diff --git a/src/invidious/config.cr b/src/invidious/config.cr
index 6508c847..c0c2f37b 100644
--- a/src/invidious/config.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/config.cr
@@ -238,13 +238,12 @@ class Config
         end
     {% end %}
 
-    if !config.invidious_companion.empty?
+    if config.invidious_companion.present?
       # invidious_companion and signature_server can't work together
       if config.signature_server
         puts "Config: You can not run inv_sig_helper and invidious_companion at the same time."
         exit(1)
-      end
-      if config.invidious_companion_key.empty?
+      elsif config.invidious_companion_key.empty?
         puts "Config: Please configure a key if you are using invidious companion."
         exit(1)
       elsif config.invidious_companion_key == "CHANGE_ME!!"
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/api/manifest.cr b/src/invidious/routes/api/manifest.cr
index b2085666..e32d6f2e 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/api/manifest.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/api/manifest.cr
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module Invidious::Routes::API::Manifest
     id = env.params.url["id"]
     region = env.params.query["region"]?
 
-    if !CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?
+    if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
       invidious_companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
       return env.redirect "#{invidious_companion.public_url}/api/manifest/dash/id/#{id}?#{env.params.query}"
     end
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/video_playback.cr b/src/invidious/routes/video_playback.cr
index 391aa139..9c35ffcc 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/video_playback.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/video_playback.cr
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ module Invidious::Routes::VideoPlayback
   # YouTube /videoplayback links expire after 6 hours,
   # so we have a mechanism here to redirect to the latest version
   def self.latest_version(env)
-    if !CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?
+    if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
       invidious_companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
       return env.redirect "#{invidious_companion.public_url}/latest_version?#{env.params.query}"
     end
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr b/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
index 91aca03e..66d5977c 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ module Invidious::Routes::Watch
       env.params.query["title"] = filename
       env.params.query["local"] = "true"
 
-      if (!CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?)
+      if (CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?)
         video = get_video(video_id)
         return env.redirect "#{video.invidious_companion["baseUrl"].as_s}/latest_version?#{env.params.query}"
       else
diff --git a/src/invidious/videos/parser.cr b/src/invidious/videos/parser.cr
index 4d0e0378..b25db0b7 100644
--- a/src/invidious/videos/parser.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/videos/parser.cr
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def extract_video_info(video_id : String)
   params = parse_video_info(video_id, player_response)
   params["reason"] = JSON::Any.new(reason) if reason
 
-  if !CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?
+  if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
     new_player_response = nil
 
     # Don't use Android test suite client if po_token is passed because po_token doesn't
diff --git a/src/invidious/views/components/player.ecr b/src/invidious/views/components/player.ecr
index 37f5f586..d7589381 100644
--- a/src/invidious/views/components/player.ecr
+++ b/src/invidious/views/components/player.ecr
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
                 src_url  = "/latest_version?id=#{video.id}&itag=#{fmt["itag"]}"
                 src_url += "&local=true" if params.local
                 src_url = video.invidious_companion["baseUrl"].as_s + src_url + 
-                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (!CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?)
+                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?)
 
                 bitrate = fmt["bitrate"]
                 mimetype = HTML.escape(fmt["mimeType"].as_s)
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
             <% if params.quality == "dash"
                src_url = "/api/manifest/dash/id/" + video.id + "?local=true&unique_res=1"
                src_url = video.invidious_companion["baseUrl"].as_s + src_url +
-                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (!CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?)
+                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?)
             %>
                 <source src="<%= src_url %>" type='application/dash+xml' label="dash">
             <% end %>
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
                 src_url  = "/latest_version?id=#{video.id}&itag=#{fmt["itag"]}"
                 src_url += "&local=true" if params.local
                 src_url = video.invidious_companion["baseUrl"].as_s + src_url +
-                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (!CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?)
+                            "&check=#{invidious_companion_encrypt(video.id)}" if (CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?)
 
                 quality = fmt["quality"]
                 mimetype = HTML.escape(fmt["mimeType"].as_s)
diff --git a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
index 74f65449..54a0f5f4 100644
--- a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ module YoutubeAPI
       data["params"] = params
     end
 
-    if !CONFIG.invidious_companion.empty?
+    if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
       return self._post_invidious_companion("/youtubei/v1/player", data)
     else
       return self._post_json("/youtubei/v1/player", data, client_config)
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ module YoutubeAPI
 
     begin
       invidious_companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
-      response = make_client(invidious_companion.private_url,
+      response = make_client(invidious_companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false
         &.post(endpoint, headers: headers, body: data.to_json))
       body = response.body
       if (response.status_code != 200)