diff --git a/assets/server-settings.json b/assets/server-settings.json
deleted file mode 100644
index d7a4cb3..0000000
--- a/assets/server-settings.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "httpPort" : 3010,
-  "services": [
-    ["Calibre", " calibre-server.service"],
-    ["File Server", "file-server.service"],
-    ["Jellyfin", "jellyfin.service"],
-    ["DuckDNS", "duckdns.service"],
-    ["Wiki.js", "wiki.service"],
-    ["qBitTorrent", "qbittorrent-nox@lukas.service"]
-  ]
-}
diff --git a/assets/settings.json b/assets/settings.json
index 4a000d2..6bb46b7 100644
--- a/assets/settings.json
+++ b/assets/settings.json
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "httpPort" : 3010,
-  "services": [
-    ["Cups", "cups.service"], 
-    ["Waydriod", "waydroid-container.service"]
-  ]
+  "httpPort" : 3010
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
index 40ef8dc..fd03663 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -1,10 +1,38 @@
 
 
-<script>
-  let user = '';
-  let password = '';
-  let loading = false;
-  let error = '';
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { API_BASE } from '$lib/config';
+
+  let user : any = '';
+  let password : any = '';
+  let loading : any = false;
+  let error : any = '';
+
+  async function handleLogin() {
+    let error : any = '';
+    let loading : Boolean = true;
+
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/shadowrun/characters`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ 
+          username: user,
+          password: password,
+          })
+        });
+
+        if (res.ok) {
+          characters = await res.json();
+        }
+
+      alert('Logged in!');
+    } catch (e) {
+      error = e.message;
+    } finally {
+      loading = false;
+    }
+  }
 </script>
 
 <form class="login" on:submit|preventDefault={handleLogin}>
@@ -29,25 +57,6 @@
   </button>
 </form>
 
-<script>
-  async function handleLogin() {
-    error = '';
-    loading = true;
-
-    try {
-      // placeholder – we’ll add real auth next
-      if user !== 'test@test.com' || password !== '1234') {
-        throw new Error('Invalid credentials');
-      }
-
-      alert('Logged in!');
-    } catch (e) {
-      error = e.message;
-    } finally {
-      loading = false;
-    }
-  }
-</script>
 
 <style>
   .login {
diff --git a/src/database/database.hpp b/src/database/database.hpp
index e9ae2ef..bfc284a 100644
--- a/src/database/database.hpp
+++ b/src/database/database.hpp
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef __DATABASE_H__
 #define __DATABASE_H__
 
-#include "sqlite3.h"
 #include <string>
-#include <vector>
-#include <variant>
-#include <optional>
-#include <set>
-#include <map>
-#include "crow.h"
 #include "sqlite_orm.h"
 #include "ShadowrunDb.hpp"
 #include "loginDb.hpp"
diff --git a/src/json_settings.cpp b/src/json_settings.cpp
index 16f9400..007568a 100644
--- a/src/json_settings.cpp
+++ b/src/json_settings.cpp
@@ -1,60 +1,41 @@
 #include <fstream>
-#include <format>
 #include "json.hpp"
 #include "json_settings.h"
+#include "crow/logging.h"
+#include "utils.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
 using json = nlohmann::json;
+using namespace::AppSettings;
 
-expected<AppSettings, string> AppSettings::loadAppSettings() {
-    constexpr char settings_file[] = "static/settings.json";
-    ifstream file(settings_file);
+Settings AppSettings::deafult(){
+    return Settings {
+        .httpPort = 3010
+    };
+}
+
+Settings AppSettings::load() {
+    ifstream file(settingsFile);
     if (!file.is_open()) {
-        return unexpected(format("Failed to open {}",settings_file));
+        CROW_LOG_ERROR << "Failed to load settings file" << settingsFile << " Loading default settings";
+        return AppSettings::deafult();
+    }
+
+    std::stringstream buffer;
+    buffer << file.rdbuf();  // Read the whole file into the stringstream
+    std::string fileContents = buffer.str(); // Convert to std::string
+    auto result = utils::parseJson(fileContents);
+
+    if(!result){
+        CROW_LOG_ERROR << "failed to parse settings file, Loading default settings";
+        return AppSettings::deafult();
     }
 
-    // Parse the JSON
-    json j;
     try {
-        file >> j;
-    } catch (const json::parse_error& e) {
-        return unexpected(format("Failed to parse JSON {}",e.what()));
+        return result.value().get<Settings>();
+    } catch (...) {
+        CROW_LOG_ERROR << "failed to parse settings file, Loading default settings";
+        return AppSettings::deafult();
     }
-
-    if (!j.contains("services") || !j["services"].is_array()) {
-        return unexpected("JSON does not contain an array called 'services'");
-    }
-
-    AppSettings settings;
-
-    for (const auto& item : j["services"]) {
-        if (item.is_array() && item.size() == 2) { 
-            Service service = {
-                item[0].get<std::string>(), 
-                item[1].get<std::string>()
-            };
-            settings.services.push_back(service);
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (settings.services.empty()){
-        return unexpected("'services' array in JSON file is empty");
-    }
-
-    if (j.contains("httpPort")) {
-        settings.httpPort = j["httpPort"].get<int>();
-    } else {
-        settings.httpPort = {};
-    }
-    
-    return settings;
 }
 
-optional<std::string> AppSettings::getId(string_view name){
-    for (auto& service : services) {
-        if(service.name == name) {
-            return service.service;
-        }
-    }
-    return {};
-}
diff --git a/src/json_settings.h b/src/json_settings.h
index 77a4a26..6dd363f 100644
--- a/src/json_settings.h
+++ b/src/json_settings.h
@@ -1,24 +1,18 @@
 #ifndef JSON_SETTINGS_H
 #define JSON_SETTINGS_H
 
-#include <vector>
-#include <string>
-#include <expected>
-#include <optional>
-#include <cstdint>
+#include "json.hpp"
 
-struct Service {
-    std::string name;
-    std::string service;
+namespace AppSettings {
+
+static constexpr char settingsFile[] = "assets/settings.json";
+struct Settings {
+    int httpPort;
 };
 
-struct AppSettings {
-    static std::expected<AppSettings, std::string> loadAppSettings();
-
-    std::optional<std::string> getId(std::string_view name);
-
-    std::vector<Service> services;
-    std::optional<uint16_t> httpPort;
-};
+Settings load();
+Settings deafult();
 
+NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_NON_INTRUSIVE(Settings, httpPort);
+}
 #endif // JSON_SETTINGS_H
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/login/login.cpp b/src/login/login.cpp
index f286d85..5d1cc70 100644
--- a/src/login/login.cpp
+++ b/src/login/login.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ void initLogin(crow::SimpleApp& app)
 
     CROW_ROUTE(app, "/login").methods("POST"_method)
     ([](const crow::request& req) {
-        auto body = utils::parseBody(req.body);
+        nlohmann::json body = nlohmann::json::parse(req.body);   // parse JSON from HTTP body
         if (!body.empty())
             return crow::response(400, "Invalid JSON");
 
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ void initLogin(crow::SimpleApp& app)
         if(usenameIt == body.end() || passwordIt == body.end())
             return crow::response(400, "No username or password in body");
 
-        const std::string& username = usenameIt->second;
-        const std::string& password = passwordIt->second;
+        const std::string& username = *usenameIt;
+        const std::string& password = *passwordIt;
 
         // Validate credentials
         auto sessionId = loginUser(username, password); 
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ void initLogin(crow::SimpleApp& app)
             "; HttpOnly; Path=/; SameSite=Strict"
             // add "; Secure" when using HTTPS
         );
+        res.set_header("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true");
+        res.set_header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "http://localhost:5173"); 
 
         res.body = "Logged in";
         return res;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index bd0d501..ea013b4 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #include <crow.h>
 #include <string>
-#include <optional>
 #include "json_settings.h"
 #include "utils.hpp"
 #include "login.hpp"
@@ -43,27 +42,18 @@ int main() {
         return crow::response(200, "text/html", data);
     });
 
-    const uint16_t defaultPort = 3010;
-    uint16_t httpPort = defaultPort;
-    {
-        auto opt_settings = AppSettings::loadAppSettings();
-        if (opt_settings.has_value()){
-            auto& settings = opt_settings.value();
-            httpPort = settings.httpPort.value_or(defaultPort);
-        } else {
-            CROW_LOG_ERROR << "failed to load settings : " << opt_settings.error();
-        }
-
-        auto opt_isPortOpen = utils::isLocalPortOpen(httpPort);
-        if (opt_isPortOpen.has_value()){
-            if (opt_isPortOpen.value()){
-                CROW_LOG_ERROR << "Local port : " << httpPort << " is already open";
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            CROW_LOG_ERROR << "failed to check if local port is open : " << opt_isPortOpen.error();
+    auto settings = AppSettings::load();
+    auto opt_isPortOpen = utils::isLocalPortOpen(settings.httpPort);
+    if (opt_isPortOpen.has_value()){
+        if (opt_isPortOpen.value()){
+            CROW_LOG_ERROR << "Local port : " << settings.httpPort << " is already open";
+            return 1;
         }
     }
+    else {
+        CROW_LOG_ERROR << "failed to check if local port is open : " << opt_isPortOpen.error();
+        return 1;
+    }
 
     shadowrun::initApi(app);
     login::initLogin(app);
@@ -110,5 +100,5 @@ int main() {
     });
 
     app.loglevel(crow::LogLevel::INFO);
-    app.bindaddr("0.0.0.0").port(httpPort).multithreaded().run();
+    app.bindaddr("0.0.0.0").port(settings.httpPort).multithreaded().run();
 }
diff --git a/src/shadowrun/ShadowrunDb.cpp b/src/shadowrun/ShadowrunDb.cpp
index f2f867b..15c34be 100644
--- a/src/shadowrun/ShadowrunDb.cpp
+++ b/src/shadowrun/ShadowrunDb.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <optional>
 #include "databasepool.h"
 #include "utils.hpp"
+#include "crow/logging.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace sqlite_orm;