diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index c60f45f..db4888a 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ dependencies {
 
     implementation 'com.github.bumptech.glide:glide:4.12.0'
     implementation 'jp.wasabeef:glide-transformations:4.3.0'
-    implementation 'com.afollestad.material-dialogs:core:3.3.0'
-    implementation 'com.afollestad.material-dialogs:bottomsheets:3.3.0'
+    implementation 'com.afollestad.material-dialogs:core:3.3.0' // TODO remove once unused
+    implementation 'com.afollestad.material-dialogs:bottomsheets:3.3.0' // TODO remove once unused
 
     implementation "io.ktor:ktor-client-core:$ktor_version"
     implementation "io.ktor:ktor-client-android:$ktor_version"
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/parser/crunchyroll/Crunchyroll.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/parser/crunchyroll/Crunchyroll.kt
index d2b24bb..c1e9992 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/parser/crunchyroll/Crunchyroll.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/parser/crunchyroll/Crunchyroll.kt
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ object Crunchyroll {
         }
     }
     private const val baseUrl = "https://beta-api.crunchyroll.com"
+    private const val basicApiTokenUrl = "https://gitlab.com/-/snippets/2274956/raw/main/snippetfile1.txt"
+    private var basicApiToken: String = ""
 
     private lateinit var token: Token
     private var tokenValidUntil: Long = 0
@@ -64,6 +66,19 @@ object Crunchyroll {
 
     private val browsingCache = arrayListOf<Item>()
 
+    /**
+     * Load the pai token, see:
+     * https://git.mosad.xyz/mosad/NonePublicIssues/issues/1
+     *
+     * TODO handle empty file
+     */
+    fun initBasicApiToken() = runBlocking {
+        withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+            basicApiToken = (client.get(basicApiTokenUrl) as HttpResponse).readText()
+            Log.i(TAG, "basic auth token: $basicApiToken")
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Login to the crunchyroll API.
      *
@@ -85,7 +100,7 @@ object Crunchyroll {
         withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
             // TODO handle exceptions
             val response: HttpResponse = client.submitForm("$baseUrl$tokenEndpoint", formParameters = formData) {
-                header("Authorization", "Basic ")
+                header("Authorization", "Basic $basicApiToken")
             }
             token = response.receive()
             tokenValidUntil = System.currentTimeMillis() + (token.expiresIn * 1000)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/ui/activity/main/MainActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/ui/activity/main/MainActivity.kt
index 9bd2b4a..863f6f6 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/ui/activity/main/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/mosad/teapod/ui/activity/main/MainActivity.kt
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity(), NavigationBarView.OnItemSelectedListen
             Preferences.load(this)
             EncryptedPreferences.readCredentials(this)
 
+            // always initialize the api token
+            Crunchyroll.initBasicApiToken()
+
             // show onboarding if no password is set, or login fails
             if (EncryptedPreferences.password.isEmpty() || !Crunchyroll.login(
                     EncryptedPreferences.login,