diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 30cff0a..1cd69a5 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -165,21 +165,12 @@ int srv_open(const char *basedir, int auto_upgrade)
         write_default_css();
     }
 
-    /* if proxy_media is set but there is no token seed, create one */
-    if (xs_is_true(xs_dict_get(srv_config, "proxy_media")) &&
-        xs_is_null(xs_dict_get(srv_config, "proxy_token_seed"))) {
+    /* create the proxy token seed */
+    {
         char rnd[16];
         xs_rnd_buf(rnd, sizeof(rnd));
-        xs *pts = xs_hex_enc(rnd, sizeof(rnd));
 
-        xs_dict_set(srv_config, "proxy_token_seed", pts);
-
-        if ((f = fopen(cfg_file, "w")) != NULL) {
-            xs_json_dump(srv_config, 4, f);
-            fclose(f);
-
-            srv_log(xs_fmt("Created proxy_token_seed"));
-        }
+        srv_proxy_token_seed = xs_hex_enc(rnd, sizeof(rnd));
     }
 
     return ret;
@@ -3679,7 +3670,7 @@ xs_str *make_url(const char *href, const char *proxy, int by_token)
         xs *p = NULL;
 
         if (by_token) {
-            xs *tks = xs_fmt("%s:%s", xs_dict_get(srv_config, "proxy_token_seed"), proxy);
+            xs *tks = xs_fmt("%s:%s", srv_proxy_token_seed, proxy);
             xs *tk = xs_md5_hex(tks, strlen(tks));
 
             p = xs_fmt("%s/y/%s/", proxy, tk);
diff --git a/html.c b/html.c
index ce4c0a8..d344745 100644
--- a/html.c
+++ b/html.c
@@ -3208,7 +3208,7 @@ int html_get_handler(const xs_dict *req, const char *q_path,
         }
         else {
             /* proxy usage authorized by proxy_token */
-            xs *tks = xs_fmt("%s:%s", xs_dict_get(srv_config, "proxy_token_seed"), snac.actor);
+            xs *tks = xs_fmt("%s:%s", srv_proxy_token_seed, snac.actor);
             xs *tk = xs_md5_hex(tks, strlen(tks));
             xs *p = xs_fmt("y/%s/", tk);
 
diff --git a/snac.c b/snac.c
index b9f1032..1ce563b 100644
--- a/snac.c
+++ b/snac.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 xs_str *srv_basedir = NULL;
 xs_dict *srv_config = NULL;
 xs_str *srv_baseurl = NULL;
+xs_str *srv_proxy_token_seed = NULL;
 
 int dbglevel = 0;
 
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 9658fc9..4fa2b46 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ extern double disk_layout;
 extern xs_str *srv_basedir;
 extern xs_dict *srv_config;
 extern xs_str *srv_baseurl;
+extern xs_str *srv_proxy_token_seed;
 
 extern int dbglevel;