diff --git a/pkg/client/quay/client.go b/pkg/client/quay/client.go
index c24afb5b..f638e974 100644
--- a/pkg/client/quay/client.go
+++ b/pkg/client/quay/client.go
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
-
-	"github.com/quay/quay-bridge-operator/pkg/utils"
 )
 
 type QuayClient struct {
@@ -172,7 +170,7 @@ func (c *QuayClient) newRequest(method, path string, body interface{}) (*http.Re
 	}
 
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, u.String(), buf)
-	if !utils.IsZeroOfUnderlyingType(c.AuthToken) {
+	if c.AuthToken != "" {
 		req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+c.AuthToken)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils.go b/pkg/utils/utils.go
index 7235d338..bc711b5f 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils.go
@@ -2,17 +2,12 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/quay/quay-bridge-operator/pkg/constants"
 	"github.com/quay/quay-bridge-operator/pkg/logging"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 )
 
-func IsZeroOfUnderlyingType(x interface{}) bool {
-	return reflect.DeepEqual(x, reflect.Zero(reflect.TypeOf(x)).Interface())
-}
-
 func RemoveItemsFromSlice(s []string, r []string) []string {
 
 	for i, v := range s {