diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/CreationWizardPopup.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/CreationWizardPopup.tsx
index 447a4c2b..f9bce92b 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/CreationWizardPopup.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/CreationWizardPopup.tsx
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ export const CreationWizardPopup: React.FC<CreationWizardPopupProps> = ({
   // Helper function to upload internal video
   const uploadInternalVideo = async (file: File): Promise<void> => {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+      const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
       const formData = new FormData();
       formData.append('file', file);
 
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/GlobalDragDrop.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/GlobalDragDrop.tsx
index f139c606..41756f29 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/GlobalDragDrop.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/GlobalDragDrop.tsx
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const GlobalDragDrop = () => {
                 } else if (isUrl) {
                     // URL workflow
                     toast.info(translate('Processing link...'));
-                    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+                    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
                     const { data: { session } } = await supabase.auth.getSession();
                     const headers: Record<string, string> = {};
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/ImageEditor.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/ImageEditor.tsx
index db337408..2eda38ae 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/ImageEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/ImageEditor.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export const ImageEditor = ({ imageUrl, pictureId, onSave, onClose }: ImageEdito
             formData.append('file', file);
             formData.append('operations', JSON.stringify(ops));
 
-            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
             const res = await fetch(`${serverUrl}/api/images/transform`, {
                 method: 'POST',
                 body: formData
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/PhotoCard.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/PhotoCard.tsx
index 0b8d88a2..f96117ab 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/PhotoCard.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/PhotoCard.tsx
@@ -102,14 +102,6 @@ const PhotoCard = ({
       setLocalVersionCount(versionCount);
     }
   }, [versionCount]);
-
-  // Legacy fetch removed in favor of passed prop
-  /* 
-  useEffect(() => {
-     // ... legacy fetch logic ...
-  }, [pictureId, isOwner, user]);
-  */
-
   const handleLike = async (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
     e.stopPropagation();
 
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/ResponsiveImage.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/ResponsiveImage.tsx
index e9eb0d53..f712353f 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/ResponsiveImage.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/ResponsiveImage.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ const ResponsiveImage: React.FC<ResponsiveImageProps> = React.memo(({
     const ref = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
     const imgRef = React.useRef<HTMLImageElement>(null);
 
+
     useEffect(() => {
         if (props.loading === 'eager' || providedData) {
             setIsInView(true);
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/VideoCard.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
index ce7c2961..b685ad60 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ const VideoCard = ({
     const jobId = match[1];
 
     // Use VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL or default. Do NOT infer from videoUrl if it logic fails.
-    let baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    let baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
     // Fallback: If videoUrl is internal (same origin), use that origin. 
     // But for Supabase URLs, we MUST use the API server URL.
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ const VideoCard = ({
     const jobId = match[1];
 
     // Use VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL or default
-    let baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    let baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
     if (videoUrl.startsWith('/') || videoUrl.includes(window.location.origin)) {
       baseUrl = window.location.origin;
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useResponsiveImage.ts b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useResponsiveImage.ts
index e9c4c4bd..f26eb099 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useResponsiveImage.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useResponsiveImage.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export const useResponsiveImage = ({
     responsiveSizes = DEFAULT_SIZES,
     formats = DEFAULT_FORMATS,
     enabled = true,
-    apiUrl,
+    apiUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL,
 }: UseResponsiveImageProps) => {
     const [data, setData] = useState<ResponsiveData | null>(null);
     const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export const useResponsiveImage = ({
 
                     if (!requestCache.has(cacheKey)) {
                         const requestPromise = (async () => {
-                            const serverUrl = apiUrl || import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+                            const serverUrl = apiUrl || import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
                             // Resolve relative URLs to absolute so the server-side API can fetch them
                             const resolvedSrc = src.startsWith('/') ? `${window.location.origin}${src}` : src;
                             const params = new URLSearchParams({
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/db.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/db.ts
index 07abf9ad..ba335eb4 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/db.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/db.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export const fetchAnalytics = async (options: { limit?: number, startDate?: stri
     if (options.endDate) params.append('endDate', options.endDate);
 
     // Server URL logic from fetchMediaItemsByIds
-    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
     const res = await fetch(`${serverUrl}/api/analytics?${params.toString()}`, { headers });
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export const clearAnalytics = async () => {
     headers['Authorization'] = `Bearer ${token}`;
 
     // Server URL logic from fetchMediaItemsByIds
-    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
     const res = await fetch(`${serverUrl}/api/analytics`, {
         method: 'DELETE',
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/openai.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/openai.ts
index 4a0c624d..e9fbd277 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/openai.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/openai.ts
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export const createOpenAIClient = async (apiKey?: string): Promise<OpenAI | null
     console.log('[createOpenAIClient] resolved token:', token ? token.substring(0, 10) + '...' : 'null');
     return new OpenAI({
       apiKey: token, // This is sent as Bearer token to our proxy
-      baseURL: `${import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333'}/api/openai/v1`,
+      baseURL: `${import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL}/api/openai/v1`,
       dangerouslyAllowBrowser: true // Required for client-side usage
     });
   } catch (error) {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/uploadUtils.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/uploadUtils.ts
index ab28fb03..acd1b7d6 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/uploadUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/uploadUtils.ts
@@ -1,57 +1,32 @@
 import { supabase } from '@/integrations/supabase/client';
 
 /**
- * Uploads an image file to Supabase Storage.
- * If the file is larger than the configured threshold (VITE_MAX_IMAGE_SIZE),
- * it proxies the upload through the server (VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL) for resizing.
- * Otherwise, it uploads directly to Supabase Storage.
+ * Uploads an image file via the server API (sharp processing + Supabase forwarding).
+ * Always goes through VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL/api/images.
  */
 export const uploadImage = async (file: File, userId: string): Promise<{ publicUrl: string, meta?: any }> => {
     if (!userId) throw new Error('User ID is required for upload');
 
-    console.log('uploading ', import.meta.env);
-    const MAX_SIZE = Number(import.meta.env.VITE_MAX_IMAGE_SIZE) || 1572864; // 1.5MB default
     const SERVER_URL = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
+    if (!SERVER_URL) throw new Error('VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL is not configured');
 
-    // Use proxy if file is too large and server URL is configured
-    if (file.size > MAX_SIZE && SERVER_URL) {
-        console.log(`File size (${file.size}) exceeds threshold (${MAX_SIZE}), uploading via proxy...`);
-        const formData = new FormData();
-        formData.append('file', file);
+    console.log(`Uploading ${file.name} (${file.size} bytes) via server API...`);
+    const formData = new FormData();
+    formData.append('file', file);
 
-        // The server expects multipart/form-data
-        const response = await fetch(`${SERVER_URL}/api/images?forward=supabase&original=true`, {
-            method: 'POST',
-            body: formData,
-        });
+    const response = await fetch(`${SERVER_URL}/api/images?forward=supabase&original=true`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+        body: formData,
+    });
 
-        if (!response.ok) {
-            const errorText = await response.text();
-            console.error('Proxy upload failed:', errorText);
-            throw new Error(`Failed to upload image via proxy: ${response.statusText}`);
-        }
-
-        const data = await response.json();
-        return { publicUrl: data.url, meta: data.meta };
-    } else {
-        // Direct Supabase upload
-        console.log(`File size (${file.size}) within threshold (${MAX_SIZE}), uploading directly...`);
-        const fileExt = file.name.split('.').pop();
-        // Generate a unique filename using user ID and timestamp/random string
-        const fileName = `${userId}/${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).substring(7)}.${fileExt}`;
-
-        const { error: uploadError } = await supabase.storage
-            .from('pictures')
-            .upload(fileName, file);
-
-        if (uploadError) throw uploadError;
-
-        const { data: { publicUrl } } = supabase.storage
-            .from('pictures')
-            .getPublicUrl(fileName);
-
-        return { publicUrl };
+    if (!response.ok) {
+        const errorText = await response.text();
+        console.error('Server upload failed:', errorText);
+        throw new Error(`Failed to upload image via server: ${response.statusText}`);
     }
+
+    const data = await response.json();
+    return { publicUrl: data.url, meta: data.meta };
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/EmailPreviewPanel.tsx b/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/EmailPreviewPanel.tsx
index 797cea11..5991bdb8 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/EmailPreviewPanel.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/EmailPreviewPanel.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const EmailPreviewPanel = ({
     iframeRef,
     authToken,
 }: EmailPreviewPanelProps) => {
-    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
     const previewPath = orgSlug
         ? `/org/${orgSlug}/user/${page.owner}/pages/${page.slug}/email-preview`
         : `/user/${page.owner}/pages/${page.slug}/email-preview`;
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/hooks/useEmailActions.ts b/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/hooks/useEmailActions.ts
index bbd40e89..de25938d 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/hooks/useEmailActions.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/modules/pages/editor/hooks/useEmailActions.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export function useEmailActions({ page, orgSlug }: UseEmailActionsParams) {
 
         setIsSendingEmail(true);
         try {
-            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
             const endpoint = orgSlug
                 ? `${serverUrl}/org/${orgSlug}/user/${page.owner}/pages/${page.slug}/email-send`
                 : `${serverUrl}/user/${page.owner}/pages/${page.slug}/email-send`;
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/modules/posts/client-pictures.ts b/packages/ui/src/modules/posts/client-pictures.ts
index 9a3b38c2..fb7e1a86 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/modules/posts/client-pictures.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/modules/posts/client-pictures.ts
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ export const fetchMediaItemsByIds = async (
     }
 
     // Call server API endpoint
-    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3333';
+    const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
     const response = await fetch(`${serverUrl}/api/media-items?${params.toString()}`);
 
     if (!response.ok) {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/pages/PlaygroundImageEditor.tsx b/packages/ui/src/pages/PlaygroundImageEditor.tsx
index 9ab68b81..a16cce17 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/pages/PlaygroundImageEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/pages/PlaygroundImageEditor.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ const PlaygroundImageEditor = () => {
             formData.append('file', file);
             formData.append('operations', JSON.stringify(ops));
 
-            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+            const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
             const res = await fetch(`${serverUrl}/api/images/transform`, {
                 method: 'POST',
                 body: formData
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/pages/VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern.tsx b/packages/ui/src/pages/VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern.tsx
index 5117f0a1..1ea842f5 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/pages/VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/pages/VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern = () => {
     };
 
     const trackProgress = (id: string) => {
-        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
         const eventSource = new EventSource(`${serverUrl}/api/videos/jobs/${id}/progress`);
 
         eventSource.onmessage = (event) => {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern = () => {
     };
 
     const pollJob = async (id: string) => {
-        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
         let attempts = 0;
         const maxAttempts = 60; // 2 minutes
 
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ const VideoPlayerPlaygroundIntern = () => {
         const formData = new FormData();
         formData.append('file', file);
 
-        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
 
         try {
             const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/utils/uploadUtils.ts b/packages/ui/src/utils/uploadUtils.ts
index 5450602e..3d3fc8e4 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/utils/uploadUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/utils/uploadUtils.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export const uploadInternalVideo = async (
     onProgress?: (progress: number) => void
 ): Promise<{ dbId: string; thumbnailUrl: string; meta: any }> => {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL || 'http://192.168.1.11:3333';
+        const serverUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_SERVER_IMAGE_API_URL;
         const formData = new FormData();
         formData.append('file', file);
         const title = file.name.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '');