diff --git a/packages/api/DittoEnv.ts b/packages/api/DittoEnv.ts
index d82ed911..fc35bb58 100644
--- a/packages/api/DittoEnv.ts
+++ b/packages/api/DittoEnv.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { DittoConf } from '@ditto/conf';
 import type { DittoDatabase } from '@ditto/db';
 import type { Env } from '@hono/hono';
-import type { NRelay } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
+import type { NostrSigner, NRelay, NStore } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
 
 export interface DittoEnv extends Env {
   Variables: {
@@ -13,5 +13,12 @@ export interface DittoEnv extends Env {
     db: DittoDatabase;
     /** Abort signal for the request. */
     signal: AbortSignal;
+    /** The current user */
+    user?: {
+      /** The user's signer. */
+      signer: NostrSigner;
+      /** The user's store. */
+      store: NStore;
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/DittoRoute.ts b/packages/api/DittoRoute.ts
index 73a63090..9fcc011d 100644
--- a/packages/api/DittoRoute.ts
+++ b/packages/api/DittoRoute.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export class DittoRoute extends Hono<DittoEnv> {
     if (!vars.signal) this.throwMissingVar('signal');
 
     return {
+      ...vars,
       db: vars.db,
       conf: vars.conf,
       store: vars.store,
diff --git a/packages/api/middleware/mod.ts b/packages/api/middleware/mod.ts
index fc06aa58..da56cab9 100644
--- a/packages/api/middleware/mod.ts
+++ b/packages/api/middleware/mod.ts
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+export { requireVar } from './requireVar.ts';
 export { userMiddleware } from './userMiddleware.ts';
diff --git a/packages/api/middleware/requireVar.ts b/packages/api/middleware/requireVar.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1527e9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/api/middleware/requireVar.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { HTTPException } from '@hono/hono/http-exception';
+
+import type { SetRequired } from 'type-fest';
+import type { DittoEnv } from '../DittoEnv.ts';
+import type { DittoMiddleware } from '../DittoMiddleware.ts';
+
+type DittoVars = DittoEnv['Variables'];
+
+export function requireVar<K extends keyof DittoVars>(key: K): DittoMiddleware<SetRequired<DittoVars, K>> {
+  return (c, next) => {
+    if (!c.var[key]) {
+      throw new HTTPException(500, { message: `Missing required variable: ${key}` });
+    }
+
+    return next();
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/api/middleware/userMiddleware.ts b/packages/api/middleware/userMiddleware.ts
index 2eb5dd96..f8ff997e 100644
--- a/packages/api/middleware/userMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/api/middleware/userMiddleware.ts
@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@ interface UserMiddlewareOpts {
   privileged: boolean;
 }
 
-// @ts-ignore The types are right.
-export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged: boolean; required: true }): DittoMiddleware<{ user: User }>;
+export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged: false; required: true }): DittoMiddleware<{ user: User }>;
 export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged: true; required?: boolean }): DittoMiddleware<{ user: User }>;
 export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged: false; required?: boolean }): DittoMiddleware<{ user?: User }>;
-export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged?: boolean; required?: boolean }): DittoMiddleware<{ user?: User }> {
+export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged: boolean; required?: boolean }): DittoMiddleware<{ user?: User }> {
   /** We only accept "Bearer" type. */
   const BEARER_REGEX = new RegExp(`^Bearer (${nip19.BECH32_REGEX.source})$`);
 
+  const { privileged, required = false } = opts;
+
   return async (c, next) => {
     const { conf, db, store } = c.var;
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ export function userMiddleware(opts: { privileged?: boolean; required?: boolean
     if (signer) {
       const user: User = { signer, store };
       c.set('user', user);
-    } else {
+    } else if (required) {
       throw new HTTPException(401);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/api/routes/timelinesRoute.ts b/packages/api/routes/timelinesRoute.ts
index be76563a..3147109a 100644
--- a/packages/api/routes/timelinesRoute.ts
+++ b/packages/api/routes/timelinesRoute.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { DittoRoute } from '@ditto/api';
-import { userMiddleware } from '@ditto/api/middleware';
+import { requireVar, userMiddleware } from '@ditto/api/middleware';
 import { booleanParamSchema, languageSchema } from '@ditto/api/schema';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const homeQuerySchema = z.object({
   only_media: booleanParamSchema.optional(),
 });
 
-route.get('/home', async (c) => {
+route.get('/home', requireVar('user'), async (c) => {
   const { user, pagination } = c.var;
 
   const pubkey = await user.signer.getPublicKey()!;