diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/components/layout/settings.component.tsx b/apps/frontend/src/components/layout/settings.component.tsx
index 436f7fe99..f4d56eea2 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/components/layout/settings.component.tsx
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/components/layout/settings.component.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export const SettingsPopup: FC<{ getRef?: Ref<any> }> = (props) => {
   }, []);
 
   const url = useSearchParams();
-  const showLogout = !url.get('onboarding');
+  const showLogout = !url.get('onboarding') || user?.tier?.current === "FREE";
 
   const loadProfile = useCallback(async () => {
     const personal = await (await fetch('/user/personal')).json();
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/middleware.ts b/apps/frontend/src/middleware.ts
index e669efb6c..28e22680a 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/middleware.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
 import type { NextRequest } from 'next/server';
-import { fetchBackend } from '@gitroom/helpers/utils/custom.fetch.func';
 import { getCookieUrlFromDomain } from '@gitroom/helpers/subdomain/subdomain.management';
+import { internalFetch } from '@gitroom/helpers/utils/internal.fetch';
 
 // This function can be marked `async` if using `await` inside
 export async function middleware(request: NextRequest) {
@@ -68,13 +68,10 @@ export async function middleware(request: NextRequest) {
   try {
     if (org) {
       const { id } = await (
-        await fetchBackend('/user/join-org', {
+        await internalFetch('/user/join-org', {
           body: JSON.stringify({
             org,
           }),
-          headers: {
-            auth: authCookie?.value!,
-          },
           method: 'POST',
         })
       ).json();
diff --git a/libraries/helpers/src/utils/custom.fetch.func.ts b/libraries/helpers/src/utils/custom.fetch.func.ts
index f7f38c072..9daf222d5 100644
--- a/libraries/helpers/src/utils/custom.fetch.func.ts
+++ b/libraries/helpers/src/utils/custom.fetch.func.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { loadVars } from '@gitroom/react/helpers/variable.context';
 
 export interface Params {
   baseUrl: string;
@@ -48,6 +47,6 @@ export const customFetch = (
 
 export const fetchBackend = customFetch({
   get baseUrl() {
-    return loadVars().backendUrl;
+    return process.env.BACKEND_URL!;
   },
 });
diff --git a/libraries/nestjs-libraries/src/database/prisma/organizations/organization.service.ts b/libraries/nestjs-libraries/src/database/prisma/organizations/organization.service.ts
index db239ac3a..15336c34f 100644
--- a/libraries/nestjs-libraries/src/database/prisma/organizations/organization.service.ts
+++ b/libraries/nestjs-libraries/src/database/prisma/organizations/organization.service.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
   }
 
   async inviteTeamMember(orgId: string, body: AddTeamMemberDto) {
-    const timeLimit = dayjs().add(15, 'minutes').format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss');
+    const timeLimit = dayjs().add(1, 'hour').format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss');
     const id = makeId(5);
     const url =
       process.env.FRONTEND_URL +
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
       await this._notificationsService.sendEmail(
         body.email,
         'You have been invited to join an organization',
-        `You have been invited to join an organization. Click <a href="${url}">here</a> to join.<br />The link will expire in 15 minutes.`
+        `You have been invited to join an organization. Click <a href="${url}">here</a> to join.<br />The link will expire in 1 hour.`
       );
     }
     return { url };