diff --git a/resolvers/community.py b/resolvers/community.py
index 483a0199..ad29609d 100644
--- a/resolvers/community.py
+++ b/resolvers/community.py
@@ -63,13 +63,15 @@ def followed_communities(follower_id):
 def community_follow(follower_id, slug):
     try:
         with local_session() as session:
-            community = session.query(Community).where(Community.slug == slug).one()
-            cf = CommunityAuthor(author=follower_id, community=community.id)
-            session.add(cf)
-            session.commit()
-        return True
+            community = session.query(Community).where(Community.slug == slug).first()
+            if isinstance(community, Community):
+                cf = CommunityAuthor(author=follower_id, community=community.id)
+                session.add(cf)
+                session.commit()
+                return True
     except Exception:
-        return False
+        pass
+    return False
 
 
 # for mutation.field("unfollow")
diff --git a/resolvers/reaction.py b/resolvers/reaction.py
index 806b713f..c1ddc802 100644
--- a/resolvers/reaction.py
+++ b/resolvers/reaction.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ async def set_published(session, shout_id, approver_id):
     s = session.query(Shout).where(Shout.id == shout_id).first()
     s.published_at = int(time.time())
     s.published_by = approver_id
-    s.visibility = ShoutVisibility.PUBLIC.value
+    Shout.update(s, {"visibility": ShoutVisibility.PUBLIC.value})
     author = session.query(Author).filter(Author.id == s.created_by).first()
     if author:
         await add_user_role(str(author.user))
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ async def set_published(session, shout_id, approver_id):
 
 def set_hidden(session, shout_id):
     s = session.query(Shout).where(Shout.id == shout_id).first()
-    s.visibility = ShoutVisibility.COMMUNITY.value
+    Shout.update(s, {"visibility": ShoutVisibility.COMMUNITY.value})
     session.add(s)
     session.commit()
 
diff --git a/services/auth.py b/services/auth.py
index 8106c825..479c79de 100644
--- a/services/auth.py
+++ b/services/auth.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-from functools import wraps
+from cachetools import TTLCache, cached
 import logging
-
-from aiohttp import ClientSession
+import time
 from starlette.exceptions import HTTPException
 
+from aiohttp import ClientSession
 from settings import AUTH_URL, AUTH_SECRET
 
 
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ logging.basicConfig()
 logger = logging.getLogger("\t[services.auth]\t")
 logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
+# Define a TTLCache with a time-to-live of 100 seconds
+token_cache = TTLCache(maxsize=99999, ttl=1799)
 
-async def request_data(gql, headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json" }):
+async def request_data(gql, headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"}):
     try:
-        # Asynchronous HTTP request to the authentication server
         async with ClientSession() as session:
             async with session.post(AUTH_URL, json=gql, headers=headers) as response:
                 if response.status == 200:
@@ -25,40 +26,46 @@ async def request_data(gql, headers = { "Content-Type": "application/json" }):
                     else:
                         return data
     except Exception as e:
-        # Handling and logging exceptions during authentication check
         logger.error(f"[services.auth] request_data error: {e}")
         return None
 
+@cached(cache=token_cache)
+async def user_id_from_token(token):
+    logger.error(f"[services.auth] checking auth token: {token}")
+    query_name = "validate_jwt_token"
+    operation = "ValidateToken"
+    variables = {
+        "params": {
+            "token_type": "access_token",
+            "token": token,
+        }
+    }
 
+    gql = {
+        "query": f"query {operation}($params: ValidateJWTTokenInput!) {{ {query_name}(params: $params) {{ is_valid claims }} }}",
+        "variables": variables,
+        "operationName": operation,
+    }
+    data = await request_data(gql)
+    if data:
+        expires_in = data.get("data", {}).get(query_name, {}).get("claims", {}).get("expires_in")
+        user_id = data.get("data", {}).get(query_name, {}).get("claims", {}).get("sub")
+        if expires_in is not None and user_id is not None:
+            if expires_in < 100:
+                # Token will expire soon, remove it from cache
+                token_cache.pop(token, None)
+            else:
+                expires_at = time.time() + expires_in
+                return user_id, expires_at
 
 async def check_auth(req) -> str | None:
     token = req.headers.get("Authorization")
-    user_id = ""
-    if token:
-        # Logging the authentication token
-        logger.error(f"[services.auth] checking auth token: {token}")
-        query_name = "validate_jwt_token"
-        operation = "ValidateToken"
-        variables = {
-            "params": {
-                "token_type": "access_token",
-                "token": token,
-            }
-        }
-
-        gql = {
-            "query": f"query {operation}($params: ValidateJWTTokenInput!) {{ {query_name}(params: $params) {{ is_valid claims }} }}",
-            "variables": variables,
-            "operationName": operation,
-        }
-        data = await request_data(gql)
-        if data:
-            user_id = data.get("data", {}).get(query_name, {}).get("claims", {}).get("sub")
+    cached_result = await user_id_from_token(token)
+    if cached_result:
+        user_id, expires_at = cached_result
+        if expires_at > time.time():
             return user_id
-
-    if not user_id:
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="Unauthorized")
-
+    raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="Unauthorized")
 
 async def add_user_role(user_id):
     logger.info(f"[services.auth] add author role for user_id: {user_id}")
@@ -77,7 +84,6 @@ async def add_user_role(user_id):
         return user_id
 
 def login_required(f):
-    @wraps(f)
     async def decorated_function(*args, **kwargs):
         info = args[1]
         context = info.context
@@ -89,9 +95,7 @@ def login_required(f):
 
     return decorated_function
 
-
 def auth_request(f):
-    @wraps(f)
     async def decorated_function(*args, **kwargs):
         req = args[0]
         user_id = await check_auth(req)