diff --git a/src/lib/queryClient.ts b/src/lib/queryClient.ts
index 34a742a4..25c0b99e 100644
--- a/src/lib/queryClient.ts
+++ b/src/lib/queryClient.ts
@@ -1,26 +1,32 @@
 import { QueryClient, QueryFunction } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
-const API_BASE_URL =
-  ((import.meta as any).env?.VITE_API_BASE_URL as string | undefined) ||
-  ((typeof window !== "undefined" &&
-    (window.location.hostname === "localhost" ||
-      window.location.hostname === "127.0.0.1")) as any
-    ? "http://localhost:8000/api"
-    : undefined);
-const NORMALIZED_API_BASE_URL = API_BASE_URL
-  ? API_BASE_URL.replace(/\/+$/, "")
-  : "";
+const ENV_API_BASE_URL = ((import.meta as any).env?.VITE_API_BASE_URL as string | undefined)?.trim();
+const IS_LOCALHOST =
+  typeof window !== "undefined" &&
+  (window.location.hostname === "localhost" || window.location.hostname === "127.0.0.1");
+const API_BASE_URL = (ENV_API_BASE_URL || (IS_LOCALHOST ? "http://localhost:8000" : "https://api.quantfortune.com"))
+  .replace(/\/+$/, "")
+  .replace(/\/api$/, "");
 const REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS = 12000;
 
+function normalizeApiPath(url: string) {
+  const parsed = new URL(url, "https://frontend.local");
+  const pathname = parsed.pathname.startsWith("/api")
+    ? parsed.pathname
+    : `/api${parsed.pathname.startsWith("/") ? parsed.pathname : `/${parsed.pathname}`}`;
+
+  return `${pathname}${parsed.search}${parsed.hash}`;
+}
+
 export function resolveApiUrl(url: string) {
   if (url.startsWith("http://") || url.startsWith("https://")) {
     return url;
   }
-  if (!NORMALIZED_API_BASE_URL) {
-    return url;
+  const normalizedPath = normalizeApiPath(url);
+  if (!API_BASE_URL) {
+    return normalizedPath;
   }
-  const normalizedPath = url.startsWith("/") ? url : `/${url}`;
-  return `${NORMALIZED_API_BASE_URL}${normalizedPath}`;
+  return `${API_BASE_URL}${normalizedPath}`;
 }
 
 async function throwIfResNotOk(res: Response) {
diff --git a/src/pages/admin/AdminPage.tsx b/src/pages/admin/AdminPage.tsx
index 8d8159be..f560d63f 100644
--- a/src/pages/admin/AdminPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/admin/AdminPage.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Route, Switch, useRoute } from "wouter";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
 import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
-import { apiRequest } from "@/lib/queryClient";
+import { apiRequest, resolveApiUrl } from "@/lib/queryClient";
 import AdminLayout from "./AdminLayout";
 import AdminOverview from "./AdminOverview";
 import AdminUsers from "./AdminUsers";
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export default function AdminPage() {
 
   const checkAccess = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const res = await fetch("admin/overview", { credentials: "include" });
+      const res = await fetch(resolveApiUrl("admin/overview"), { credentials: "include" });
       if (res.status === 401) {
         setAccessState("unauthenticated");
         return;