diff --git a/apps/backend/package.json b/apps/backend/package.json
index 0267ee5..649b054 100644
--- a/apps/backend/package.json
+++ b/apps/backend/package.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "bcrypt": "^6.0.0",
+    "connect-redis": "^10.0.0",
     "cors": "^2.8.6",
     "database": "workspace:*",
     "dotenv": "^17.4.2",
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
     "express-session": "^1.19.0",
     "passport": "^0.7.0",
     "passport-local": "^1.0.0",
+    "redis": "^6.2.1",
     "zod": "^4.5.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/index.ts b/apps/backend/src/index.ts
index ee55f52..9c581fa 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import session from "express-session";
 import passport from "passport";
 import bcrypt from "bcrypt";
 import env from "./utils/env.js";
+import { RedisStore } from "connect-redis";
+import { createClient, RedisClient } from "redis";
 import { Strategy as LocalStrategy } from "passport-local";
 import { prisma } from "database";
 import { ZodError } from "zod";
@@ -16,6 +18,10 @@ import { ZodError } from "zod";
 import usersRoute from "./routers/users.js";
 import postsRoute from "./routers/posts.js";
 
+// redis client for session mgmt
+const redisClient = createClient({ url: env.REDIS_URL });
+redisClient.connect().catch(console.error);
+
 const app = express();
 app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
 app.use(express.json());
@@ -58,9 +64,16 @@ passport.deserializeUser(async (id: number, done) => {
 
 app.use(
   session({
+    store: new RedisStore({ client: redisClient, prefix: "sess:" }),
     secret: env.SESSION_SECRET,
     resave: false,
     saveUninitialized: false,
+    cookie: {
+      httpOnly: true,
+      sameSite: "lax",
+      secure: env.NODE_ENV === "production",
+      maxAge: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 7,
+    },
   }),
 );
 app.use(passport.session());
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/utils/env.ts b/apps/backend/src/utils/env.ts
index 30f692e..3dd66ac 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/utils/env.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/utils/env.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const env = z.object({
   PORT: z.coerce.number().default(3000),
   DATABASE_URL: z.string().default("file:../../dev.db"),
   SESSION_SECRET: z.string(),
+  REDIS_URL: z.string().default("redis://localhost:6379"),
 });
 
 export default env.parse(process.env);
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/components/layout.tsx b/apps/frontend/src/components/layout.tsx
index 59fe358..9c2c96b 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/components/layout.tsx
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/components/layout.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,17 @@ export default function Layout({
       <div className="bg-black text-white min-h-screen w-full max-w-[42rem] 2xl:max-w-[48rem] mx-auto select-none px-5">
         <Header />
         <div className="relative">{children}</div>
+        <div className="my-4 bg-zinc-800 text-sm">
+          <footer className="w-full text-center p-2">
+            <h1>
+              made with ❤️ by{" "}
+              <a href="https://alexav.gg" target="_blank">
+                Alex
+              </a>
+            </h1>
+            <p className="opacity-50">alex@alexav.gg</p>
+          </footer>
+        </div>
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/main.tsx b/apps/frontend/src/main.tsx
index e21f152..d84d746 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/main.tsx
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/main.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { StrictMode } from "react";
 import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
 import { createBrowserRouter, RouterProvider } from "react-router-dom";
 import { AuthProvider } from "./providers/AuthProvider";
@@ -33,9 +32,7 @@ const router = createBrowserRouter([
 ]);
 
 createRoot(document.getElementById("root")!).render(
-  <StrictMode>
-    <AuthProvider>
-      <RouterProvider router={router} />
-    </AuthProvider>
-  </StrictMode>,
+  <AuthProvider>
+    <RouterProvider router={router} />
+  </AuthProvider>,
 );
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index e059bd6..c52d70d 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -212,6 +212,9 @@ importers:
       bcrypt:
         specifier: ^6.0.0
         version: 6.0.0
+      connect-redis:
+        specifier: ^10.0.0
+        version: 10.0.0(express-session@1.19.0)(redis@6.2.1)
       cors:
         specifier: ^2.8.6
         version: 2.8.6
@@ -233,6 +236,9 @@ importers:
       passport-local:
         specifier: ^1.0.0
         version: 1.0.0
+      redis:
+        specifier: ^6.2.1
+        version: 6.2.1
       zod:
         specifier: ^4.5.4
         version: 4.5.4
@@ -823,6 +829,42 @@ packages:
       '@types/react':
         optional: true
 
+  '@redis/bloom@6.2.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-huQgNLaCIZfQ9SeLn4q9124uOUd8HbZDYHwwUzNcRgHqCHiHKl2dDxMqJCeWh8cMqZAoWuHR8XnWbDMIf+o7ag==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@redis/client': ^6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/client@6.2.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-LzxBY7SIBvvJiyCgcaJZZakE3fJrZZ++i24+EDW9fKpCl68D35uJcKFpZZwCfOoG9WZTbyZlMzMeM0gtOAMU9Q==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@node-rs/xxhash': ^1.1.0
+      '@opentelemetry/api': '>=1 <2'
+    peerDependenciesMeta:
+      '@node-rs/xxhash':
+        optional: true
+      '@opentelemetry/api':
+        optional: true
+
+  '@redis/json@6.2.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-AFIUJ8Gj0DaaSBHYuSt8+O0oYWM+50OK1c0OmodB7XERIA8+BbyV3O4v76f9iccWasd1/7qjfZTpuzexUaZtrQ==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@redis/client': ^6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/search@6.2.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-2vfOAOyYFE7UUw3sBBlkqqruBtOUS4HRY5MtW4hp83llrwvtrTE4r22CEqXddlV+54zkLxBE4nmsIJ/dpezQrQ==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@redis/client': ^6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/time-series@6.2.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-kiYniph04dJOole+L359B6C9E+jYS2uDP7hca6Onj0xF38ZIpyxARO0Iq0W4ZRn1e8Q6vqW00QFZVSMRA/2Ijw==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      '@redis/client': ^6.2.1
+
   '@rolldown/binding-android-arm-eabi@1.2.7':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-EypzgnYCwyVY4NDHKzGmNJT5b+XaQEBniHxsMdeIQLB/tcCzZnhqrzHpZFbX9iaxx+5RiB8caATBtfvZP7zVxQ==}
     engines: {node: ^20.19.0 || >=22.12.0}
@@ -1517,6 +1559,10 @@ packages:
   classnames@2.5.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-saHYOzhIQs6wy2sVxTM6bUDsQO4F50V9RQ22qBpEdCW+I+/Wmke2HOl6lS6dTpdxVhb88/I6+Hs+438c3lfUow==}
 
+  cluster-key-slot@1.1.2:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-RMr0FhtfXemyinomL4hrWcYJxmX6deFdCxpJzhDttxgO1+bcCnkk+9drydLVDmAMG7NE6aN/fl4F7ucU/90gAA==}
+    engines: {node: '>=0.10.0'}
+
   comma-separated-tokens@2.0.3:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Fu4hJdvzeylCfQPp9SGWidpzrMs7tTrlu6Vb8XGaRGck8QSNZJJp538Wrb60Lax4fPwR64ViY468OIUTbRlGZg==}
 
@@ -1526,6 +1572,13 @@ packages:
   confbox@0.3.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-cKUSoKa8YxFZZSmraVi7onONx3amu77ngK3kGpsYHDH7drPwCRkQE1RYMPlLRrMtnciRj274XNRxcHxnKmDSnA==}
 
+  connect-redis@10.0.0:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-x6EotIY20pvocamMtcOsgxFzYufAMfipE+rjWa0cZMeSx+3K0yoHi4Nv4sfMlgF+Z5KnUbMFxyCx9pDZP39p0Q==}
+    engines: {node: '>=22'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      express-session: '>=1'
+      redis: '>=5'
+
   content-disposition@1.1.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-5jRCH9Z/+DRP7rkvY83B+yGIGX96OYdJmzngqnw2SBSxqCFPd0w2km3s5iawpGX8krnwSGmF0FW5Nhr0Hfai3g==}
     engines: {node: '>=18'}
@@ -2636,6 +2689,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Kko+Y5XQ6fM+Ce3dq3m9YGxnacYZYl9cA1wZjaF3Vbry2L3i1qVg8+CAgNPsXRArPMUMCaOR7oa9Nqntc43JKA==}
     engines: {node: '>= 20.19.0'}
 
+  redis@6.2.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-Z9VHtgYs48PiQC77X9O2Er8Hj4T+5BtFjT91/vi5Is1D04N72cA946ZslM1ImJw8ZctFBZWAVjM7S5wJNeHMpg==}
+    engines: {node: '>= 20.0.0'}
+
   remark-parse@11.0.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-FCxlKLNGknS5ba/1lmpYijMUzX2esxW5xQqjWxw2eHFfS2MSdaHVINFmhjo+qN1WhZhNimq0dZATN9pH0IDrpA==}
 
@@ -3428,6 +3485,26 @@ snapshots:
     optionalDependencies:
       '@types/react': 19.2.18
 
+  '@redis/bloom@6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)':
+    dependencies:
+      '@redis/client': 6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/client@6.2.1':
+    dependencies:
+      cluster-key-slot: 1.1.2
+
+  '@redis/json@6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)':
+    dependencies:
+      '@redis/client': 6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/search@6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)':
+    dependencies:
+      '@redis/client': 6.2.1
+
+  '@redis/time-series@6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)':
+    dependencies:
+      '@redis/client': 6.2.1
+
   '@rolldown/binding-android-arm-eabi@1.2.7':
     optional: true
 
@@ -4085,12 +4162,19 @@ snapshots:
 
   classnames@2.5.1: {}
 
+  cluster-key-slot@1.1.2: {}
+
   comma-separated-tokens@2.0.3: {}
 
   confbox@0.2.4: {}
 
   confbox@0.3.1: {}
 
+  connect-redis@10.0.0(express-session@1.19.0)(redis@6.2.1):
+    dependencies:
+      express-session: 1.19.0
+      redis: 6.2.1
+
   content-disposition@1.1.0: {}
 
   content-type@1.0.5: {}
@@ -5303,6 +5387,17 @@ snapshots:
 
   readdirp@5.1.1: {}
 
+  redis@6.2.1:
+    dependencies:
+      '@redis/bloom': 6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)
+      '@redis/client': 6.2.1
+      '@redis/json': 6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)
+      '@redis/search': 6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)
+      '@redis/time-series': 6.2.1(@redis/client@6.2.1)
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - '@node-rs/xxhash'
+      - '@opentelemetry/api'
+
   remark-parse@11.0.0:
     dependencies:
       '@types/mdast': 4.0.4