diff --git a/src/synapse/authProvider.js b/src/synapse/authProvider.js
index 5068c44..30ce600 100644
--- a/src/synapse/authProvider.js
+++ b/src/synapse/authProvider.js
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 import { fetchUtils } from "react-admin";
 
-const stripTrailingSlash = str => {
-  if (!str) {
-    return;
-  }
-  return str.endsWith("/") ? str.slice(0, -1) : str;
-};
-
 const authProvider = {
   // called when the user attempts to log in
   login: ({ base_url, username, password }) => {
@@ -20,15 +13,16 @@ const authProvider = {
       }),
     };
 
+    // use the base_url from login instead of the well_known entry from the
+    // server, since the admin might want to access the admin API via some
+    // private address
+    localStorage.setItem("base_url", base_url);
+
     const decoded_base_url = window.decodeURIComponent(base_url);
     const login_api_url = decoded_base_url + "/_matrix/client/r0/login";
 
     return fetchUtils.fetchJson(login_api_url, options).then(({ json }) => {
-      const normalized_base_url = stripTrailingSlash(
-        json.well_known["m.homeserver"].base_url
-      );
-      localStorage.setItem("base_url", normalized_base_url);
-      localStorage.setItem("home_server_url", json.home_server);
+      localStorage.setItem("home_server", json.home_server);
       localStorage.setItem("user_id", json.user_id);
       localStorage.setItem("access_token", json.access_token);
       localStorage.setItem("device_id", json.device_id);