diff --git a/src/components/Authentication/Clerk/ClerkAuthContextProvider.tsx b/src/components/Authentication/Clerk/ClerkAuthContextProvider.tsx
index c9a783158..f3360d704 100644
--- a/src/components/Authentication/Clerk/ClerkAuthContextProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Authentication/Clerk/ClerkAuthContextProvider.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ export default function ClerkAuthContextProvider({
   // when organization is switched, we need to re-fetch the user and the UI
   const { organization } = useOrganization();
 
+  const backendURL = organization?.publicMetadata.backend_url;
+
   const {
     data: payload,
     isLoading,
@@ -25,17 +27,21 @@ export default function ClerkAuthContextProvider({
     ["user", "whoami", organization],
     () => whoami(),
     {
+      enabled: !!backendURL,
       refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
       refetchInterval: 0,
       refetchOnReconnect: false
     }
   );
 
-  if (isLoading && !payload) {
-    return <FullPageSkeletonLoader />;
+  // if the organization backend is not yet created, we need to wait for it to
+  // be created before showing the UI
+  if (!backendURL) {
+    return <InstanceCreationInProgress />;
   }
 
-  // if the organization backend is not yet created, we need to wait for it to
+  // if the organization backend returns a 404 or a 5xx error, we need to wait
+  // for it to be created before showing the UI
   if (
     error &&
     (error.response?.status?.toString().startsWith("5") ||
@@ -44,6 +50,10 @@ export default function ClerkAuthContextProvider({
     return <InstanceCreationInProgress />;
   }
 
+  if (isLoading && !payload) {
+    return <FullPageSkeletonLoader />;
+  }
+
   if (error && !payload) {
     return <ErrorPage error={error} />;
   }