diff --git a/src/lib/api.ts b/src/lib/api.ts
index 804b3f1..ca20210 100644
--- a/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { ChatMode } from '@/types/chat'
 
 // In production, use relative URL to route through the proxy server
 // For local development, set VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8000 in .env
-const API_BASE_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || '/api'
+const API_BASE_URL = '/api'
 const API_ENDPOINT = import.meta.env.VITE_API_ENDPOINT || '/chat/stream'
 const USE_MOCK_DATA = false // Set to true to use mock data for testing