diff --git a/include/maxscale/service.h b/include/maxscale/service.h
index 1611ff75d..8bc339c08 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/service.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/service.h
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ bool serviceStartListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name);
 bool serviceAddBackend(SERVICE *service, SERVER *server);
 
 // Used by authenticators
-int   serviceGetUser(SERVICE *service, char **user, char **auth);
+void serviceGetUser(SERVICE *service, const char **user, const char **auth);
 
 // Used by routers
 const char* serviceGetWeightingParameter(SERVICE *service);
diff --git a/server/core/service.cc b/server/core/service.cc
index cc8703000..c89bcb897 100644
--- a/server/core/service.cc
+++ b/server/core/service.cc
@@ -1008,21 +1008,18 @@ bool serviceHasBackend(Service *service, SERVER *server)
 }
 
 /**
- * Get the service user that is used to log in to the backebd servers
+ * Get the service user that is used to log in to the backend servers
  * associated with this service.
  *
  * @param service       The service we are setting the data for
  * @param user          The user name to use for connections
  * @param auth          The authentication data we need, e.g. MySQL SHA1 password
- * @return              0 on failure
  */
-int
-serviceGetUser(SERVICE *svc, char **user, char **auth)
+void serviceGetUser(SERVICE *svc, const char **user, const char **auth)
 {
     Service* service = static_cast<Service*>(svc);
     *user = service->credentials.name;
     *auth = service->credentials.authdata;
-    return 1;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/CDCPlainAuth/cdc_plain_auth.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/CDCPlainAuth/cdc_plain_auth.cc
index fd2cb5ada..3f8c4bec9 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/CDCPlainAuth/cdc_plain_auth.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/CDCPlainAuth/cdc_plain_auth.cc
@@ -432,18 +432,11 @@ cdc_set_service_user(SERV_LISTENER *listener)
     SERVICE *service = listener->service;
     char *dpwd = NULL;
     char *newpasswd = NULL;
-    char *service_user = NULL;
-    char *service_passwd = NULL;
+    const char *service_user = NULL;
+    const char *service_passwd = NULL;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(service, &service_user, &service_passwd) == 0)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("failed to get service user details for service %s",
-                  service->name);
-
-        return 1;
-    }
-
-    dpwd = decrypt_password(service->credentials.authdata);
+    serviceGetUser(service, &service_user, &service_passwd);
+    dpwd = decrypt_password(service_passwd);
 
     if (!dpwd)
     {
@@ -466,7 +459,10 @@ cdc_set_service_user(SERV_LISTENER *listener)
     }
 
     /* add service user */
-    (void)users_add(listener->users, service->credentials.name, newpasswd, USER_ACCOUNT_ADMIN);
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
+    serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password);
+    users_add(listener->users, user, newpasswd, USER_ACCOUNT_ADMIN);
 
     MXS_FREE(newpasswd);
     MXS_FREE(dpwd);
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.cc
index 7981113fb..63f4e222e 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/GSSAPI/GSSAPIAuth/gssapi_auth.cc
@@ -599,11 +599,14 @@ static void add_gssapi_user(sqlite3 *handle, const char *user, const char *host,
  */
 int gssapi_auth_load_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener)
 {
-    char *user, *pw;
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
     int rval = MXS_AUTH_LOADUSERS_ERROR;
     GSSAPI_INSTANCE *inst = (GSSAPI_INSTANCE*)listener->auth_instance;
+    serviceGetUser(listener->service, &user, &password);
+    char* pw;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(listener->service, &user, &pw) && (pw = decrypt_password(pw)))
+    if ((pw = decrypt_password(password)))
     {
         bool no_active_servers = true;
 
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/HTTPAuth/http_auth.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/HTTPAuth/http_auth.cc
index 939791b84..2780f2089 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/HTTPAuth/http_auth.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/HTTPAuth/http_auth.cc
@@ -108,9 +108,11 @@ http_auth_authenticate(DCB *dcb)
 {
     int rval = 1;
     HTTP_AUTH *ses = (HTTP_AUTH*)dcb->data;
-    char *user, *pw;
-    serviceGetUser(dcb->service, &user, &pw);
-    pw = decrypt_password(pw);
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
+
+    serviceGetUser(dcb->service, &user, &password);
+    char* pw = decrypt_password(password);
 
     if (ses && strcmp(ses->user, user) == 0 && strcmp(ses->pw, pw) == 0)
     {
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.cc
index f0966894d..72fe987a7 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.cc
@@ -727,14 +727,10 @@ bool check_service_permissions(SERVICE* service)
         return true;
     }
 
-    char *user, *password;
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password) == 0)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("[%s] Service is missing the user credentials for authentication.",
-                  service->name);
-        return false;
-    }
+    serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password);
 
     char *dpasswd = decrypt_password(password);
     bool rval = false;
@@ -919,14 +915,11 @@ int get_users_from_server(MYSQL *con, SERVER_REF *server_ref, SERVICE *service,
  */
 static int get_users(SERV_LISTENER *listener, bool skip_local)
 {
-    char *service_user = NULL;
-    char *service_passwd = NULL;
+    const char *service_user = NULL;
+    const char *service_passwd = NULL;
     SERVICE *service = listener->service;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(service, &service_user, &service_passwd) == 0)
-    {
-        return -1;
-    }
+    serviceGetUser(service, &service_user, &service_passwd);
 
     char *dpwd = decrypt_password(service_passwd);
 
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/mysql_auth.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/mysql_auth.cc
index 4dd536753..ae3304882 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/mysql_auth.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/mysql_auth.cc
@@ -540,37 +540,32 @@ mysql_auth_free_client_data(DCB *dcb)
  */
 static bool add_service_user(SERV_LISTENER *port)
 {
-    char *user = NULL;
-    char *pw = NULL;
+    const char *user = NULL;
+    const char *password = NULL;
     bool rval = false;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(port->service, &user, &pw))
+    serviceGetUser(port->service, &user, &password);
+
+    char* pw;
+
+    if ((pw = decrypt_password(password)))
     {
-        pw = decrypt_password(pw);
+        char *newpw = create_hex_sha1_sha1_passwd(pw);
 
-        if (pw)
+        if (newpw)
         {
-            char *newpw = create_hex_sha1_sha1_passwd(pw);
-
-            if (newpw)
-            {
-                MYSQL_AUTH *inst = (MYSQL_AUTH*)port->auth_instance;
-                sqlite3* handle = get_handle(inst);
-                add_mysql_user(handle, user, "%", "", "Y", newpw);
-                add_mysql_user(handle, user, "localhost", "", "Y", newpw);
-                MXS_FREE(newpw);
-                rval = true;
-            }
-            MXS_FREE(pw);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            MXS_ERROR("[%s] Failed to decrypt service user password.", port->service->name);
+            MYSQL_AUTH *inst = (MYSQL_AUTH*)port->auth_instance;
+            sqlite3* handle = get_handle(inst);
+            add_mysql_user(handle, user, "%", "", "Y", newpw);
+            add_mysql_user(handle, user, "localhost", "", "Y", newpw);
+            MXS_FREE(newpw);
+            rval = true;
         }
+        MXS_FREE(pw);
     }
     else
     {
-        MXS_ERROR("[%s] Failed to retrieve service credentials.", port->service->name);
+        MXS_ERROR("[%s] Failed to decrypt service user password.", port->service->name);
     }
 
     return rval;
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/PAM/PAMAuth/pam_instance.cc b/server/modules/authenticator/PAM/PAMAuth/pam_instance.cc
index 78d45dab7..fc543deea 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/PAM/PAMAuth/pam_instance.cc
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/PAM/PAMAuth/pam_instance.cc
@@ -185,10 +185,13 @@ int PamInstance::load_users(SERVICE* service)
     const unsigned int PAM_USERS_QUERY_NUM_FIELDS  = 5;
 #endif
 
-    char *user, *pw;
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
+    serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password);
     int rval = MXS_AUTH_LOADUSERS_ERROR;
+    char* pw;
 
-    if (serviceGetUser(service, &user, &pw) && (pw = decrypt_password(pw)))
+    if ((pw = decrypt_password(password)))
     {
         for (SERVER_REF *servers = service->dbref; servers; servers = servers->next)
         {
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/blr.cc b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/blr.cc
index df883ecc3..8a9b5fd12 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/blr.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/blr.cc
@@ -240,9 +240,11 @@ static MXS_ROUTER* createInstance(SERVICE *service, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params
     uuid_t defuuid;
     int rc = 0;
     char task_name[BLRM_TASK_NAME_LEN + 1] = "";
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
+    serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password);
 
-    if (!service->credentials.name[0] ||
-        !service->credentials.authdata[0])
+    if (!user[0] || !password[0])
     {
         MXS_ERROR("%s: Error: Service is missing user credentials."
                   " Add the missing username or passwd parameter to the service.",
@@ -287,8 +289,8 @@ static MXS_ROUTER* createInstance(SERVICE *service, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params
     inst->master = NULL;
     inst->client = NULL;
 
-    inst->user = MXS_STRDUP_A(service->credentials.name);
-    inst->password = MXS_STRDUP_A(service->credentials.authdata);
+    inst->user = MXS_STRDUP_A(user);
+    inst->password = MXS_STRDUP_A(password);
     inst->retry_count = 0;
     inst->m_errno = 0;
     inst->m_errmsg = NULL;
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
index fa0e43464..e89610f29 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlogrouter/test/testbinlog.cc
@@ -167,10 +167,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
         return 1;
     }
-
+    const char* user;
+    const char* password;
+    serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password);
     inst->service = service;
-    inst->user = MXS_STRDUP_A(service->credentials.name);
-    inst->password = MXS_STRDUP_A(service->credentials.authdata);
+    inst->user = MXS_STRDUP_A(user);
+    inst->password = MXS_STRDUP_A(password);
 
     MXS_NOTICE("testbinlog v1.0");