diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index cb1f33c..ee3c108 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ try {
   const projectId = process.env.FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID;
   const clientEmail = process.env.FIREBASE_CLIENT_EMAIL;
   const rawPrivateKey = process.env.FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY;
-  const privateKey = rawPrivateKey ? rawPrivateKey.replaceAll(String.raw`\n`, '\n') : undefined;
+  const privateKey = rawPrivateKey ? rawPrivateKey.replaceAll('\\n', '\n') : undefined;
 
   if (projectId && clientEmail && privateKey) {
     if (!admin.apps.length) {
@@ -179,7 +179,15 @@ const otpResetSchema = z.object({
 });
 
 const normalizeEmail = (email) => email.trim().toLowerCase();
-const normalizePhone = (phone) => phone.replaceAll(/\D/g, '');
+const normalizePhone = (phone) => {
+  const digits = phone.replaceAll(/\D/g, '');
+  const minLen = 6;
+  const maxLen = 32;
+  if (digits.length < minLen || digits.length > maxLen) {
+    throw new Error('Normalized phone number has invalid length.');
+  }
+  return digits;
+};
 
 const normalizeAddress = (address) => {
   if (typeof address !== 'string' || !address.startsWith('0x')) {
diff --git a/services/firebaseClient.ts b/services/firebaseClient.ts
index 28062a5..37d089c 100644
--- a/services/firebaseClient.ts
+++ b/services/firebaseClient.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ import {
   type UserCredential,
 } from 'firebase/auth';
 
-let firebaseApp: FirebaseApp | null | undefined;
-let firebaseAuth: Auth | null | undefined;
+let firebaseApp: FirebaseApp | null = null;
+let firebaseAuth: Auth | null = null;
+let firebaseInitialized = false;
 
 const loadFirebaseConfig = () => {
   const apiKey = import.meta.env.VITE_FIREBASE_API_KEY;
@@ -50,12 +51,13 @@ const loadFirebaseConfig = () => {
 };
 
 const ensureFirebase = (): { app: FirebaseApp; auth: Auth } | null => {
-  if (firebaseAuth !== undefined && firebaseApp !== undefined) {
+  if (firebaseInitialized) {
     if (firebaseApp && firebaseAuth) {
       return { app: firebaseApp, auth: firebaseAuth };
     }
     return null;
   }
+  firebaseInitialized = true;
 
   const config = loadFirebaseConfig();
   if (!config) {
diff --git a/services/geminiService.ts b/services/geminiService.ts
index d437775..f29ec47 100644
--- a/services/geminiService.ts
+++ b/services/geminiService.ts
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ const blobToBase64 = (blob: Blob): Promise<string> => {
         const bytes = new Uint8Array(result);
         let binary = '';
         for (let i = 0; i < bytes.byteLength; i++) {
-          binary += String.fromCodePoint(bytes[i]);
+          binary += String.fromCharCode(bytes[i]);
         }
         resolve(btoa(binary));
       } else {
diff --git a/utils/metadata.ts b/utils/metadata.ts
index 550695c..c4bf97c 100644
--- a/utils/metadata.ts
+++ b/utils/metadata.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const fromBase64 = (value: string) => {
     const binary = globalThis.atob(value);
     const bytes = new Uint8Array(binary.length);
     for (let i = 0; i < binary.length; i++) {
-      bytes[i] = binary.codePointAt(i) ?? 0;
+      bytes[i] = binary.charCodeAt(i);
     }
     return new TextDecoder().decode(bytes);
   }
diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index b11c714..e24f876 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ import path from 'node:path';
 import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
 import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react';
 
+// Set production base path via environment variable VITE_PROD_BASE_PATH, falling back to default if not set.
+const PROD_BASE_PATH = process.env.VITE_PROD_BASE_PATH || '/Fractal-Recipe-Generator/';
 export default defineConfig(({ mode }) => {
   const isProduction = mode === 'production';
-    const basePath = isProduction ? '/Fractal-Recipe-Generator/' : '/';
+  const basePath = isProduction ? PROD_BASE_PATH : '/';
     return {
       base: basePath,
       server: {