diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/Ad.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/Ad.tsx
index c17c4ae59..2082dd33a 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/components/Ad.tsx
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/Ad.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 import { Box, type BoxProps } from '@radix-ui/themes';
 import { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useAdExempt } from '../hooks/useAdExempt';
 
-type AdProps = BoxProps & {
+export type AdProps = BoxProps & {
   id: string;
 };
 
 export function Ad({ id, ...props }: AdProps) {
+  const exempt = useAdExempt();
+
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (exempt) return;
+
     (window as any).nitroAds.createAd(id, {
       refreshTime: 30,
       demo: import.meta.env.MODE === 'development',
@@ -19,7 +24,9 @@ export function Ad({ id, ...props }: AdProps) {
         position: 'top-right',
       },
     });
-  }, []);
+  }, [exempt, id]);
+
+  if (exempt) return null;
 
   return <Box id={id} width="100%" {...props} />;
 }
diff --git a/packages/website/src/components/AdWithContext.tsx b/packages/website/src/components/AdWithContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85639762a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/website/src/components/AdWithContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { App } from '../stores/app';
+import { Ad, type AdProps } from './Ad';
+
+export function AdWithContext(props: AdProps) {
+  return (
+    <App.Provider>
+      <Ad {...props} />
+    </App.Provider>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/website/src/hooks/useAdExempt.ts b/packages/website/src/hooks/useAdExempt.ts
index f2f7ce1a9..825820b3d 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/hooks/useAdExempt.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/hooks/useAdExempt.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ let cache: Record<string, boolean | Promise<boolean>> = {};
 
 export function useAdExempt() {
   const patreon = App.use((state) => state.logins.patreon);
-  const [exempt, setExempt] = useState(false);
+  const [exempt, setExempt] = useState(true);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     (async () => {
@@ -13,14 +13,17 @@ export function useAdExempt() {
 
       if (!(patreon.token in cache)) {
         cache[patreon.token] = new Promise<boolean>(async (resolve) => {
-          const response = await fetch(
-            `/api/patreon/membership/${patreon.token}`,
-            { cache: 'force-cache' },
-          );
+          const response = await fetch(`/api/patreon/membership`, {
+            cache: 'default',
+            headers: { token: patreon.token },
+          });
 
           if (!response.ok) return resolve(false);
 
           const json = await response.json();
+
+          console.log(json);
+
           const exempt = typeof json === 'boolean' && json;
 
           cache[patreon.token] = exempt;
diff --git a/packages/website/src/pages/api/patreon/membership/index.ts b/packages/website/src/pages/api/patreon/membership/index.ts
index 347c713e7..8e1cf61e9 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/pages/api/patreon/membership/index.ts
+++ b/packages/website/src/pages/api/patreon/membership/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,85 @@
+import { assertSecret } from '@blitzkit/core';
 import type { APIContext } from 'astro';
 
 export const prerender = false;
 
-export async function GET({}: APIContext) {
-  return Response.json({ hello: Math.random() });
+interface PatreonMembershipResponse {
+  data: {
+    attributes: unknown;
+    id: `${number}`;
+    relationships: {
+      memberships: {
+        data: {
+          id: string; // uuid
+          type: 'member';
+        }[];
+      };
+    };
+    type: 'user';
+  };
+  included?: (
+    | {
+        attributes: {
+          patron_status:
+            | 'active_patron'
+            | 'declined_patron'
+            | 'former_patron'
+            | null; // null = never a paid member
+        };
+        id: string; // uuid
+        relationships: {
+          campaign: {
+            data: {
+              id: `${number}`; // id of my campaign to check against
+              type: 'campaign';
+            };
+            links: {
+              related: string; // url
+            };
+          };
+        };
+        type: 'member';
+      }
+    | {
+        attributes: {};
+        id: `${number}`;
+        type: 'campaign'; // ignore this discriminator
+      }
+  )[];
+  links: {
+    self: 'https://www.patreon.com/api/oauth2/v2/user/124201389';
+  };
+}
+
+export async function GET({ request }: APIContext) {
+  const token = request.headers.get('token');
+
+  if (!token) return Response.json(false);
+
+  console.log('doing it');
+
+  const patreonResponse = await fetch(
+    encodeURI(
+      'https://www.patreon.com/api/oauth2/v2/identity?include=memberships.campaign&fields[member]=patron_status',
+    ),
+    { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } },
+  );
+
+  if (!patreonResponse.ok) return Response.json(false);
+
+  const json = (await patreonResponse.json()) as PatreonMembershipResponse;
+
+  const response = Response.json(
+    json.included?.some(
+      (item) =>
+        item.type === 'member' &&
+        item.relationships.campaign.data.id ===
+          assertSecret(process.env.PATREON_CAMPAIGN_ID) &&
+        item.attributes.patron_status === 'active_patron',
+    ) ?? false,
+  );
+
+  response.headers.set('Cache-Control', 'max-age=86400'); // a day
+
+  return response;
 }
diff --git a/packages/website/src/pages/index.astro b/packages/website/src/pages/index.astro
index 3d0ba976a..a9ad4a090 100644
--- a/packages/website/src/pages/index.astro
+++ b/packages/website/src/pages/index.astro
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 import { Box, Flex, Heading } from '@radix-ui/themes';
-import { Ad } from '../components/Ad';
+import { AdWithContext } from '../components/AdWithContext';
 import HomeHero from '../components/HomeHero.astro';
 import { Plugs } from '../components/Plugs.tsx';
 import ToolCard from '../components/ToolCard.astro';
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import BaseLayout from '../layouts/BaseLayout.astro';
     <Flex maxWidth="64rem" flexGrow="1" gap="4" direction="column">
       <ToolCard tool={tankopediaTool} />
 
-      <Ad client:only="react" id="homepage-ad-1" />
+      <AdWithContext client:only="react" id="homepage-ad-1" />
 
       <Flex gap="4" direction={{ initial: 'column', sm: 'row' }}>
         {/* <ToolCard tool={playerStatsTool} /> */}
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import BaseLayout from '../layouts/BaseLayout.astro';
         <ToolCard tool={discordTool} />
       </Flex>
 
-      <Ad client:only="react" id="homepage-ad-2" />
+      <AdWithContext client:only="react" id="homepage-ad-2" />
 
       <Flex gap="4" direction={{ initial: 'column', sm: 'row' }}>
         <ToolCard tool={moreTool} />