diff --git a/server/app.module.ts b/server/app.module.ts
index 41446f8..d0135c1 100644
--- a/server/app.module.ts
+++ b/server/app.module.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { RolesGuard } from './providers/guards/roles.guard';
 import { JwtService } from './providers/services/jwt.service';
 import { RolesService } from './providers/services/roles.service';
 import { UsersService } from './providers/services/users.service';
+import { GuardUtil } from './providers/util/guard.util';
 
 @Module({
   imports: [TypeOrmModule.forRoot(config), UsersModule],
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import { UsersService } from './providers/services/users.service';
     UsersService,
     RolesService,
     JwtService,
+    GuardUtil,
     { provide: APP_GUARD, useClass: AuthGuard }, // auth guard should come before roles guard
     { provide: APP_GUARD, useClass: RolesGuard }, // otherwise users won't be authenticated before roles check
   ],
diff --git a/server/database/seeds.ts b/server/database/seeds.ts
index 94e69ef..4e9acc4 100644
--- a/server/database/seeds.ts
+++ b/server/database/seeds.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export default class Seeds implements Seeder {
       // only insert roles if not present already
       const role = await roleRepository.findOne(roleObj);
       if (!role) {
-        console.log(`Creating role '${role.key}'`);
+        console.log(`Creating role '${roleObj.key}'`);
         await roleRepository.insert(roleObj);
       } else {
         console.log(`Role '${role.key}' already exists`);
diff --git a/server/providers/guards/auth.guard.ts b/server/providers/guards/auth.guard.ts
index 8c03ad8..722094b 100644
--- a/server/providers/guards/auth.guard.ts
+++ b/server/providers/guards/auth.guard.ts
@@ -1,24 +1,17 @@
 import { Injectable, CanActivate, ExecutionContext } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { JwtService } from '../services/jwt.service';
-import { SKIP_KEY } from 'server/decorators/skip.decorator';
-import { Reflector } from '@nestjs/core';
-import { Class } from 'server/dto/class.dto';
+import { GuardUtil } from '../util/guard.util';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class AuthGuard implements CanActivate {
-  constructor(private reflector: Reflector, private jwtService: JwtService) {}
+  constructor(private guardUtil: GuardUtil, private jwtService: JwtService) {}
 
   canActivate(context: ExecutionContext) {
-    const skippedGuards = this.reflector.getAllAndOverride<Class<CanActivate>[]>(SKIP_KEY, [
-      context.getHandler(),
-      context.getClass(),
-    ]);
-    if (skippedGuards) {
-      const skippedGuard = skippedGuards.find((guard) => this instanceof guard);
-      if (skippedGuard) {
-        return true;
-      }
+    // Handlers and Controllers can both skip this guard in the event that
+    if (this.guardUtil.shouldSkip(this, context)) {
+      return true;
     }
+
     const req = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
     const authHeader = req.headers.authorization;
     if (!authHeader) return false;
diff --git a/server/providers/guards/roles.guard.ts b/server/providers/guards/roles.guard.ts
index 3ecc392..17aa224 100644
--- a/server/providers/guards/roles.guard.ts
+++ b/server/providers/guards/roles.guard.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { JwtBodyDto } from 'server/dto/jwt_body.dto';
 import { RoleKey } from 'server/entities/role.entity';
 import { RolesService } from '../services/roles.service';
 import { UsersService } from '../services/users.service';
-import { some } from 'lodash';
+import { intersection, isEmpty } from 'lodash';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class RolesGuard implements CanActivate {
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ export class RolesGuard implements CanActivate {
       context.getHandler(),
       context.getClass(),
     ]);
-    console.log(requiredRoles);
 
     if (!requiredRoles) {
       return true;
@@ -26,12 +25,6 @@ export class RolesGuard implements CanActivate {
 
     if (!jwtBody) return false; // unauthenticated users are not authorized
 
-    const user = await this.usersService.find(jwtBody.userId, ['userRoles']);
-    const roles = await this.rolesService.findByKey(...requiredRoles);
-    const roleMatches = user.userRoles.map((userRole) => {
-      return !!roles.find((role) => role.id === userRole.roleId);
-    });
-
-    return some(roleMatches);
+    return !isEmpty(intersection(jwtBody.roles, requiredRoles));
   }
 }
diff --git a/server/providers/util/guard.util.ts b/server/providers/util/guard.util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64d4627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/providers/util/guard.util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { CanActivate, ExecutionContext, Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Reflector } from '@nestjs/core';
+import { SKIP_KEY } from 'server/decorators/skip.decorator';
+import { Class } from 'server/dto/class.dto';
+
+@Injectable()
+export class GuardUtil {
+  constructor(private reflector: Reflector) {}
+
+  public shouldSkip(guard: CanActivate, context: ExecutionContext) {
+    const skippedGuards = this.reflector.getAllAndOverride<Class<CanActivate>[]>(SKIP_KEY, [
+      context.getHandler(),
+      context.getClass(),
+    ]);
+    return !!(skippedGuards && skippedGuards.find((SkippedGuard) => guard instanceof SkippedGuard));
+  }
+}