diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index a35f840f..63512c45 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import { ApolloServer } from 'apollo-server';
+import jwt from 'express-jwt';
+
 import { typeDefs } from './data/schema';
 import { mocks } from './data/mocks';
 import { resolvers } from './data/resolvers';
+import { JWT_SECRET } from './config';
+import { User } from './data/connectors';
 
 const PORT = 8080;
 
@@ -9,6 +13,29 @@ const server = new ApolloServer({
   resolvers,
   typeDefs,
   // mocks,
+  context: ({ req, res, connection }) => {
+    // web socket subscriptions will return a connection
+    if (connection) {
+      // check connection for metadata
+      return {};
+    }
+
+    const user = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      jwt({
+        secret: JWT_SECRET,
+        credentialsRequired: false,
+      })(req, res, (e) => {
+        if (req.user) {
+          resolve(User.findOne({ where: { id: req.user.id } }));
+        } else {
+          resolve(null);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+    return {
+      user,
+    };
+  },
 });
 
 server.listen({ port: PORT }).then(({ url }) => console.log(`🚀 Server ready at ${url}`));