diff --git a/frontend/src/router/index.js b/frontend/src/router/index.js
index 060ceeba..31035b49 100644
--- a/frontend/src/router/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/router/index.js
@@ -148,15 +148,11 @@ const routes = [
   },
 ];
 
-async function initialize() {
-  try {
-    if (loginPage) {
-      await validateLogin();
-    } else {
-      await login("", "", "");
-    }
-  } catch (e) {
-    console.error(e);
+async function initAuth() {
+  if (loginPage) {
+    await validateLogin();
+  } else {
+    await login("", "", "");
   }
 
   if (recaptcha) {
@@ -206,7 +202,11 @@ router.beforeResolve(async (to, from, next) => {
 
   // this will only be null on first route
   if (from.name == null) {
-    await initialize();
+    try {
+      await initAuth();
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(error);
+    }
   }
 
   if (to.path.endsWith("/login") && authStore.isLoggedIn) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/auth.js b/frontend/src/utils/auth.js
index ecfa5b6b..8e5fbcba 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/auth.js
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/auth.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { useAuthStore } from "@/stores/auth";
 import router from "@/router";
 import jwt_decode from "jwt-decode";
-import { fetchURL } from "@/api/utils";
-import { baseURL } from "@/utils/constants";
+import { baseURL } from "./constants";
 
 export function parseToken(token) {
   // falsy or malformed jwt will throw InvalidTokenError
@@ -22,25 +21,22 @@ export async function validateLogin() {
     if (localStorage.getItem("jwt")) {
       await renew(localStorage.getItem("jwt"));
     }
-  } catch (_) {
+  } catch (error) {
     console.warn("Invalid JWT token in storage"); // eslint-disable-line
+    throw error;
   }
 }
 
 export async function login(username, password, recaptcha) {
   const data = { username, password, recaptcha };
 
-  const res = await fetchURL(
-    `/api/login`,
-    {
-      method: "POST",
-      headers: {
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      },
-      body: JSON.stringify(data),
+  const res = await fetch(`${baseURL}/api/login`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json",
     },
-    false
-  );
+    body: JSON.stringify(data),
+  });
 
   const body = await res.text();
 
@@ -52,7 +48,7 @@ export async function login(username, password, recaptcha) {
 }
 
 export async function renew(jwt) {
-  const res = await fetchURL(`/api/renew`, {
+  const res = await fetch(`${baseURL}/api/renew`, {
     method: "POST",
     headers: {
       "X-Auth": jwt,
@@ -71,17 +67,13 @@ export async function renew(jwt) {
 export async function signup(username, password) {
   const data = { username, password };
 
-  const res = await fetchURL(
-    `/api/signup`,
-    {
-      method: "POST",
-      headers: {
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      },
-      body: JSON.stringify(data),
+  const res = await fetch(`${baseURL}/api/signup`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: {
+      "Content-Type": "application/json",
     },
-    false
-  );
+    body: JSON.stringify(data),
+  });
 
   if (res.status !== 200) {
     throw new Error(res.status);