diff --git a/go/twitterchiver/viewer/viewer.go b/go/twitterchiver/viewer/viewer.go
index 7c85e3cb4c..8a596e0fcc 100644
--- a/go/twitterchiver/viewer/viewer.go
+++ b/go/twitterchiver/viewer/viewer.go
@@ -154,8 +154,10 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatalf("pomerium.New: %v", err)
 		}
 		authR.Use(pomerium.AddIdentityToRequest(v))
+		log.Println("configured pomerium middleware")
+	} else {
+		authR = r
 	}
-	authR = r
 
 	userFromContext := func(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 		if *localDisableAuth != "" {
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		return identity.User, nil
+		return identity.Email, nil
 	}
 
 	writeError := func(rw http.ResponseWriter, status int, wrap string, err error) {