diff --git a/backend/webui_service/webui_init.go b/backend/webui_service/webui_init.go
index e3183788..c326f9a6 100644
--- a/backend/webui_service/webui_init.go
+++ b/backend/webui_service/webui_init.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (a *WebuiApp) Start(tlsKeyLogPath string) {
 		AllowMethods: []string{"GET", "POST", "OPTIONS", "PUT", "PATCH", "DELETE"},
 		AllowHeaders: []string{
 			"Origin", "Content-Length", "Content-Type", "User-Agent",
-			"Referrer", "Host", "Token", "X-Requested-With",
+			"Referrer", "Host", "Authorization", "Token", "X-Requested-With",
 		},
 		ExposeHeaders:    []string{"Content-Length"},
 		AllowCredentials: true,
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index b18695bc..011f934d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState } from "react";
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { BrowserRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
 import StatusList from "./pages/StatusList";
 import StatusRead from "./pages/StatusRead";
@@ -19,10 +19,38 @@ import { ProtectedRoute } from "./ProtectedRoute";
 import { LoginContext, User } from "./LoginContext";
 
 export default function App() {
-  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
+  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(() => {
+    // retrieve from local storage on initial load (if available)
+    const storedUser = localStorage.getItem('username');
+    const storedToken = localStorage.getItem('token');
+    if (storedUser && storedToken) {
+      return { username: storedUser, token: storedToken };
+    } else {
+      console.warn('no user stored!');
+    }
+    return null;
+  });
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (user && user.token) {
+      console.log('setting user related state');
+      localStorage.setItem('username', user.username);
+      localStorage.setItem('token', user.token);
+    } else {
+      console.log('deleting user related state');
+      localStorage.removeItem('username');
+      localStorage.removeItem('token');
+    }
+  }, [user])
+
+  // performance optimization, skip re-rendering of children if user did not change
+  const contextValue = useMemo(() => ({
+    user,
+    setUser
+  }), [user]);
 
   return (
-    <LoginContext.Provider value={{ user, setUser }}>
+    <LoginContext.Provider value={contextValue}>
       <BrowserRouter>
         <Routes>
           <Route path="/login" element={<Login />} />
diff --git a/frontend/src/Dashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/Dashboard.tsx
index 19788edc..348a2868 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -82,7 +82,12 @@ function Dashboard(props: DashboardProps) {
   const toggleDrawer = () => {
     setOpen(!open);
   };
-  const { user, setUser } = useContext(LoginContext);
+  const context = useContext(LoginContext);
+  if (context === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("LoginContext must be used within a LoginContext.Provider");
+  }
+  const { user } = context;
+
   const navigation = useNavigate();
 
   const [time, setTime] = useState<Date>(new Date());
@@ -115,7 +120,7 @@ function Dashboard(props: DashboardProps) {
         navigation("/password");
         break;
       case 1:
-        setUser(null);
+        // setUser(null);
         navigation("/login");
         break;
       default:
@@ -151,7 +156,6 @@ function Dashboard(props: DashboardProps) {
         break;
     }
   };
-
   return (
     <ThemeProvider theme={mdTheme}>
       <Box sx={{ display: "flex" }}>
diff --git a/frontend/src/LoginContext.tsx b/frontend/src/LoginContext.tsx
index 21f8b443..3555a1f2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/LoginContext.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/LoginContext.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createContext } from "react";
+import { Dispatch, SetStateAction, createContext } from "react";
 
 export interface User {
   username: string;
@@ -7,12 +7,7 @@ export interface User {
 
 export interface UserContext {
   user: User | null;
-  setUser: (user: User | null) => void;
+  setUser: Dispatch<SetStateAction<User | null>>;
 }
 
-export const LoginContext = createContext<UserContext>({
-  user: null,
-  setUser: (user: User | null) => {
-    console.log(user);
-  },
-});
+export const LoginContext = createContext<UserContext | undefined>(undefined);
diff --git a/frontend/src/ProtectedRoute.tsx b/frontend/src/ProtectedRoute.tsx
index 3032678c..1b37ae7d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ProtectedRoute.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/ProtectedRoute.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
-import React, { useContext } from "react";
+import { useContext } from "react";
 import { Navigate } from "react-router-dom";
 
 import { LoginContext } from "./LoginContext";
 
 export const ProtectedRoute = (props: any) => {
-  const { user } = useContext(LoginContext);
+  const context = useContext(LoginContext);
+  if (context === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("LoginContext must be used within a LoginContext.Provider");
+  }
+  const { user } = context;
 
   if (user === null) {
     return <Navigate to="/login" />;
diff --git a/frontend/src/SimpleListMenu.tsx b/frontend/src/SimpleListMenu.tsx
index 9b65f5fd..3d5365b8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/SimpleListMenu.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/SimpleListMenu.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
-import React, { useState } from "react";
+import React, { useContext, useState } from "react";
 import List from "@mui/material/List";
 import ListItem from "@mui/material/ListItem";
 import ListItemText from "@mui/material/ListItemText";
 import MenuItem from "@mui/material/MenuItem";
 import Menu from "@mui/material/Menu";
+import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
+import { LoginContext } from "./LoginContext";
 
 export interface SimpleListMenuProps {
   title: string | undefined;
@@ -19,6 +21,37 @@ export default function SimpleListMenu(props: SimpleListMenuProps) {
     setAnchorEl(event.currentTarget);
   };
 
+  const navigation = useNavigate();
+  const context = useContext(LoginContext);
+  if (context === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("LoginContext must be used within a LoginContext.Provider");
+  }
+  const { setUser } = context;
+
+  function onChangePassword() {
+    navigation("/password");
+  }
+
+  function onLogout() {
+    setUser(null);
+    navigation("/login");
+  }
+
+  const handleMenuItemClick = (event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>, index: number) => {
+    setSelectedIndex(index);
+    setAnchorEl(null);
+    switch (index) {
+      case 0:
+        onChangePassword();
+        break;
+      case 1:
+        onLogout();
+        break;
+      default:
+        break;
+    }
+  };
+
   const handleClose = () => {
     setAnchorEl(null);
   };
diff --git a/frontend/src/axios.tsx b/frontend/src/axios.tsx
index e0c54385..5dd7a63a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/axios.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/axios.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,27 @@ if (process.env.NODE_ENV === "development") {
 } else {
   apiConfig.API_URL = process.env.REACT_APP_HTTP_API_URL ? process.env.REACT_APP_HTTP_API_URL : "";
 }
+
 const instance = axios.create({
   baseURL: apiConfig.API_URL,
 });
+
+// attach the token to every request
+instance.interceptors.request.use(
+  config => {
+    const token = localStorage.getItem('token');
+    if (token) {
+      // add the token to the header
+      console.log('adding token to axios header');
+      config.headers.Token = `${token}`;
+    } else {
+      console.warn('no token in local storage!');
+    }
+    return config;
+  },
+  error => {
+    return Promise.reject(error);
+  }
+);
+
 export default instance;
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Login.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Login.tsx
index 720bfbfd..3516eb90 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Login.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Login.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ const theme = createTheme();
 export default function SignIn() {
   const navigation = useNavigate();
   const [error, setError] = useState<string>("");
-  const { setUser } = useContext(LoginContext);
+  const context = useContext(LoginContext);
+  if (context === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("LoginContext must be used within a LoginContext.Provider");
+  }
+  const { setUser } = context;
 
   const handleSubmit = (event: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
     event.preventDefault();
@@ -28,12 +32,11 @@ export default function SignIn() {
         if (data.get("email") !== null) {
           setUser({ username: data.get("email")!.toString(), token: res.data.access_token });
         }
-        axios.defaults.headers.common.Token = res.data.access_token;
         setError("");
         navigation("/");
       })
       .catch((err) => {
-        console.log(err);
+        console.log(err.message);
         setError("Wrong credentials");
       });
   };
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Logout.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Logout.tsx
index 1ced4c87..5d8c3fbb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Logout.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Logout.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useContext } from "react";
+import React, { useContext, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import ListItemButton from "@mui/material/ListItemButton";
 import ListItemIcon from "@mui/material/ListItemIcon";
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ import { LoginContext } from "../LoginContext";
 
 export const Logout = () => {
   const navigation = useNavigate();
-  const { setUser } = useContext(LoginContext);
+  const context = useContext(LoginContext);
+  if (context === undefined) {
+    throw new Error("LoginContext must be used within a LoginContext.Provider");
+  }
+  const { setUser } = context;
 
   function onLogout() {
     setUser(null);