diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.js b/frontend/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.js
index b772319..4cda427 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.js
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.js
@@ -61,27 +61,21 @@ export const actions = {
     const responseBody = await res.json();
     console.log("Login response body:", responseBody);
 
-    // Check for the cookie in the response headers
+    // Extract the JWT from the response headers
     const setCookieHeader = res.headers.get("set-cookie");
-    console.log("Set-Cookie header:", setCookieHeader);
-
     if (setCookieHeader) {
-      // Parse the Set-Cookie header to get the JWT
-      const jwtCookie = setCookieHeader.split(";")[0];
-      const [cookieName, cookieValue] = jwtCookie.split("=");
-      if (cookieName.trim() === "jwt") {
-        console.log("JWT cookie found in response");
-        cookies.set("jwt", cookieValue.trim(), {
+      const jwtMatch = setCookieHeader.match(/jwt=([^;]+)/);
+      if (jwtMatch) {
+        const jwtValue = jwtMatch[1];
+        // Set the cookie for the client
+        cookies.set("jwt", jwtValue, {
           path: "/",
           httpOnly: true,
-          sameSite: "strict",
-          secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production",
+          secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production", // Secure in production
+          sameSite: "lax",
+          maxAge: 5 * 24 * 60 * 60, // 5 days in seconds
         });
-      } else {
-        console.log("JWT cookie not found in response");
       }
-    } else {
-      console.log("No Set-Cookie header in response");
     }
 
     console.log("Redirecting to:", next || "/");
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/auth/logout/+page.server.js b/frontend/src/routes/auth/logout/+page.server.js
index fa01350..c042d0d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/auth/logout/+page.server.js
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/auth/logout/+page.server.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { fail, redirect } from "@sveltejs/kit";
 export async function load({ locals }) {
   // redirect user if not logged in
   if (!locals.user) {
-    throw redirect(302, `/auth/login?next=/auth/logout`);
+    throw redirect(302, `/auth/login?next=/`);
   }
 }
 
@@ -34,9 +34,24 @@ export const actions = {
       return fail(400, { errors: errors });
     }
 
+    // The server should clear the cookie, so we don't need to handle it here
     // eat the cookie
     cookies.delete("jwt", { path: "/" });
 
+    // The server should clear the cookie, so we don't need to handle it here
+    // Just check if the cookie is cleared in the response
+    const setCookieHeader = res.headers.get("set-cookie");
+    if (!setCookieHeader || !setCookieHeader.includes("jwt=;")) {
+      console.error("JWT cookie not cleared in response");
+      return fail(500, {
+        errors: [
+          {
+            error: "Server error: Failed to clear authentication token",
+            id: Date.now(),
+          },
+        ],
+      });
+    }
     // redirect the user
     throw redirect(302, "/auth/login");
   },