpers<AccountFormValues>(form, "email", formErrors.email)}
+            {...getFieldHelpers("email")}
             onChange={onChangeTrimmed(form)}
             autoComplete="email"
             fullWidth
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ export const AccountForm: React.FC<AccountFormProps> = ({
             variant="outlined"
           />
           <TextField
-            {...getFormHelpers<AccountFormValues>(form, "username", formErrors.username)}
+            {...getFieldHelpers("username")}
             onChange={onChangeTrimmed(form)}
             autoComplete="username"
             fullWidth
diff --git a/site/src/components/SignInForm/SignInForm.tsx b/site/src/components/SignInForm/SignInForm.tsx
index f1c1165911..38e32b41a4 100644
--- a/site/src/components/SignInForm/SignInForm.tsx
+++ b/site/src/components/SignInForm/SignInForm.tsx
@@ -76,13 +76,14 @@ export const SignInForm: React.FC<SignInFormProps> = ({
     validationSchema,
     onSubmit,
   })
+  const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<BuiltInAuthFormValues>(form)
 
   return (
     <>
       <Welcome />
       <form onSubmit={form.handleSubmit}>
         <TextField
-          {...getFormHelpers<BuiltInAuthFormValues>(form, "email")}
+          {...getFieldHelpers("email")}
           onChange={onChangeTrimmed(form)}
           autoFocus
           autoComplete="email"
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ export const SignInForm: React.FC<SignInFormProps> = ({
           variant="outlined"
         />
         <TextField
-          {...getFormHelpers<BuiltInAuthFormValues>(form, "password")}
+          {...getFieldHelpers("password")}
           autoComplete="current-password"
           className={styles.loginTextField}
           fullWidth
diff --git a/site/src/util/formUtils.test.ts b/site/src/util/formUtils.test.ts
index 9218cb906b..7d3a53ad51 100644
--- a/site/src/util/formUtils.test.ts
+++ b/site/src/util/formUtils.test.ts
@@ -37,30 +37,53 @@ const form = {
 
 describe("form util functions", () => {
   describe("getFormHelpers", () => {
-    const untouchedGoodResult = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, "untouchedGoodField")
-    const untouchedBadResult = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, "untouchedBadField")
-    const touchedGoodResult = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, "touchedGoodField")
-    const touchedBadResult = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, "touchedBadField")
-    it("populates the 'field props'", () => {
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.name).toEqual("untouchedGoodField")
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.onBlur).toBeDefined()
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.onChange).toBeDefined()
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.value).toBeDefined()
+    describe("without API errors", () => {
+      const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form)
+      const untouchedGoodResult = getFieldHelpers("untouchedGoodField")
+      const untouchedBadResult = getFieldHelpers("untouchedBadField")
+      const touchedGoodResult = getFieldHelpers("touchedGoodField")
+      const touchedBadResult = getFieldHelpers("touchedBadField")
+      it("populates the 'field props'", () => {
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.name).toEqual("untouchedGoodField")
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.onBlur).toBeDefined()
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.onChange).toBeDefined()
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.value).toBeDefined()
+      })
+      it("sets the id to the name", () => {
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.id).toEqual("untouchedGoodField")
+      })
+      it("sets error to true if touched and invalid", () => {
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.error).toBeFalsy
+        expect(untouchedBadResult.error).toBeFalsy
+        expect(touchedGoodResult.error).toBeFalsy
+        expect(touchedBadResult.error).toBeTruthy
+      })
+      it("sets helperText to the error message if touched and invalid", () => {
+        expect(untouchedGoodResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
+        expect(untouchedBadResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
+        expect(touchedGoodResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
+        expect(touchedBadResult.helperText).toEqual("oops!")
+      })
     })
-    it("sets the id to the name", () => {
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.id).toEqual("untouchedGoodField")
-    })
-    it("sets error to true if touched and invalid", () => {
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.error).toBeFalsy
-      expect(untouchedBadResult.error).toBeFalsy
-      expect(touchedGoodResult.error).toBeFalsy
-      expect(touchedBadResult.error).toBeTruthy
-    })
-    it("sets helperText to the error message if touched and invalid", () => {
-      expect(untouchedGoodResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
-      expect(untouchedBadResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
-      expect(touchedGoodResult.helperText).toBeUndefined
-      expect(touchedBadResult.helperText).toEqual("oops!")
+    describe("with API errors", () => {
+      it("shows an error if there is only an API error", () => {
+        const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, { touchedGoodField: "API error!" })
+        const result = getFieldHelpers("touchedGoodField")
+        expect(result.error).toBeTruthy
+        expect(result.helperText).toEqual("API error!")
+      })
+      it("shows an error if there is only a validation error", () => {
+        const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, {})
+        const result = getFieldHelpers("touchedBadField")
+        expect(result.error).toBeTruthy
+        expect(result.helperText).toEqual("oops!")
+      })
+      it("shows the API error if both are present", () => {
+        const getFieldHelpers = getFormHelpers<TestType>(form, { touchedBadField: "API error!" })
+        const result = getFieldHelpers("touchedBadField")
+        expect(result.error).toBeTruthy
+        expect(result.helperText).toEqual("API error!")
+      })
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/site/src/util/formUtils.ts b/site/src/util/formUtils.ts
index 772aaaecbe..c21dd9c29a 100644
--- a/site/src/util/formUtils.ts
+++ b/site/src/util/formUtils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { FormikContextType, getIn } from "formik"
+import { FormikContextType, FormikErrors, getIn } from "formik"
 import { ChangeEvent, ChangeEventHandler, FocusEventHandler } from "react"
 
 interface FormHelpers {
@@ -11,22 +11,26 @@ interface FormHelpers {
   helperText?: string
 }
 
-export const getFormHelpers = <T>(form: FormikContextType<T>, name: keyof T, error?: string): FormHelpers => {
-  if (typeof name !== "string") {
-    throw new Error(`name must be type of string, instead received '${typeof name}'`)
-  }
+export const getFormHelpers =
+  <T>(form: FormikContextType<T>, formErrors?: FormikErrors<T>) =>
+  (name: keyof T): FormHelpers => {
+    if (typeof name !== "string") {
+      throw new Error(`name must be type of string, instead received '${typeof name}'`)
+    }
 
-  // getIn is a util function from Formik that gets at any depth of nesting
-  // and is necessary for the types to work
-  const touched = getIn(form.touched, name)
-  const errors = error ?? getIn(form.errors, name)
-  return {
-    ...form.getFieldProps(name),
-    id: name,
-    error: touched && Boolean(errors),
-    helperText: touched && errors,
+    // getIn is a util function from Formik that gets at any depth of nesting
+    // and is necessary for the types to work
+    const touched = getIn(form.touched, name)
+    const apiError = getIn(formErrors, name)
+    const validationError = getIn(form.errors, name)
+    const error = apiError ?? validationError
+    return {
+      ...form.getFieldProps(name),
+      id: name,
+      error: touched && Boolean(error),
+      helperText: touched && error,
+    }
   }
-}
 
 export const onChangeTrimmed =
   <T>(form: FormikContextType<T>) =>