diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index c74f031..7230a36 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     "sanitize-html": "^1.18.4"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "react-scripts-ts start",
+    "start": "NODE_ENV=development react-scripts-ts start",
     "build": "react-scripts-ts build",
     "test": "react-scripts-ts test --env=jsdom",
     "eject": "react-scripts-ts eject"
diff --git a/frontend/src/util.ts b/frontend/src/util.ts
index 1d1f2e7..8f6ded7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/util.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/util.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-import fetch from 'cross-fetch';
+import fetch from "cross-fetch";
 
-const API_ROOT = "https://api.fediverse.space/api/v1/"
-// const API_ROOT = "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/"
+const API_ROOT =
+  process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/" : "https://api.fediverse.space/api/v1/";
 
 export const getFromApi = (path: string): Promise<any> => {
-    const domain = API_ROOT.endsWith("/") ? API_ROOT : API_ROOT + "/";
-    path = path.endsWith("/") ? path : path + "/";
-    path += "?format=json"
-    return fetch(domain + path).then(response => response.json());
-}
+  const domain = API_ROOT.endsWith("/") ? API_ROOT : API_ROOT + "/";
+  path = path.endsWith("/") ? path : path + "/";
+  path += "?format=json";
+  return fetch(domain + path).then(response => response.json());
+};