diff --git a/test/credentials/test_envVars.py b/test/credentials/test_envVars.py
index 9658e22f..1ec3ec28 100644
--- a/test/credentials/test_envVars.py
+++ b/test/credentials/test_envVars.py
@@ -90,16 +90,19 @@ def test_envVars(
     rc_path = rc_path.expanduser()
     rc_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
 
+    # Give the rc file mock contents
+    rc_path.write_text(template.format(uid=random_string(), key=random_string()))
+
     test_uid = random_string()
     test_key = random_string()
 
     with monkeypatch.context() as mp:
         mp.setenv(env_var_name_uid, test_uid)
         mp.setenv(env_var_name_key, test_key)
-        credentials.check_api(model_name, None, None, './', update_rc_file=False)
+        credentials.check_api(model_name, None, None, './', update_rc_file=True)
 
     expected_content = template.format(uid=test_uid, key=test_key)
     actual_content = rc_path.read_text()
     rc_path.unlink()
 
-    assert expected_content == actual_content, f'{rc_path} was not updated correctly'
+    assert expected_content == actual_content, f'{rc_path} was not created correctly'
diff --git a/test/credentials/test_updateTrue.py b/test/credentials/test_updateTrue.py
index c4265c6d..5b31dbfc 100644
--- a/test/credentials/test_updateTrue.py
+++ b/test/credentials/test_updateTrue.py
@@ -77,12 +77,16 @@ def test_updateTrue(model_name, template):
         return
     rc_path = Path('./') / (hidden_ext + rc_filename)
 
+    # Give the rc file mock contents
+    rc_path.write_text(template.format(uid=random_string(), key=random_string()))
+
+    # Use check_api to update the rc file
     test_uid = random_string()
     test_key = random_string()
     credentials.check_api(model_name, test_uid, test_key, './', update_rc_file=True)
 
+    # Check that the rc file was properly updated
     expected_content = template.format(uid=test_uid, key=test_key)
     actual_content = rc_path.read_text()
     rc_path.unlink()
-
     assert expected_content == actual_content, f'{rc_path} was not updated correctly'
diff --git a/tools/RAiDER/models/credentials.py b/tools/RAiDER/models/credentials.py
index 3eee8576..80425679 100644
--- a/tools/RAiDER/models/credentials.py
+++ b/tools/RAiDER/models/credentials.py
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def check_api(
         import netrc
 
         rc_path.touch()
-        netrc_credentials = netrc.netrc(rc_path)
+        netrc_credentials = netrc.netrc(rc_path.name)
         netrc_credentials.hosts[url] = (uid, None, key)
         rc_path.write_text(str(netrc_credentials))
     rc_path.chmod(0o000600)