diff --git a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/create.py b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/create.py
index d379fef..40b3102 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/create.py
+++ b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/create.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 @create_router.get('/create/entries.html')
 def new_entry_page(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="add_entry.html", context={"path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="add_entry.html", context={"path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @create_router.get("/utils/leaflet_draw.html")
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ def leaflet_draw(request: Request, geom: str = 'marker'):
 
 @create_router.get('/create/authors.html')
 def new_author(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="author.html", context={"path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="author.html", context={"path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @create_router.get('/create/details.html')
 def new_details(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="details.html", context={"path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="details.html", context={"path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @create_router.get('/create/datasources.html')
 def new_datasource(request: Request):
     # load the datasource types
     types = core.datatypes()
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="add_datasource.html", context={"types": types, "path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="add_datasource.html", context={"types": types, "path": server.app_prefix})
diff --git a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/read.py b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/read.py
index bec429b..09f869c 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/read.py
+++ b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/read.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 templates = Jinja2Templates(directory=Path(__file__).parent / 'templates')
 
 # add static files
-explorer_router.mount("/static", StaticFiles(directory=Path(__file__).parent / "templates" / "static"), name="static")
+# explorer_router.mount("/static", StaticFiles(directory=Path(__file__).parent / "templates" / "static"), name="static")
 
 
 @explorer_router.get('/entries.html')
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ def get_entries_page(request: Request, offset: int = 0, limit: int = 100, search
     entries = core.entries(offset, limit, search=search, full_text=full_text, title=title, variable=variable) 
     
     # check if we should return html
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entries.html", context={"entries": entries, "path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entries.html", context={"entries": entries, "path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @explorer_router.get('/locations.html')
 def get_entries_geojson_page(request: Request):
     # check if we should return html
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="map.html", context={"path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="map.html", context={"path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @explorer_router.get('/entries/{id}.html')
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def get_entry_page(id: int, request: Request):
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"Entry of <ID={id}> not found")
     
     # check if we should return html
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entry.html", context={"entry": entries[0], "path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entry.html", context={"entry": entries[0], "path": server.app_prefix})
     
 
 @explorer_router.get('/entries/{id}.xml')
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def get_entry_radar_xml(id: int, request: Request):
     if len(entries) == 0:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"Entry of <ID={id}> not found")
     
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entry.radar.xml", context={"entry": entries[0], "path": server.uri_prefix}, media_type='application/xml')
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="entry.radar.xml", context={"entry": entries[0], "path": server.app_prefix}, media_type='application/xml')
 
 
 @explorer_router.get('/licenses.html')
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def get_licenses_page(request: Request,  license_id: int | None = None):
     if license_id is not None:
         return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="license.html", context={"license": licenses.model_dump()})
     else:
-        return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="licenses.html", context={"licenses": licenses, "path": server.uri_prefix})
+        return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="licenses.html", context={"licenses": licenses, "path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 @explorer_router.get('/authors.html')
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ def get_authors_page(request: Request, entry_id: int | None = None, author_id: i
         return templates.TemplateResponse(
             request=request,
             name="author.html",
-            context={"author": authors, 'variant': 'fixed', 'target': target, "path": server.uri_prefix}
+            context={"author": authors, 'variant': 'fixed', 'target': target, "path": server.app_prefix}
         )
     
     return templates.TemplateResponse(
         request=request, 
         name="authors.html", 
-        context={"authors": authors, 'variant': 'select' if entry_id is None else 'list', 'target': target, "path": server.uri_prefix}
+        context={"authors": authors, 'variant': 'select' if entry_id is None else 'list', 'target': target, "path": server.app_prefix, "root_path": server.uri_prefix}
     )
 
 @explorer_router.get('/variables')
@@ -107,5 +107,5 @@ def get_variables_page(request: Request, offset: int = None, limit: int = None):
     return templates.TemplateResponse(
         request=request, 
         name="variables.html", 
-        context={"variables": variables, "path": server.uri_prefix}
+        context={"variables": variables, "path": server.app_prefix}
     )
diff --git a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/templates/authors.html b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/templates/authors.html
index 81e3687..6ae0088 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/templates/authors.html
+++ b/metacatalog_api/apps/explorer/templates/authors.html
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ <h3>Debug Info:</h3>
 
         async fetchExistingAuthors() {
             try {
-                const response = await fetch('{{ path }}authors.json');
+                const response = await fetch('{{ root_path }}authors.json');
                 const data = await response.json();
                 this.existingAuthors = data;
             } catch (err) {
diff --git a/metacatalog_api/default_server.py b/metacatalog_api/default_server.py
index 70c6ba1..7a4a7bc 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/default_server.py
+++ b/metacatalog_api/default_server.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 from fastapi import Request
+from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
+from pathlib import Path
 from starlette.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
 
 from metacatalog_api.server import app, server
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ def index(request: Request):
     This example app includes the explorer read and create routes
     which are powered by the api route
     """
-    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="index.html", context={"path": server.uri_prefix})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request=request, name="index.html", context={"path": server.app_prefix})
 
 
 # add all api routes - currently this is only splitted into read and create
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ def index(request: Request):
 app.include_router(api_create_router)
 
 # add the default explorer application (the HTML)
+app.mount(f"{server.app_prefix}static", StaticFiles(directory=Path(__file__).parent / "apps" / "explorer" / "templates" / "static"), name="static")
 app.include_router(explorer_router, prefix=f"/{server.app_name}")
 app.include_router(explorer_create, prefix=f"/{server.app_name}")
 
diff --git a/metacatalog_api/router/api/read.py b/metacatalog_api/router/api/read.py
index be4d734..4232a1b 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/router/api/read.py
+++ b/metacatalog_api/router/api/read.py
@@ -93,8 +93,8 @@ def get_variables(only_available: bool = False, offset: int = None, limit: int =
 
     return variables
 
-@read_router.get('/variable/{id}')
-@read_router.get('/variable/{id}.json')
+@read_router.get('/variables/{id}')
+@read_router.get('/variables/{id}.json')
 def get_variable(id: int):
     try:
         variable = core.variables(id=id)
diff --git a/metacatalog_api/server.py b/metacatalog_api/server.py
index 533c9fd..b9049ae 100644
--- a/metacatalog_api/server.py
+++ b/metacatalog_api/server.py
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ def uri_prefix(self):
         
         if not path.endswith('/'):
             path += '/'
+        return path
+    
+    @property
+    def app_prefix(self):
+        path = self.uri_prefix
         
         if self.app_name.startswith('/'):
             path += self.app_name.strip('/')
@@ -50,7 +55,7 @@ def cli_cmd(self, asgi_app: str):
 
 # create the server object
 server = Server()
-logger.info(server.uri_prefix, server.root_path, server.app_name)
+logger.info(server.app_prefix, server.root_path, server.app_name)
 
 
 # before we initialize the app, we check that the database is installed and up to date