diff --git a/eth/catalyst/api.go b/eth/catalyst/api.go
index 1e019ffb15a0..835a8309d49d 100644
--- a/eth/catalyst/api.go
+++ b/eth/catalyst/api.go
@@ -180,11 +180,11 @@ func (api *ConsensusAPI) ForkchoiceUpdatedV2(update engine.ForkchoiceStateV1, pa
 	if params != nil {
 		switch {
 		case params.BeaconRoot != nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("unexpected beacon root")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("unexpected beacon root")
 		case api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Paris) && params.Withdrawals != nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("withdrawals before shanghai")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("withdrawals before shanghai")
 		case api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Shanghai) && params.Withdrawals == nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("missing withdrawals")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("missing withdrawals")
 		case !api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Paris, forks.Shanghai):
 			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, unsupportedForkErr("fcuV2 must only be called with paris or shanghai payloads")
 		}
diff --git a/eth/catalyst/api_test.go b/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
index 7eb26065dc39..3d363e37fee0 100644
--- a/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
+++ b/eth/catalyst/api_test.go
@@ -1205,6 +1205,13 @@ func TestNilWithdrawals(t *testing.T) {
 			if err == nil {
 				t.Fatal("wanted error on fcuv2 with invalid withdrawals")
 			}
+			var engineErr *engine.EngineAPIError
+			if !errors.As(err, &engineErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected EngineAPIError, got %T", err)
+			}
+			if engineErr.ErrorCode() != -32602 {
+				t.Fatalf("wrong error code, have %d want %d", engineErr.ErrorCode(), -32602)
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/eth/catalyst/witness.go b/eth/catalyst/witness.go
index 14ca29e07924..982f1ae1e32f 100644
--- a/eth/catalyst/witness.go
+++ b/eth/catalyst/witness.go
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ func (api *ConsensusAPI) ForkchoiceUpdatedWithWitnessV2(update engine.Forkchoice
 	if params != nil {
 		switch {
 		case params.BeaconRoot != nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("unexpected beacon root")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("unexpected beacon root")
 		case api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Paris) && params.Withdrawals != nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("withdrawals before shanghai")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("withdrawals before shanghai")
 		case api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Shanghai) && params.Withdrawals == nil:
-			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, attributesErr("missing withdrawals")
+			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, paramsErr("missing withdrawals")
 		case !api.checkFork(params.Timestamp, forks.Paris, forks.Shanghai):
 			return engine.STATUS_INVALID, unsupportedForkErr("fcuV2 must only be called with paris or shanghai payloads")
 		}