diff --git a/server/src/middleware/auth.ts b/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
index 6f87f7f..6b0ab16 100644
--- a/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
+++ b/server/src/middleware/auth.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ export const requireAuth = async (
 
     const token = authHeader.substring(7);
     
-    // Verify the session token with Clerk
-    const session = await clerkClient.sessions.verifySession(token, token);
+    // Verify the session token using networkless verification (JWT)
+    const payload = await clerkClient.verifyToken(token);
     
-    if (!session) {
+    if (!payload || !payload.sub) {
       return res.status(401).json({
         error: {
           code: 'INVALID_TOKEN',
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ export const requireAuth = async (
       });
     }
 
-    // Attach user ID to request
-    req.userId = session.userId;
+    // Attach user ID to request (sub is the user ID in JWT)
+    req.userId = payload.sub;
     
     next();
   } catch (error) {