diff --git a/app/.env.dist b/app/.env.dist
index 9d9b38ca..5dc2cc82 100644
--- a/app/.env.dist
+++ b/app/.env.dist
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 VITE_OPEN_COLLECTIVE_API_KEY=your_key
 VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8055/
 #VITE_API_URL=https://api.utopia-lab.org
+VITE_MAP_URL=http://local.development
+#VITE_MAP_URL=CURRENT_WINDOW_LOCATION
 VITE_VALIDATE_INVITE_FLOW_ID=01d61db0-25aa-4bfa-bc24-c6a8f208a455
 VITE_REDEEM_INVITE_FLOW_ID=cc80ec73-ecf5-4789-bee5-1127fb1a6ed4
diff --git a/app/src/App.tsx b/app/src/App.tsx
index 56b95f24..caece166 100644
--- a/app/src/App.tsx
+++ b/app/src/App.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ import { ModalContent } from './ModalContent'
 import { Landingpage } from './pages/Landingpage'
 import MapContainer from './pages/MapContainer'
 import { getBottomRoutes, routes } from './routes/sidebar'
-import { config } from '@/config'
+import { config } from './config'
 import { InviteApi } from './api/inviteApi'
 
 const userApi = new UserApi()
@@ -82,7 +82,10 @@ function App() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     setPermissionsApiInstance(new permissionsApi())
-    setMapApiInstance(new mapApi(window.location.origin))
+    // TODO: it should be mapId instead of mapUrl, which then in turn can be an URL
+    const mapUrl =
+      config.mapUrl === 'CURRENT_WINDOW_LOCATION' ? window.location.origin : config.mapUrl
+    setMapApiInstance(new mapApi(mapUrl))
     setAttestationApi(new itemsApi<any>('attestations'))
   }, [])
 
diff --git a/app/src/config/index.ts b/app/src/config/index.ts
index e82ac975..4f1630d5 100644
--- a/app/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/app/src/config/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 export const config = {
   apiUrl: String(import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL ?? 'http://localhost:8055/'),
+  mapUrl: String(import.meta.env.VITE_MAP_URL ?? 'http://local.development'),
   validateInviteFlowId: String(
     import.meta.env.VITE_VALIDATE_INVITE_FLOW_ID ?? '01d61db0-25aa-4bfa-bc24-c6a8f208a455',
   ),