diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderContainer.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderContainer.swift
index 4fe5a34cd..d4449c735 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderContainer.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderContainer.swift
@@ -262,7 +262,15 @@ struct WebReaderContainerView: View {
             }
           }
           .task {
-            await viewModel.loadContent(dataService: dataService, itemID: item.unwrappedID)
+            if let username = dataService.currentViewer?.username {
+              await viewModel.loadContent(
+                dataService: dataService,
+                username: username,
+                itemID: item.unwrappedID
+              )
+            } else {
+              viewModel.errorMessage = "You are not logged in."
+            }
           }
       }
       #if os(iOS)
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
index 0af8e158c..18852a450 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ struct SafariWebLink: Identifiable {
   @Published var articleContent: ArticleContent?
   @Published var errorMessage: String?
 
-  func loadContent(dataService: DataService, itemID: String, retryCount: Int = 0) async {
+  func loadContent(dataService: DataService, username: String, itemID: String, retryCount: Int = 0) async {
     errorMessage = nil
 
     do {
-      articleContent = try await dataService.loadArticleContentWithRetries(itemID: itemID)
+      articleContent = try await dataService.loadArticleContentWithRetries(itemID: itemID, username: username)
     } catch {
       if retryCount == 0 {
-        return await loadContent(dataService: dataService, itemID: itemID, retryCount: 1)
+        return await loadContent(dataService: dataService, username: username, itemID: itemID, retryCount: 1)
       }
       if let fetchError = error as? ContentFetchError {
         switch fetchError {
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Public/LinkedItemContentLoading.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Public/LinkedItemContentLoading.swift
index 312c5d5ee..3af0f0737 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Public/LinkedItemContentLoading.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Public/LinkedItemContentLoading.swift
@@ -13,17 +13,13 @@ public extension DataService {
 
   func loadArticleContentWithRetries(
     itemID: String,
-    username: String? = nil,
+    username: String,
     requestCount: Int = 1
   ) async throws -> ArticleContent {
     guard requestCount < 7 else {
       throw ContentFetchError.badData
     }
 
-    guard let username = username ?? currentViewer?.username else {
-      throw ContentFetchError.unauthorized
-    }
-
     let fetchedContent = try await loadArticleContent(username: username, itemID: itemID, useCache: true)
 
     switch fetchedContent.contentStatus {