diff --git a/sports-matcher/client/src/Layout.js b/sports-matcher/client/src/Layout.js
index 9864c39..4ebcfb9 100644
--- a/sports-matcher/client/src/Layout.js
+++ b/sports-matcher/client/src/Layout.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import "./styles/Layout.css";
 import "./styles/extra.css";
-import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { useContext } from "react";
 import { NavLink, Route, Routes, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import Welcome from "./pages/Welcome";
 import Navbar from "react-bootstrap/Navbar";
@@ -9,30 +9,14 @@ import NavbarToggle from "react-bootstrap/esm/NavbarToggle";
 import NavbarCollapse from "react-bootstrap/esm/NavbarCollapse";
 import Dashboard from "./pages/Dashboard";
 import Login from "./pages/Login";
-import { apiClient } from "./utils/httpClients";
 import { globalContext } from "./context.js";
 
 
 export default function layout() {
     const navigate = useNavigate();
-    const [state, setState] = useState({
-        user: null,
-    });
 
-    useEffect(async () => {
-        await updateAuthStatus();
-    });
-
-    async function updateAuthStatus() {
-        const getUserResponse = await apiClient.get("/user");
-        if (getUserResponse !== 200) {
-            setState({ user: null });
-        } else {
-            setState({ user: getUserResponse.data });
-        }
-    }
-
-    let indentityDisplay = (
+    const context = useContext(globalContext);
+    let identityDisplay = (
         <Nav>
             <li className="nav-item">
                 <NavLink className="nav-link" to="/login" >Login</NavLink>
@@ -43,8 +27,8 @@ export default function layout() {
         </Nav>
     );
 
-    if (state.user) {
-        indentityDisplay = (
+    if (context.user) {
+        identityDisplay = (
             <Nav>
                 <li className="nav-item">
                     <NavLink className="nav-link" to="/" >Hi, {this.state.user.firstName}</NavLink>
@@ -58,7 +42,7 @@ export default function layout() {
 
     return (
         <div id="app">
-            <globalContext.Provider value={{ navigate: navigate }}>
+            <globalContext.Provider value={{ navigate: navigate, user: null }}>
                 <header>
                     <Navbar bg="light" expand="md">
                         <Container>
@@ -70,7 +54,7 @@ export default function layout() {
                                         <NavLink className="nav-link" to="/" >Home</NavLink>
                                     </li>
                                 </Nav>
-                                {indentityDisplay}
+                                {identityDisplay}
                             </NavbarCollapse>
                         </Container>
                     </Navbar>
diff --git a/sports-matcher/client/src/components/AuthenticationGuard.js b/sports-matcher/client/src/components/AuthenticationGuard.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84622e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sports-matcher/client/src/components/AuthenticationGuard.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import React from "react";
+import { Navigate } from "react-router-dom";
+import { globalContext } from "../context";
+import { apiClient } from "../utils/httpClients";
+
+export default class AuthenticationGuard extends React.Component {
+    constructor(props) {
+        super(props);
+    }
+
+    async componentDidMount() {
+        if (!this.context.user) {
+            let userDataResponse = await apiClient.get("/user/");
+            if (userDataResponse.status === 200) {
+                this.context.user = userDataResponse.data;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    static contextType = globalContext;
+
+    render() {
+        if (!this.context.user) {
+            return (
+                <Navigate to="/signup" replace="true" />
+            );
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Dashboard.js b/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Dashboard.js
index a8370a0..9374e5a 100644
--- a/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Dashboard.js
+++ b/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Dashboard.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { apiClient } from "../utils/httpClients.js";
 import MatchInfoCardDisplay from "../components/MatchInfoCardDisplay";
 import SportInfoCardDisplay from "../components/SportInfoCardDisplay";
 import { globalContext } from "../context";
-import { needUser } from "../utils/routing";
+import AuthenticationGuard from "../components/AuthenticationGuard";
 
 export default class Dashboard extends React.Component {
     constructor(props) {
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default class Dashboard extends React.Component {
     static contextType = globalContext;
 
     async componentDidMount() {
-        await needUser(this.context.navigate);
+        this.setState({ user: this.context.user });
         await this.latestMatches();
         await this.availableSports();
     }
@@ -41,29 +41,32 @@ export default class Dashboard extends React.Component {
 
     render() {
         return (
-            <React.Fragment>
-                <h1></h1>
-                <InputGroup className="w-50">
-                    <FormControl
-                        placeholder="Search for Matches"
-                        aria-label="Search Bar"
-                        aria-describedby="basic-addon2"
-                    />
-                    <Button variant="outline-secondary" id="button-addon2">
-                        Search
-                    </Button>
-                </InputGroup>
-                <div className="p-4">
-                    <h2>Available Matches</h2>
-                    <MatchInfoCardDisplay recommendedmatches={this.state.displayedMatches} />
-                </div>
-                <div className="p-4">
-                    <h2>Available Sports</h2>
-                    <SportInfoCardDisplay recommendedsports={this.state.displayedSports} />
-                </div>
+            <div className="page-root">
+                <AuthenticationGuard />
+                <React.Fragment>
+                    <h1></h1>
+                    <InputGroup className="w-50">
+                        <FormControl
+                            placeholder="Search for Matches"
+                            aria-label="Search Bar"
+                            aria-describedby="basic-addon2"
+                        />
+                        <Button variant="outline-secondary" id="button-addon2">
+                            Search
+                        </Button>
+                    </InputGroup>
+                    <div className="p-4">
+                        <h2>Available Matches</h2>
+                        <MatchInfoCardDisplay recommendedmatches={this.state.displayedMatches} />
+                    </div>
+                    <div className="p-4">
+                        <h2>Available Sports</h2>
+                        <SportInfoCardDisplay recommendedsports={this.state.displayedSports} />
+                    </div>
 
 
-            </React.Fragment>
+                </React.Fragment>
+            </div>
         );
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Login.js b/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Login.js
index 526852e..82e99a5 100644
--- a/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Login.js
+++ b/sports-matcher/client/src/pages/Login.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React from "react";
 import { Alert, Button, Card, Container, Form } from "react-bootstrap";
 import { globalContext } from "../context";
 import { apiClient } from "../utils/httpClients";
-import { guard } from "../utils/routing";
+import AuthenticationGuard from "../components/AuthenticationGuard";
 
 export default class Login extends React.Component {
     constructor(props) {
@@ -19,14 +19,6 @@ export default class Login extends React.Component {
     static contextType = globalContext;
 
     async componentDidMount() {
-        try {
-            const getUserResponse = await apiClient.get("/user");
-            guard(this.context.navigate, () => getUserResponse.status === 401, "/dashboard"); // If it's not 401, then we redirect to dashboard.
-        } catch (error) {
-            if (error.message !== "Request failed with status code 401") {
-                throw error;
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     async attemptLogin(e) {
diff --git a/sports-matcher/client/src/utils/routing.js b/sports-matcher/client/src/utils/routing.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 46caad9..0000000
--- a/sports-matcher/client/src/utils/routing.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-import { apiClient } from "./httpClients";
-
-export function guard(navigator, evaluator, redirect, navigateOptions, onRedirect) {
-    if (!evaluator) throw new Error("evaluator required.");
-    if (!redirect) throw new Error("redirect required.");
-    if (!navigateOptions) {
-        navigateOptions = {
-            replace: true
-        };
-    }
-    let redirecting = !evaluator();
-    if (redirecting) {
-        if (onRedirect) onRedirect();
-        navigator(redirect, navigateOptions);
-    }
-}
-
-export async function needUser(navigator) {
-    let userDataResponse = await apiClient.get("/user");
-    guard(navigator, () => userDataResponse.status === 200, "/login");
-    return userDataResponse.data;
-}
\ No newline at end of file