diff --git a/app/clients/sms/firetext.py b/app/clients/sms/firetext.py
index 5269d9444..a8f42fdcf 100644
--- a/app/clients/sms/firetext.py
+++ b/app/clients/sms/firetext.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ firetext_responses = {
         "message": 'Declined',
         "success": False,
         "notification_statistics_status": STATISTICS_FAILURE,
-        "notification_status": 'failed'
+        "notification_status": 'permanent-failure'
     },
     '2': {
         "message": 'Undelivered (Pending with Network)',
diff --git a/tests/app/clients/test_firetext.py b/tests/app/clients/test_firetext.py
index 75586dbed..271e9ff99 100644
--- a/tests/app/clients/test_firetext.py
+++ b/tests/app/clients/test_firetext.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def test_should_return_correct_details_for_delivery():
 def test_should_return_correct_details_for_bounced():
     response_dict = get_firetext_responses('1')
     assert response_dict['message'] == 'Declined'
-    assert response_dict['notification_status'] == 'failed'
+    assert response_dict['notification_status'] == 'permanent-failure'
     assert response_dict['notification_statistics_status'] == 'failure'
     assert not response_dict['success']
 
diff --git a/tests/app/notifications/test_rest.py b/tests/app/notifications/test_rest.py
index 0dcbcaeb2..6526ee6d7 100644
--- a/tests/app/notifications/test_rest.py
+++ b/tests/app/notifications/test_rest.py
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ def test_firetext_callback_should_update_notification_status_failed(notify_api,
             assert json_resp['message'] == 'Firetext callback succeeded. reference {} updated'.format(
                 sample_notification.id
             )
-            assert get_notification_by_id(sample_notification.id).status == 'failed'
+            assert get_notification_by_id(sample_notification.id).status == 'permanent-failure'
             stats = dao_get_notification_statistics_for_service(sample_notification.service_id)[0]
             assert stats.sms_delivered == 0
             assert stats.sms_requested == 1