diff --git a/website/src/lib/backend-calls.ts b/website/src/lib/backend-calls.ts
index 6170b32..3d639cd 100644
--- a/website/src/lib/backend-calls.ts
+++ b/website/src/lib/backend-calls.ts
@@ -75,5 +75,13 @@ async function myFetch(
             body: JSON.stringify(body),
         } : {},
     });
-    return await response.json() as AT.APIResponse;
+    const text = await response.text();
+    try {
+        return JSON.parse(text);
+    } catch (e) {
+        return {
+            ok: false,
+            error: `error parsing json for: ${text}`,
+        };
+    }
 }
diff --git a/website/src/lib/pouch-dbs.ts b/website/src/lib/pouch-dbs.ts
index 4f8ab3b..e2a3e49 100644
--- a/website/src/lib/pouch-dbs.ts
+++ b/website/src/lib/pouch-dbs.ts
@@ -42,25 +42,14 @@ const dbs: DBS = {
 };
 
 export function startLocalDbs(user: AT.LingdocsUser, refreshFns: { wordlist: () => void, reviewTasks: () => void }) {
-    if (user.level === "basic") {
-        initializeLocalDb("submissions", () => null, user);
-    }
-    if (user.level === "student") {
-        initializeLocalDb("submissions", () => null, user);
-        initializeLocalDb("wordlist", refreshFns.wordlist, user);
-    }
-    if (user.level === "editor") {
-        deInitializeLocalDb("submissions");
-        initializeLocalDb("reviewTasks", refreshFns.reviewTasks, user);
-        initializeLocalDb("wordlist", refreshFns.wordlist, user);
-    }
+    initializeLocalDb("submissions", () => null, user);
+    (user.level !== "basic") && initializeLocalDb("wordlist", refreshFns.wordlist, user);
+    (user.level === "editor") && initializeLocalDb("reviewTasks", refreshFns.reviewTasks, user);
 }
 
 function deInitializeLocalDb(type: LocalDbType) {
     const db = dbs[type];
-    if (db && "sync" in db) {
-        db.sync.cancel();
-    }
+    (db && "sync" in db) && db.sync.cancel();
     dbs[type] = undefined;
 }