diff --git a/gateway/src/apicast/threescale_utils.lua b/gateway/src/apicast/threescale_utils.lua
index 268d50870..f8f65d70a 100644
--- a/gateway/src/apicast/threescale_utils.lua
+++ b/gateway/src/apicast/threescale_utils.lua
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ function _M.error(resilient, ...)
   else
     ngx.status = ngx.HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
     ngx.say(...)
-    if not resilient or resilient == nil then
+    if not resilient then
       ngx.exit(ngx.status)
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/threescale_utils_spec.lua b/spec/threescale_utils_spec.lua
index be7c8bb40..ff64c2aa8 100644
--- a/spec/threescale_utils_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/threescale_utils_spec.lua
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ describe('3scale utils', function()
             stub(ngx, 'say', function(...) return nil end)
             local exit = spy.on(ngx, 'exit', function(s) return 'exited!' end)
 
-            local error = _M.error(false, 'cache issue ' .. 'host:' .. 6379)
+            local error = _M.error(nil, 'cache issue ' .. 'host:' .. 6379)
 
             assert.spy(ngx.exit).was_called(1)
             assert.spy(ngx.say).was.called_with('cache issue ' .. 'host:' .. 6379)