diff --git a/backend/src/lib/api.ts b/backend/src/lib/api.ts
index f79424b..83b81cc 100644
--- a/backend/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/backend/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ app.post("/login/step/username", async (req, res) => {
       error: "username is not a string",
     });
   }
-  username = req.body.username;
+  username = req.body.username.toLowerCase();
 
   req.session.login.username = username;
   // this is the prompt for the user