diff --git a/api-gateway/api.conf b/api-gateway/api.conf
index 2a8b0366e3..ffd1fbbfe3 100644
--- a/api-gateway/api.conf
+++ b/api-gateway/api.conf
@@ -43,48 +43,39 @@ server {
   }
 
   location /matching {
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+    proxy_set_header Host $host;
+
     proxy_pass http://matching_service/;
 
     # socket support
     proxy_http_version 1.1;
     proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
-    proxy_set_header Connection 'Upgrade';
-
-    # forward headers
-    proxy_set_header Host $host;
-    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
+    proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
   }
 
   location /chat {
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+    proxy_set_header Host $host;
+
     proxy_pass http://chat_service/;
 
     # socket support
     proxy_http_version 1.1;
     proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
     proxy_set_header Connection 'Upgrade';
-
-    # forward headers
-    proxy_set_header Host $host;
-    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
   }
 
   location /collaboration {
+    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
+    proxy_set_header Host $host;
+
     proxy_pass http://collab_service/;
 
     # socket support
     proxy_http_version 1.1;
     proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
     proxy_set_header Connection 'Upgrade';
-
-    # forward headers
-    proxy_set_header Host $host;
-    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
-    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
   }
 
   location / {
diff --git a/server/ai-service/server.js b/server/ai-service/server.js
index c5b6280512..797b48fd53 100644
--- a/server/ai-service/server.js
+++ b/server/ai-service/server.js
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ dotenv.config();
 const port = process.env.PORT || 3005;
 
 const corsOptions = {
-  origin: "*",
+  origin: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://peerprep-nine.vercel.app"],
   methods: "GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, PATCH",
   allowedHeaders:
     "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie",
+  credentials: true
 };
 
 app.use(cors(corsOptions));
diff --git a/server/chat-service/server.js b/server/chat-service/server.js
index 1cc0362ad0..dc5c0d38e3 100644
--- a/server/chat-service/server.js
+++ b/server/chat-service/server.js
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ const port = process.env.PORT || 3006; // Ensure this matches SVC_PORTS for chat
 const server = http.createServer();
 const io = new Server(server, {
   cors: {
-    origin: "*",
+    origin: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://peerprep-nine.vercel.app"],
     methods: "GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, PATCH",
-    allowedHeaders: "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie"
-}
+    allowedHeaders:
+      "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie",
+    credentials: true,
+  },
 });
 
 io.on("connection", (socket) => {
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ io.on("connection", (socket) => {
     const roomName = `${roomId}`;
     console.log(`Message in room ${roomName}: ${message}`);
     // Broadcast message to all users in the room
-    io.to(roomName).emit("receive_message", {senderId, message});
+    io.to(roomName).emit("receive_message", { senderId, message });
   });
 
   // Handle disconnection
diff --git a/server/collaboration-service/server.js b/server/collaboration-service/server.js
index 3b93f9b2f5..0637cef206 100644
--- a/server/collaboration-service/server.js
+++ b/server/collaboration-service/server.js
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ const port = process.env.PORT || 3004;
 const server = http.createServer();
 const io = new Server(server, {
   cors: {
-    origin: "*",
+    origin: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://peerprep-nine.vercel.app"],
     methods: "GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, PATCH",
     allowedHeaders:
       "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie",
+    credentials: true
   },
 });
 
diff --git a/server/matching-service/server.js b/server/matching-service/server.js
index d9a8f60353..02fbfdd0be 100644
--- a/server/matching-service/server.js
+++ b/server/matching-service/server.js
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ const redis_url = process.env.REDIS_URL;
 const server = http.createServer();
 const io = new Server(server, {
   cors: {
-    origin: "*",
+    origin: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://peerprep-nine.vercel.app"],
     methods: "GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, PATCH",
-    allowedHeaders: "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie"
+    allowedHeaders: "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie",
+    credentials: true
 }
 });
 const redisClient = redis.createClient({
diff --git a/server/question-service/server.js b/server/question-service/server.js
index c2c54f5fc1..bb8a1e8d26 100644
--- a/server/question-service/server.js
+++ b/server/question-service/server.js
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ const questionsRoutes = require("./routes/questionRoute");
 dotenv.config();
 
 const corsOptions = {
-    origin: "*",
+    origin: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://peerprep-nine.vercel.app"],
     methods: "GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, PATCH",
-    allowedHeaders: "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie"
+    allowedHeaders: "Origin, X-Requested-With, Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, Cookie",
+    credentials: true
 }
 
 app.use(cors(corsOptions));