diff --git a/apps/admin/src/lib/api.test.ts b/apps/admin/src/lib/api.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ed9724
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/admin/src/lib/api.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { resolveAdminApiBaseUrl } from "./api";
+
+describe("resolveAdminApiBaseUrl", () => {
+  it("pins the deployed admin panel to the production api", () => {
+    expect(resolveAdminApiBaseUrl("production", "https://api-staging.xtablo.com/api/v1")).toBe(
+      "https://api.xtablo.com/api/v1"
+    );
+    expect(resolveAdminApiBaseUrl("production")).toBe("https://api.xtablo.com/api/v1");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps localhost for local development", () => {
+    expect(resolveAdminApiBaseUrl("development")).toBe("http://localhost:8080/api/v1");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/admin/src/lib/api.ts b/apps/admin/src/lib/api.ts
index 7db3ca1..5ddfcdb 100644
--- a/apps/admin/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/apps/admin/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
 import { buildApi } from "@xtablo/shared";
 import { getStoredAdminSession } from "./adminSession";
 
-const apiBaseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || "http://localhost:8080/api/v1";
+const LOCAL_ADMIN_API_BASE_URL = "http://localhost:8080/api/v1";
+const PRODUCTION_ADMIN_API_BASE_URL = "https://api.xtablo.com/api/v1";
+
+export function resolveAdminApiBaseUrl(mode = import.meta.env.MODE, _envApiUrl?: string) {
+  if (mode === "development") {
+    return LOCAL_ADMIN_API_BASE_URL;
+  }
+
+  return PRODUCTION_ADMIN_API_BASE_URL;
+}
+
+const apiBaseUrl = resolveAdminApiBaseUrl();
 
 export const adminApi = buildApi(apiBaseUrl);
 
diff --git a/apps/admin/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo b/apps/admin/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
index bbb6911..2e651c2 100644
--- a/apps/admin/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
+++ b/apps/admin/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/routes.test.tsx","./src/routes.tsx","./src/setuptests.ts","./src/components/adminlayout.test.tsx","./src/components/adminlayout.tsx","./src/components/adminnavigation.tsx","./src/components/privilegedgate.test.tsx","./src/components/privilegedgate.tsx","./src/components/productionbadge.tsx","./src/components/actions/actionrunner.tsx","./src/components/analytics/chartbuilder.tsx","./src/components/analytics/saveddashboardlist.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/admingrid.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/roweditform.test.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/roweditform.tsx","./src/hooks/useadminactions.ts","./src/hooks/useadmindatasets.ts","./src/hooks/useadminoverview.ts","./src/hooks/useadminsession.ts","./src/hooks/useadmintables.ts","./src/lib/adminsession.ts","./src/lib/api.ts","./src/pages/actioncenterpage.test.tsx","./src/pages/actioncenterpage.tsx","./src/pages/analyticsstudiopage.test.tsx","./src/pages/analyticsstudiopage.tsx","./src/pages/dataexplorerpage.test.tsx","./src/pages/dataexplorerpage.tsx","./src/pages/operationshomepage.tsx","./src/registry/actions.ts","./src/registry/datasets.ts","./worker/index.test.ts","./worker/index.ts"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/routes.test.tsx","./src/routes.tsx","./src/setuptests.ts","./src/components/adminlayout.test.tsx","./src/components/adminlayout.tsx","./src/components/adminnavigation.tsx","./src/components/privilegedgate.test.tsx","./src/components/privilegedgate.tsx","./src/components/productionbadge.tsx","./src/components/actions/actionrunner.tsx","./src/components/analytics/chartbuilder.tsx","./src/components/analytics/saveddashboardlist.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/admingrid.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/roweditform.test.tsx","./src/components/data-explorer/roweditform.tsx","./src/hooks/useadminactions.ts","./src/hooks/useadmindatasets.ts","./src/hooks/useadminoverview.ts","./src/hooks/useadminsession.ts","./src/hooks/useadmintables.ts","./src/lib/adminsession.ts","./src/lib/api.test.ts","./src/lib/api.ts","./src/pages/actioncenterpage.test.tsx","./src/pages/actioncenterpage.tsx","./src/pages/analyticsstudiopage.test.tsx","./src/pages/analyticsstudiopage.tsx","./src/pages/dataexplorerpage.test.tsx","./src/pages/dataexplorerpage.tsx","./src/pages/operationshomepage.tsx","./src/registry/actions.ts","./src/registry/datasets.ts","./worker/index.test.ts","./worker/index.ts"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file