diff --git a/api/src/app.ts b/api/src/app.ts
index 6632e18..d588bea 100644
--- a/api/src/app.ts
+++ b/api/src/app.ts
@@ -37,22 +37,26 @@ if (MODE?.trim() !== 'server' || CORS?.trim() === 'enable') {
 }
 
 if (MODE?.trim() === 'server') {
-  const clientPromise = connectDB().then((conn) => conn!.getClient() as any)
+  // NOTE: when exporting app.js as agent for supertest
+  // we should exclude connecting to the real database
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+    const clientPromise = connectDB().then((conn) => conn!.getClient() as any)
 
-  const { PROTOCOL } = process.env
+    const { PROTOCOL } = process.env
 
-  app.use(
-    session({
-      secret: process.env.SESSION_SECRET as string,
-      saveUninitialized: false, // don't create session until something stored
-      resave: false, //don't save session if unmodified
-      store: MongoStore.create({ clientPromise, collectionName: 'sessions' }),
-      cookie: {
-        secure: PROTOCOL === 'https',
-        maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 // 24 hours
-      }
-    })
-  )
+    app.use(
+      session({
+        secret: process.env.SESSION_SECRET as string,
+        saveUninitialized: false, // don't create session until something stored
+        resave: false, //don't save session if unmodified
+        store: MongoStore.create({ clientPromise, collectionName: 'sessions' }),
+        cookie: {
+          secure: PROTOCOL === 'https',
+          maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 // 24 hours
+        }
+      })
+    )
+  }
 }
 
 app.use(cookieParser())
diff --git a/api/src/utils/connectDB.ts b/api/src/utils/connectDB.ts
index 6f7ef6e..b6dd383 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/connectDB.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/connectDB.ts
@@ -2,19 +2,6 @@ import mongoose from 'mongoose'
 import { seedDB } from './seedDB'
 
 export const connectDB = async () => {
-  // NOTE: when exporting app.js as agent for supertest
-  // we should exclude connecting to the real database
-  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test') {
-    return
-  }
-
-  const { MODE } = process.env
-
-  if (MODE?.trim() !== 'server') {
-    console.log('Running in Desktop Mode, no DB to connect.')
-    return
-  }
-
   try {
     await mongoose.connect(process.env.DB_CONNECT as string)
   } catch (err) {