diff --git a/memgpt/server/rest_api/auth/index.py b/memgpt/server/rest_api/auth/index.py
index 30d748114b..bc014735ff 100644
--- a/memgpt/server/rest_api/auth/index.py
+++ b/memgpt/server/rest_api/auth/index.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from typing import Optional
-from uuid import UUID
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
@@ -12,8 +11,9 @@
 router = APIRouter()
 
 
+# TODO: remove these and add them to schemas?
 class AuthResponse(BaseModel):
-    uuid: UUID = Field(..., description="UUID of the user")
+    user_id: str = Field(..., description="ID of the user")
     is_admin: Optional[bool] = Field(None, description="Whether the user is an admin")
 
 
@@ -28,16 +28,17 @@ def authenticate_user(request: AuthRequest) -> AuthResponse:
         """
         Authenticates the user and sends response with User related data.
 
-        Currently, this is a placeholder that simply returns a UUID placeholder
         """
         interface.clear()
 
         is_admin = False
         if request.password != password:
-            response = server.api_key_to_user(api_key=request.password)
+            user_id = server.api_key_to_user(api_key=request.password)
+            return user_id
         else:
             is_admin = True
-            response = server.authenticate_user()
-        return AuthResponse(uuid=response, is_admin=is_admin)
+            user_id = server.authenticate_user()
+            return None
+        return AuthResponse(user_id=user_id, is_admin=is_admin)
 
     return router
diff --git a/memgpt/server/server.py b/memgpt/server/server.py
index 3e15d7477f..1491ba279c 100644
--- a/memgpt/server/server.py
+++ b/memgpt/server/server.py
@@ -1409,7 +1409,8 @@ def delete_agent(self, user_id: str, agent_id: str):
 
     def authenticate_user(self) -> str:
         # TODO: Implement actual authentication to enable multi user setup
-        return str(MemGPTConfig.load().anon_clientid)
+        # NOTE: THIS IS NASTY, GET RID OF IT SOON
+        return "user-" + str(MemGPTConfig.load().anon_clientid)
 
     def api_key_to_user(self, api_key: str) -> str:
         """Decode an API key to a user"""