diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index a1860717415..8c623ba3df9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -34,28 +34,28 @@ jobs:
       - name: run ${{ matrix.step }}
         run: npm run ${{ matrix.step }}
 
-  tests:
-    needs: build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    services:
-      mongo:
-        image: mongo
-        ports:
-          - 27017:27017
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        shardIndex: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
-        shardTotal: [5]
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: "18"
-          cache: "npm"
-      - name: install dependencies
-        run: npm ci
-      - name: Install Playwright's dependencies
-        run: npx playwright install chromium
-      - name: run tests
-        run: npx playwright test --shard=${{ matrix.shardIndex }}/${{ matrix.shardTotal }}
+  # tests:
+  #   needs: build
+  #   runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+  #   services:
+  #     mongo:
+  #       image: mongo
+  #       ports:
+  #         - 27017:27017
+  #   strategy:
+  #     fail-fast: false
+  #     matrix:
+  #       shardIndex: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
+  #       shardTotal: [5]
+  #   steps:
+  #     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  #     - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+  #       with:
+  #         node-version: "18"
+  #         cache: "npm"
+  #     - name: install dependencies
+  #       run: npm ci
+  #     - name: Install Playwright's dependencies
+  #       run: npx playwright install chromium
+  #     - name: run tests
+  #       run: npx playwright test --shard=${{ matrix.shardIndex }}/${{ matrix.shardTotal }}
diff --git a/components/layouts/MultiLayout.js b/components/layouts/MultiLayout.js
index bbc9ebba071..aa0bc125fa6 100644
--- a/components/layouts/MultiLayout.js
+++ b/components/layouts/MultiLayout.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import Navbar from "@components/navbar/Navbar";
-import Footer from "@components/Footer";
 import SkipLink from "@components/SkipLink";
 import Alert from "./Alert";
 
@@ -11,13 +9,11 @@ export default function MultiLayout({ settings, children }) {
         {(!settings || !settings.hideNavbar) && (
           <>
             <Alert />
-            <Navbar />
           </>
         )}
         <main id="main" className="flex-1 dark:bg-dark-2 dark:z-40">
           {children}
         </main>
-        {(!settings || !settings.hideFooter) && <Footer />}
       </div>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/middleware.js b/middleware.js
index af04e66d588..8c11e9c9186 100644
--- a/middleware.js
+++ b/middleware.js
@@ -1,108 +1,16 @@
-import { getToken } from "next-auth/jwt";
 import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 
 // note: logger is not available in middleware, using console.log instead
 
 export const config = {
-  matcher: [
-    "/",
-
-    // account management
-    "/account/:path*",
-    "/api/account/:path*",
-
-    // admin section
-    "/admin/:path*",
-    "/api/admin/:path*",
-  ],
+  matcher: ["/:path*"],
 };
 
 export async function middleware(req) {
-  const protocol = process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" ? "http" : "https";
-  const hostname = req.headers.get("host");
-  const reqPathName = req.nextUrl.pathname;
-  const sessionRequired = ["/account", "/api/account"];
-  const adminRequired = ["/admin", "/api/admin"];
-  const adminUsers = process.env.ADMIN_USERS.split(",");
-  const hostedDomain = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL.replace(
-    /http:\/\/|https:\/\//,
-    "",
-  );
-  const hostedDomains = [hostedDomain, `www.${hostedDomain}`];
-
-  // if custom domain + on root path
-  if (!hostedDomains.includes(hostname) && reqPathName === "/") {
-    console.log(`custom domain used: "${hostname}"`);
-
-    let res;
-    let profile;
-    let url = `${
-      process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL
-    }/api/search/${encodeURIComponent(hostname)}`;
-    try {
-      res = await fetch(url, {
-        method: "GET",
-        headers: {
-          "Content-Type": "application/json",
-        },
-      });
-      profile = await res.json();
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error(url, e);
-      return NextResponse.error(e);
-    }
-
-    if (
-      profile?.username &&
-      profile.settings?.domain &&
-      profile.settings.domain === hostname
-    ) {
-      console.log(
-        `custom domain matched "${hostname}" for username "${profile.username}" (protocol: "${protocol}")`,
-      );
-      // if match found rewrite to custom domain and display profile page
-      return NextResponse.rewrite(
-        new URL(
-          `/${profile.username}`,
-          `${protocol}://${profile.settings.domain}`,
-        ),
-      );
-    }
-
-    console.error(`custom domain NOT matched "${hostname}"`);
-  }
-
-  // if not in sessionRequired or adminRequired, skip
-  if (
-    !sessionRequired
-      .concat(adminRequired)
-      .some((path) => reqPathName.startsWith(path))
-  ) {
-    return NextResponse.next();
-  }
-
-  const session = await getToken({
-    req: req,
-    secret: process.env.NEXTAUTH_SECRET,
-  });
-
-  // if no session reject request
-  if (!session) {
-    if (reqPathName.startsWith("/api")) {
-      return NextResponse.json({}, { status: 401 });
-    }
-    return NextResponse.redirect(new URL("/auth/signin", req.url));
-  }
+  const path = req.nextUrl.pathname;
 
-  const username = session.username;
-  // if admin request check user is allowed
-  if (adminRequired.some((path) => reqPathName.startsWith(path))) {
-    if (!adminUsers.includes(username)) {
-      if (reqPathName.startsWith("/api")) {
-        return NextResponse.json({}, { status: 401 });
-      }
-      return NextResponse.redirect(new URL("/404", req.url));
-    }
+  if (path !== "/") {
+    return NextResponse.redirect(new URL(path, "https://github.com"));
   }
 
   return NextResponse.next();