diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index fd4625e824d6af08460eaf084ce2d54bf98fa581..890c2a8387e340ee480a5b1ff1886f36cb01169a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@
     # overwrite vars when build from main branch. to omit a second 
     # job (see dependency in pages stage).
     - if [[ $CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG == "main" ]]; then
-    - VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER=$API_MAIN
-    - VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER="/ahiqar/website/"
+    - VUE_APP_BASE_URL_API=$API_MAIN
+    - VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER=$MAIN
+    - VUE_APP_PUBLIC_PATH="/ahiqar/website/"
     - fi
     - npm run build
     - mkdir --parents public/${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}
@@ -39,8 +40,10 @@ variables:
   GIT_CLONE_PATH: $CI_BUILDS_DIR/$CI_PROJECT_PATH/$CI_JOB_NAME
   # ↓ reduces the amount of data transfered to the runner (shallow clone)
   GIT_DEPTH: 2
-  API_DEV: 'https://ahikar-dev.sub.uni-goettingen.de'
-  API_MAIN: 'https://ahikar.sub.uni-goettingen.de'
+  DEV: 'https://ahikar-dev.sub.uni-goettingen.de'
+  MAIN: 'https://ahikar.sub.uni-goettingen.de'
+  API_DEV: '$DEV/api'
+  API_MAIN: '$MAIN/api'
   BASE_BACKEND: '/website'
 
 
@@ -66,7 +69,8 @@ install:
 build_page-all:
   variables:
     VUE_APP_BASE_URL_API: $API_DEV
-    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: '/ahiqar/website/$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG'
+    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: $DEV
+    VUE_APP_PUBLIC_PATH: '/ahiqar/website/$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG'
   <<: *build-defaults
 
 build_page-develop-backend:
@@ -74,7 +78,8 @@ build_page-develop-backend:
     - develop
   variables:
     VUE_APP_BASE_URL_API: $API_DEV
-    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: $BASE_BACKEND
+    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: $DEV
+    VUE_APP_PUBLIC_PATH: $BASE_BACKEND
   <<: *build-defaults
 
 build_page-main-backend:
@@ -82,7 +87,8 @@ build_page-main-backend:
     - main
   variables:
     VUE_APP_BASE_URL_API: $API_MAIN
-    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: $BASE_BACKEND
+    VUE_APP_BASE_URL_VIEWER: $MAIN
+    VUE_APP_PUBLIC_PATH: $BASE_BACKEND
   <<: *build-defaults