diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/acadenice/database-view/services/bridge-client.ts b/apps/client/src/features/acadenice/database-view/services/bridge-client.ts
index 3d2d4fc5..d04bca74 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/acadenice/database-view/services/bridge-client.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/acadenice/database-view/services/bridge-client.ts
@@ -57,10 +57,15 @@ export function createBridgeClient(bridgeUrl: string): AxiosInstance {
   });
 
   instance.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
-    // Priority: cookie token (prod) > VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN env (dev fallback)
+    // Priority: cookie token (prod) > VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN env (dev fallback).
+    // Vite's define block in vite.config.ts injects VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN into
+    // process.env at build/dev time (not into import.meta.env, since the .env
+    // is loaded from the monorepo root, not from apps/client/).
     const cookieToken = readTokenFromCookie();
-    const metaEnv = (import.meta as unknown as { env?: { VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN?: string } }).env;
-    const envToken = metaEnv?.VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN;
+    const envToken =
+      typeof process !== "undefined"
+        ? (process.env as unknown as { VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN?: string })?.VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN
+        : undefined;
     const token = cookieToken || envToken;
     if (token) {
       config.headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${token}`;