diff --git a/api/src/repositories/project-participation-repository.ts b/api/src/repositories/project-participation-repository.ts
index bb6bc91838..cd12c366ea 100644
--- a/api/src/repositories/project-participation-repository.ts
+++ b/api/src/repositories/project-participation-repository.ts
@@ -90,10 +90,6 @@ export class ProjectParticipationRepository extends BaseRepository {
         project_role pr
       ON
         pr.project_role_id = pp.project_role_id
-      LEFT JOIN
-        project_role pr
-      ON
-        pr.project_role_id = pp.project_role_id
       WHERE
         pp.project_id = ${projectId};
     `;
diff --git a/app/src/utils/Utils.test.ts b/app/src/utils/Utils.test.ts
index 7a02ecb501..ea7dd1d928 100644
--- a/app/src/utils/Utils.test.ts
+++ b/app/src/utils/Utils.test.ts
@@ -12,10 +12,9 @@ import {
 } from './Utils';
 
 describe('ensureProtocol', () => {
-  it('does nothing if string already has `http://`', async () => {
-    const url = 'http://someurl.com';
-    const urlWithProtocol = ensureProtocol(url);
-    expect(urlWithProtocol).toEqual(url);
+  it('upgrades the URL if string begins with `http://`', async () => {
+    const urlWithProtocol = ensureProtocol('http://someurl.com');
+    expect(urlWithProtocol).toEqual('https://someurl.com');
   });
 
   it('does nothing if string already has `https://`', async () => {
@@ -24,6 +23,16 @@ describe('ensureProtocol', () => {
     expect(urlWithProtocol).toEqual(url);
   });
 
+  it('adds http if string begins with `localhost`', async () => {
+    const urlWithProtocol = ensureProtocol('localhost:1234/test');
+    expect(urlWithProtocol).toEqual('http://localhost:1234/test');
+  });
+
+  it('does nothing if string begins with `http://localhost`', async () => {
+    const urlWithProtocol = ensureProtocol('http://localhost:1234/test');
+    expect(urlWithProtocol).toEqual('http://localhost:1234/test');
+  });
+
   it('adds `https://` when no protocol param is provided', async () => {
     const url = 'someurl.com';
     const urlWithProtocol = ensureProtocol(url);
diff --git a/app/src/utils/Utils.ts b/app/src/utils/Utils.ts
index 06dc1e06ae..d6434d1628 100644
--- a/app/src/utils/Utils.ts
+++ b/app/src/utils/Utils.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,30 @@ import { LatLngBounds } from 'leaflet';
 import moment from 'moment';
 
 /**
- * Checks if a url string starts with an `http(s)://` protocol, and adds `https://` if it does not.
+ * Checks if a url string starts with an `http[s]://` protocol, and adds `https://` if it does not. If the url
+ * begins with `localhost`, the `http` protocol is used.
  *
  * @param {string} url
  * @param {('http://' | 'https://')} [protocol='https://'] The protocol to add, if necessary. Defaults to `https://`.
  * @return {*}  {string} the url which is guaranteed to have an `http(s)://` protocol.
  */
 export const ensureProtocol = (url: string, protocol: 'http://' | 'https://' = 'https://'): string => {
-  return ((url.startsWith('http://') || url.startsWith('https://')) && url) || `${protocol}${url}`;
+  if (url.startsWith('localhost')) {
+    return `${'http://'}${url}`;
+  }
+
+  if (url.startsWith('https://') || url.startsWith('http://localhost')) {
+    return url;
+  }
+
+  if (url.startsWith('http://')) {
+    // If protocol is HTTPS, upgrade the URL
+    if (protocol === 'https://') {
+      return `${'https://'}${url.slice(7)}`;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return `${protocol}${url}`;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c109196c61..084de7f2ab 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ services:
       - NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV}
       - REACT_APP_NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV}
       - PORT=${APP_PORT}
-      - REACT_APP_API_HOST=http://${API_HOST}
+      - REACT_APP_API_HOST=${API_HOST}
       - REACT_APP_API_PORT=${API_PORT}
       - REACT_APP_MAX_UPLOAD_NUM_FILES=${MAX_UPLOAD_NUM_FILES}
       - REACT_APP_MAX_UPLOAD_FILE_SIZE=${MAX_UPLOAD_FILE_SIZE}