diff --git a/backend/entities/auth/base/handlers.go b/backend/entities/auth/base/handlers.go
index 8402fa43..b5e39179 100644
--- a/backend/entities/auth/base/handlers.go
+++ b/backend/entities/auth/base/handlers.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/integrations/oauth/soth"
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic"
@@ -72,17 +70,6 @@ func (h *Handler) Provider(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 }
 
 func (h *Handler) ProviderCallback(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
-	defer func() {
-		c.Cookie(&fiber.Cookie{
-			Name:    "redirect",
-			Value:   "",
-			Expires: time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Hour), // expire the cookie immediately
-			// MARK: secure should be true in prod
-			// use go build tags to do this
-			HTTPOnly: true,
-		})
-	}()
-
 	gfUser, err := sothic.CompleteUserAuth(c)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -102,12 +89,7 @@ func (h *Handler) ProviderCallback(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	redirect, err := url.PathUnescape(c.Cookies("redirect", "/"))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return c.Redirect(redirect)
+	return c.SendStatus(http.StatusOK)
 }
 
 func (h *Handler) ProviderLogout(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
diff --git a/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic/sothic.go b/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic/sothic.go
index 92a03d21..c375c3a3 100644
--- a/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic/sothic.go
+++ b/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic/sothic.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -72,7 +73,8 @@ func BeginAuthHandler(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		return c.Status(fiber.StatusBadRequest).SendString(err.Error())
 	}
 
-	return c.Redirect(url, fiber.StatusTemporaryRedirect)
+	c.Set("redirect", url)
+	return c.SendStatus(http.StatusOK)
 }
 
 // SetState sets the state string associated with the given request.
diff --git a/backend/middleware/auth/authorize.go b/backend/middleware/auth/authorize.go
index c78a3a12..fa791251 100644
--- a/backend/middleware/auth/authorize.go
+++ b/backend/middleware/auth/authorize.go
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
-	"net/url"
+	"net/http"
 	"slices"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/models"
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic"
@@ -18,16 +17,8 @@ func (m *AuthMiddlewareHandler) Authorize(requiredPermissions ...permission.Perm
 	return func(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		strUser, err := sothic.GetFromSession("user", c)
 		if err != nil {
-			c.Cookie(&fiber.Cookie{
-				Name:    "redirect",
-				Value:   url.PathEscape(c.OriginalURL()),
-				Expires: time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
-				// MARK: secure should be true in prod
-				// use go build tags to do this
-				HTTPOnly: true,
-			})
-
-			return c.Redirect("/api/v1/auth/login")
+			c.Set("redirect", "/api/v1/auth/login")
+			return c.SendStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
 		}
 
 		user := models.UnmarshalUser(strUser)
diff --git a/backend/middleware/auth/club.go b/backend/middleware/auth/club.go
index 54d42980..883132cc 100644
--- a/backend/middleware/auth/club.go
+++ b/backend/middleware/auth/club.go
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"slices"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/clubs"
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/models"
@@ -16,15 +16,8 @@ import (
 func (m *AuthMiddlewareHandler) ClubAuthorizeById(c *fiber.Ctx, extractor ExtractID) error {
 	strUser, err := sothic.GetFromSession("user", c)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Cookie(&fiber.Cookie{
-			Name:    "redirect",
-			Value:   c.OriginalURL(),
-			Expires: time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
-			// MARK: secure should be true in prod
-			// use go build tags to do this
-			HTTPOnly: true,
-		})
-		return c.Redirect("/api/v1/auth/login")
+		c.Set("redirect", "/api/v1/auth/login")
+		return c.SendStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
 	}
 
 	user := models.UnmarshalUser(strUser)
diff --git a/backend/middleware/auth/event.go b/backend/middleware/auth/event.go
index 61945493..d4740bb4 100644
--- a/backend/middleware/auth/event.go
+++ b/backend/middleware/auth/event.go
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"slices"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/events"
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/models"
@@ -17,16 +17,8 @@ import (
 func (m *AuthMiddlewareHandler) EventAuthorizeById(c *fiber.Ctx, extractor ExtractID) error {
 	strUser, err := sothic.GetFromSession("user", c)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Cookie(&fiber.Cookie{
-			Name:    "redirect",
-			Value:   c.OriginalURL(),
-			Expires: time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
-			// MARK: secure should be true in prod
-			// use go build tags to do this
-			HTTPOnly: true,
-		})
-
-		return c.Redirect("/api/v1/auth/login")
+		c.Set("redirect", "/api/v1/auth/login")
+		return c.SendStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
 	}
 
 	user := models.UnmarshalUser(strUser)
diff --git a/backend/middleware/auth/user.go b/backend/middleware/auth/user.go
index c9ab0107..fd5ee727 100644
--- a/backend/middleware/auth/user.go
+++ b/backend/middleware/auth/user.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
-	"time"
+	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/entities/models"
 	"github.com/GenerateNU/sac/backend/integrations/oauth/soth/sothic"
@@ -13,16 +13,8 @@ import (
 func (m *AuthMiddlewareHandler) UserAuthorizeById(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 	strUser, err := sothic.GetFromSession("user", c)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Cookie(&fiber.Cookie{
-			Name:    "redirect",
-			Value:   c.OriginalURL(),
-			Expires: time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
-			// MARK: secure should be true in prod
-			// use go build tags to do this
-			HTTPOnly: true,
-		})
-
-		return c.Redirect("/api/v1/auth/login")
+		c.Set("redirect", "/api/v1/auth/login")
+		return c.SendStatus(http.StatusUnauthorized)
 	}
 
 	user := models.UnmarshalUser(strUser)