diff --git a/packages/api/index.ts b/packages/api/index.ts
index 5e3fd3b..e07ece2 100644
--- a/packages/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import express, { Application, Request, Response } from "express";
 
 import { NextFunction } from "express";
+import { connectToDatabase } from "./services/database.service";
 import cors from "cors";
 import getRoutes from "./routes";
 
@@ -20,3 +21,5 @@ app.get("/", (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 app.use("/api", getRoutes());
 
 app.listen(5000, () => console.log("Example app is listening on port 5000."));
+
+connectToDatabase();
diff --git a/packages/api/routes/index.ts b/packages/api/routes/index.ts
index 5744e8b..cfbc673 100644
--- a/packages/api/routes/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/routes/index.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import getUserRoutes from "./user";
 export default function getRoutes() {
   const router = express.Router();
 
-  router.use("/user", getUserRoutes());
+  router.use("/users", getUserRoutes());
 
   return router;
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/routes/user.ts b/packages/api/routes/user.ts
index d154ef5..e26ff1e 100644
--- a/packages/api/routes/user.ts
+++ b/packages/api/routes/user.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { GoogleUserInfo, User } from "@nirvana/core/models";
 import express, { Application, Request, Response } from "express";
 
 import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
+import { UserService } from "../services/user.service";
 import { authCheck } from "../middleware/auth";
 import { collections } from "../services/database.service";
 
@@ -26,11 +27,11 @@ export default function getUserRoutes() {
 async function getUserDetails(req: Request, res: Response) {
   const userId: string = res.locals.userId;
 
-  try {
-    const query = { _id: new ObjectId(userId) };
+  console.log(`getting data for ${userId}`);
 
+  try {
     // return user details if it passed auth middleware
-    const user = (await collections.users?.findOne(query)) as unknown as User;
+    const user = await UserService.getUserById(userId);
 
     res.status(200).send(user);
   } catch (error) {
@@ -46,19 +47,37 @@ async function createUser(req: Request, res: Response) {
 
     if (!access_token) {
       res.status(400);
-
       return;
     }
+
+    // get google user info from access token
+    const userInfo: GoogleUserInfo =
+      await UserService.getGoogleUserInfoWithAccessToken(
+        access_token as string
+      );
+
+    console.log(userInfo);
+
+    // create initial user model object
+    const newUser = new User(
+      new ObjectId(userInfo.id),
+      userInfo.email,
+      userInfo.verifiedEmail,
+      userInfo.name,
+      userInfo.given_name,
+      userInfo.family_name,
+      userInfo.picture,
+      userInfo.locale
+    );
+
+    console.log(newUser);
+
     // create user if not exists
+    const insertResult = await UserService.createUserIfNotExists(newUser);
 
-    // get user info from access token
-    const userInfo: GoogleUserInfo = await (
-      await fetch(
-        `https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/userinfo?access_token=${access_token}`
-      )
-    ).json();
-
-    res.send();
+    insertResult
+      ? res.status(200).send("User created")
+      : res.status(500).send("Failed to create new user");
   } catch (error) {
     res.status(500);
   }
diff --git a/packages/api/services/database.service.ts b/packages/api/services/database.service.ts
index 77e6f07..558073c 100644
--- a/packages/api/services/database.service.ts
+++ b/packages/api/services/database.service.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export const collections: { users?: mongoDB.Collection } = {};
 // Initialize Connection
 export async function connectToDatabase() {
   const client: mongoDB.MongoClient = new mongoDB.MongoClient(
-    process.env.DB_CONN_STRING!
+    "mongodb+srv://default:M9iZXokJlZpN4KLX@cluster0.mkuqa.mongodb.net/default?retryWrites=true&w=majority"
   );
 
   await client.connect();
diff --git a/packages/api/services/user.service.ts b/packages/api/services/user.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43dc0f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/api/services/user.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
+import { User } from "@nirvana/core/models";
+import { collections } from "./database.service";
+
+export class UserService {
+  static async getUserById(userId: string) {
+    const query = { _id: new ObjectId(userId) };
+
+    return (await collections.users?.findOne(query)) as unknown as User;
+  }
+
+  static async createUserIfNotExists(newUser: User) {
+    return await collections.users?.insertOne(newUser);
+  }
+
+  static async getGoogleUserInfoWithAccessToken(accessToken: string) {
+    return await (
+      await fetch(
+        `https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/userinfo?access_token=${accessToken}`
+      )
+    ).json();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/models/googleUserInfo.model.ts b/packages/core/models/googleUserInfo.model.ts
index ec75c0e..e39225d 100644
--- a/packages/core/models/googleUserInfo.model.ts
+++ b/packages/core/models/googleUserInfo.model.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 
 export class GoogleUserInfo {
   constructor(
-    public id: ObjectId,
+    public id: string,
     public email: string,
     public verifiedEmail: boolean,
     public name: string,
diff --git a/packages/core/models/user.model.ts b/packages/core/models/user.model.ts
index 5eb1cd0..242d2c9 100644
--- a/packages/core/models/user.model.ts
+++ b/packages/core/models/user.model.ts
@@ -1,29 +1,15 @@
-import { GoogleUserInfo } from "./googleUserInfo.model";
 import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 
-export class User extends GoogleUserInfo {
+export class User {
   constructor(
-    id: ObjectId,
-    email: string,
-    verifiedEmail: boolean,
-    name: string,
-    given_name: string,
-    family_name: string,
-    picture: string,
-    locale: string,
-
-    // additional properties specific to our users collection
-    mongoId: ObjectId
-  ) {
-    super(
-      id,
-      email,
-      verifiedEmail,
-      name,
-      given_name,
-      family_name,
-      picture,
-      locale
-    );
-  }
+    public _id: ObjectId,
+    public email: string,
+    public verifiedEmail: boolean,
+    public name: string,
+    public given_name: string,
+    public family_name: string,
+    public picture: string,
+    public locale: string
+  ) // additional properties specific to our users collection
+  {}
 }
diff --git a/packages/desktop/package.json b/packages/desktop/package.json
index 9522c11..0242ef0 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/package.json
+++ b/packages/desktop/package.json
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
           "@electron-forge/plugin-webpack",
           {
             "mainConfig": "./webpack.main.config.js",
+            "devContentSecurityPolicy": "connect-src 'self' http://localhost:5000 'unsafe-eval'",
             "renderer": {
               "config": "./webpack.renderer.config.js",
               "entryPoints": [
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/components/ProtectedRoute/index.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/components/ProtectedRoute/index.tsx
index c80a23b..115f4da 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/components/ProtectedRoute/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/components/ProtectedRoute/index.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Route, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 
 import { STORE_ITEMS } from "../../electron/store";
+import { nirvanaApi } from "../../controller/nirvanaApi";
 import { useEffect } from "react";
 import { useGetUserDetails } from "../../controller/index";
 
@@ -9,18 +10,18 @@ export default function ProtectedRoute({ ...children }) {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     // console.log(window.electronAPI.store.get(STORE_ITEMS.AUTH_TOKENS));
+    // nirvanaApi.getUserDetails();
   }, []);
 
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   if (isLoading) return <span>please wait while we authenticate you</span>;
 
-  if (isError) {
-    // toast.error("Please sign in first!");
-    navigate("/login");
-
-    return <span>you are not allowed here!</span>;
-  }
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isError) {
+      navigate("/login");
+    }
+  }, [isError]);
 
   // if we can successfully get user details, we are good to continue
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/controller/index.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/controller/index.tsx
index adccbbb..293934e 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/controller/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/controller/index.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export enum Querytypes {
 }
 
 export function useGetUserDetails() {
-  return useQuery(Querytypes.GET_USER_DETAILS, nirvanaApi.getUserDetails, {
-    retry: true,
-  });
+  return useQuery(Querytypes.GET_USER_DETAILS, () =>
+    nirvanaApi.getUserDetails()
+  );
 }
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/controller/nirvanaApi.ts b/packages/desktop/src/controller/nirvanaApi.ts
index 7900577..1a215f6 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/controller/nirvanaApi.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/controller/nirvanaApi.ts
@@ -4,38 +4,49 @@ import { User } from "@nirvana/core/models";
 
 // export const localHost = process.env.REACT_APP_API_DOMAIN;
 
-export const localHost = "http://localhost:5000";
+export const localHost = "http://localhost:5000/api";
 
 class NirvanaApi {
   // auth token from google that our backend will use
   private _authToken?: string;
 
-  setPrivateToken(_googleIdToken: string) {
+  setGoogleIdToken(_googleIdToken: string) {
     this._authToken = _googleIdToken;
   }
 
-  async fetch<T>(options: AxiosRequestConfig, privateRoute = false) {
+  async fetch(url: string, method: string, privateRoute = false) {
     // use the auth token if it's a private route
     // error if no auth token and it's a private route
     // throw error and show message on anything that is an error from the backend
-    if (privateRoute && this._authToken) {
-      return await axios.request<T>({
-        ...options,
-        headers: { Authorization: this._authToken },
-      });
-    }
 
-    return axios.request<T>(options);
+    try {
+      const fullUrl = localHost + url;
+
+      var res;
+      if (privateRoute && this._authToken) {
+        res = await fetch(fullUrl, {
+          method: method,
+          headers: { Authorization: this._authToken },
+        });
+      } else {
+        res = await fetch(fullUrl);
+      }
+
+      return await res.json();
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.log(error);
+
+      throw Error(error);
+    }
   }
 
-  async getUserDetails(): Promise<AxiosResponse<User>> {
-    return await this.fetch<User>(
-      {
+  async getUserDetails(): Promise<User> {
+    return await (
+      await fetch(localHost + `/users`, {
         method: "GET",
-        url: localHost + `/users`,
-      },
-      true
-    );
+        headers: { Authorization: this._authToken },
+      })
+    ).json();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/index.ts b/packages/desktop/src/index.ts
index ef7171e..9ed40bd 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/index.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ export let browserWindow: BrowserWindow;
 const createWindow = (): void => {
   // Create the browser window.
   browserWindow = new BrowserWindow({
-    height: 600,
-    width: 800,
+    height: 900,
+    width: 900,
     webPreferences: {
       preload: MAIN_WINDOW_PRELOAD_WEBPACK_ENTRY,
+      sandbox: true,
     },
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/nirvanaApp.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/nirvanaApp.tsx
index 330d355..d50de5f 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/nirvanaApp.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/nirvanaApp.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "react-query";
 import Home from "./pages/Home";
 import Login from "./pages/Login";
 import ProtectedRoute from "./components/ProtectedRoute";
+import { ReactQueryDevtools } from "react-query/devtools";
 import testConnection from "@nirvana/core";
 
 testConnection();
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ function NirvanaApp() {
             </Routes>
           </div>
         </HashRouter>
+
+        <ReactQueryDevtools initialIsOpen={false} />
       </QueryClientProvider>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/pages/Login/index.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/pages/Login/index.tsx
index 226205d..5fa8bee 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/pages/Login/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/pages/Login/index.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import Channels from "../../electron/constants";
 import { CircularProgress } from "@mui/material";
 import Logo from "../../components/Logo";
+import { nirvanaApi } from "../../controller/nirvanaApi";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 
 export default function Login() {
@@ -19,8 +20,11 @@ export default function Login() {
     window.electronAPI.auth.receiveTokens(async (tokens: any) => {
       console.log(tokens);
 
+      // todo: implement refresh token procedure in api layer by sending refresh_token and such
       const { access_token, id_token, refresh_token } = tokens;
 
+      nirvanaApi.setGoogleIdToken(id_token);
+
       // home should handle this user now that they have signed in with google
       navigate("/home");
     });