diff --git a/server/chat/reserve.js b/server/chat/reserve.js
index 80c8d2f..2da0c8b 100644
--- a/server/chat/reserve.js
+++ b/server/chat/reserve.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const route = async (req, res) => {
 
 	try {
 		//reserve the UUID with the chat server (hop 1)
-		const result = await fetch(`http://${process.env.CHAT_URI}/reserve`, { method: 'POST', body: form });
+		const result = await fetch(`http${process.env.PRODUCTION ? 's' : ''}://${process.env.CHAT_URI}/reserve`, { method: 'POST', body: form });
 
 		if (result.status == 200) {
 			const json = await result.json();
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index 91c5cf5..f971c88 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ module.exports = ({ production, analyzer }) => {
 		plugins: [
 			new DefinePlugin({
 				'process.env': {
+					'PRODUCTION': production,
 					'NEWS_URI': production ? `"${process.env.NEWS_URI}"` : '"http://dev-news.eggtrainer.com:3100/news"',
 					/* TODO: (1) NEWS_KEY needs to be set in the server, and auth'd via admin accounts, NOT embedded in the client */
 					'NEWS_KEY': production ? `"${process.env.NEWS_KEY}"` : '"key"',