diff --git a/Lib/poplib.py b/Lib/poplib.py
index 770819e..1a529d0 100644
--- a/Lib/poplib.py
+++ b/Lib/poplib.py
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@
 
         NB: mailbox is locked by server from here to 'quit()'
         """
-        secret = bytes(secret, self.encoding)
+        secret = bytes(password, self.encoding)
         m = self.timestamp.match(self.welcome)
         if not m:
             raise error_proto('-ERR APOP not supported by server')