diff --git a/openlibrary/accounts/__init__.py b/openlibrary/accounts/__init__.py
index 2b3fa68cacb..6787fa8c596 100644
--- a/openlibrary/accounts/__init__.py
+++ b/openlibrary/accounts/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import web
 
+from openlibrary.utils.request_context import site
+
 # FIXME: several modules import things from accounts.model
 # directly through openlibrary.accounts
 from .model import *  # noqa: F403
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ def get_current_user() -> "User | None":
     """
     Returns the currently logged in user. None if not logged in.
     """
-    return web.ctx.site.get_user()
+    return site.get().get_user()
 
 
 def find(
diff --git a/openlibrary/utils/request_context.py b/openlibrary/utils/request_context.py
index 62d7fb95699..d9a3dad1e00 100644
--- a/openlibrary/utils/request_context.py
+++ b/openlibrary/utils/request_context.py
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
 
 from contextvars import ContextVar
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from urllib.parse import unquote
 
 import web
 from fastapi import Request
 
+from infogami import config
 from infogami.infobase.client import Site
 from infogami.utils.delegate import create_site
 
@@ -36,6 +38,21 @@ class RequestContextVars:
 site: ContextVar[Site] = ContextVar("site")
 
 
+def setup_site(request: Request | None = None):
+    """
+    When called from web.py, web.ctx._parsed_cookies is already set.
+    When called from FastAPI, we need to set it.
+    create_site() automatically uses the cookie to set the auth token
+    """
+    if request:
+        cookie_name = config.get("login_cookie_name", "session")
+        cookie_value = request.cookies.get(cookie_name)
+        cookie_value = unquote(cookie_value) if cookie_value else ""
+        web.ctx._parsed_cookies = {cookie_name: cookie_value}
+
+    site.set(create_site())
+
+
 def _compute_is_bot(user_agent: str | None, hhcl: str | None) -> bool:
     """Determine if the request is from a bot.
 
@@ -152,7 +169,7 @@ def set_context_from_legacy_web_py() -> None:
         hhcl=web.ctx.env.get("HTTP_X_HHCL"),
     )
 
-    site.set(create_site())
+    setup_site()
     req_context.set(
         RequestContextVars(
             x_forwarded_for=web.ctx.env.get("HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR"),
@@ -180,7 +197,7 @@ def set_context_from_fastapi(request: Request) -> None:
         hhcl=request.headers.get("X-HHCL"),
     )
 
-    site.set(create_site())
+    setup_site(request)
     req_context.set(
         RequestContextVars(
             x_forwarded_for=request.headers.get("X-Forwarded-For"),