diff --git a/api/assign_ticket.php b/api/assign_ticket.php
index a142ed4..f68d2fe 100644
--- a/api/assign_ticket.php
+++ b/api/assign_ticket.php
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 <?php
 session_start();
-require_once '../config/db.php';
-require_once '../models/TicketModel.php';
-require_once '../models/AuditLogModel.php';
+require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/config/db.php';
+require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/models/TicketModel.php';
+require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/models/AuditLogModel.php';
 
 header('Content-Type: application/json');
 
 // Check authentication
-if (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
+if (!isset($_SESSION['user']) || !isset($_SESSION['user']['user_id'])) {
     echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Not authenticated']);
     exit;
 }
 
+$userId = $_SESSION['user']['user_id'];
+
 // Get request data
 $data = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
 $ticketId = $data['ticket_id'] ?? null;
@@ -22,21 +24,36 @@ if (!$ticketId) {
     exit;
 }
 
+// Create database connection
+$conn = new mysqli(
+    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_HOST'],
+    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_USER'],
+    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_PASS'],
+    $GLOBALS['config']['DB_NAME']
+);
+
+if ($conn->connect_error) {
+    echo json_encode(['success' => false, 'error' => 'Database connection failed']);
+    exit;
+}
+
 $ticketModel = new TicketModel($conn);
 $auditLogModel = new AuditLogModel($conn);
 
 if ($assignedTo === null || $assignedTo === '') {
     // Unassign ticket
-    $success = $ticketModel->unassignTicket($ticketId, $_SESSION['user_id']);
+    $success = $ticketModel->unassignTicket($ticketId, $userId);
     if ($success) {
-        $auditLogModel->log($_SESSION['user_id'], 'unassign', 'ticket', $ticketId);
+        $auditLogModel->log($userId, 'unassign', 'ticket', $ticketId);
     }
 } else {
     // Assign ticket
-    $success = $ticketModel->assignTicket($ticketId, $assignedTo, $_SESSION['user_id']);
+    $success = $ticketModel->assignTicket($ticketId, $assignedTo, $userId);
     if ($success) {
-        $auditLogModel->log($_SESSION['user_id'], 'assign', 'ticket', $ticketId, ['assigned_to' => $assignedTo]);
+        $auditLogModel->log($userId, 'assign', 'ticket', $ticketId, ['assigned_to' => $assignedTo]);
     }
 }
 
+$conn->close();
+
 echo json_encode(['success' => $success]);