diff --git a/app/sitemap.ts b/app/sitemap.ts
index 60b6393c1..6fea02cf6 100644
--- a/app/sitemap.ts
+++ b/app/sitemap.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { getProductSeoUrls, getMenu } from 'lib/shopware';
+import { validateEnvironmentVariables } from 'lib/utils';
 import { MetadataRoute } from 'next';
 
 type Route = {
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ const baseUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_VERCEL_URL
   : 'http://localhost:3000';
 
 export default async function sitemap(): Promise<MetadataRoute.Sitemap> {
+  validateEnvironmentVariables();
+
   const routesMap = [''].map((route) => ({
     url: `${baseUrl}${route}`,
     lastModified: new Date().toISOString()
diff --git a/components/layout/navbar/search.tsx b/components/layout/navbar/search.tsx
index c7a410b9d..57032a035 100644
--- a/components/layout/navbar/search.tsx
+++ b/components/layout/navbar/search.tsx
@@ -1,19 +1,12 @@
 'use client';
 
-import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from 'next/navigation';
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
-
 import { MagnifyingGlassIcon } from '@heroicons/react/24/outline';
 import { createUrl } from 'lib/utils';
+import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from 'next/navigation';
 
 export default function Search() {
   const router = useRouter();
   const searchParams = useSearchParams();
-  const [searchValue, setSearchValue] = useState('');
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setSearchValue(searchParams?.get('q') || '');
-  }, [searchParams, setSearchValue]);
 
   function onSubmit(e: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) {
     e.preventDefault();
@@ -38,8 +31,7 @@ export default function Search() {
         name="search"
         placeholder="Search for products..."
         autoComplete="off"
-        value={searchValue}
-        onChange={(e) => setSearchValue(e.target.value)}
+        defaultValue={searchParams?.get('q') || ''}
         className="w-full rounded-lg border bg-white px-4 py-2 text-sm text-black placeholder:text-neutral-500 dark:border-neutral-800 dark:bg-transparent dark:text-white dark:placeholder:text-neutral-400"
       />
       <div className="absolute right-0 top-0 mr-3 flex h-full items-center">
diff --git a/lib/utils.ts b/lib/utils.ts
index 02ff6fe1b..0bdea7dff 100644
--- a/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/lib/utils.ts
@@ -9,3 +9,31 @@ export const createUrl = (pathname: string, params: URLSearchParams | ReadonlyUR
 
 export const ensureStartsWith = (stringToCheck: string, startsWith: string) =>
   stringToCheck.startsWith(startsWith) ? stringToCheck : `${startsWith}${stringToCheck}`;
+
+export const validateEnvironmentVariables = () => {
+  const requiredEnvironmentVariables = ['SHOPWARE_STORE_DOMAIN', 'SHOPWARE_ACCESS_TOKEN'];
+  const missingEnvironmentVariables = [] as string[];
+
+  requiredEnvironmentVariables.forEach((envVar) => {
+    if (!process.env[envVar]) {
+      missingEnvironmentVariables.push(envVar);
+    }
+  });
+
+  if (missingEnvironmentVariables.length) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `The following environment variables are missing. Your site will not work without them.\n\n${missingEnvironmentVariables.join(
+        '\n'
+      )}\n`
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (
+    process.env.SHOPWARE_STORE_DOMAIN?.includes('[') ||
+    process.env.SHOPWARE_STORE_DOMAIN?.includes(']')
+  ) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Your `SHOPWARE_STORE_DOMAIN` environment variable includes brackets (ie. `[` and / or `]`). Your site will not work with them there. Please remove them.'
+    );
+  }
+};