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 d04bca74..a4aae2a3 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
@@ -56,16 +56,17 @@ export function createBridgeClient(bridgeUrl: string): AxiosInstance {
     timeout: 15_000,
   });
 
+  // Vite auto-exposes VITE_* vars from apps/client/.env(.local) via
+  // import.meta.env. The monorepo-root .env is not picked up automatically
+  // for client-side consumption, so the dev token lives in apps/client/.env.local
+  // (gitignored).
+  const envToken: string | undefined = (
+    import.meta as unknown as { env?: { VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN?: string } }
+  ).env?.VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN;
+
   instance.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
-    // 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/).
+    // Priority: cookie token (prod) > VITE_BRIDGE_TOKEN env (dev fallback)
     const cookieToken = readTokenFromCookie();
-    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}`;