diff --git a/polyculeconnect/cmd/backend/backend.go b/polyculeconnect/cmd/backend/backend.go
index b971f35..b5b01c5 100644
--- a/polyculeconnect/cmd/backend/backend.go
+++ b/polyculeconnect/cmd/backend/backend.go
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@ var backendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "backend",
 	Short: "Handle authentication backends",
 	Long:  `Add, Remove or Show currently installed authentication backends`,
-	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		fmt.Println("backend called")
-	},
 }
 
 func printProperty(key, value string) {
diff --git a/polyculeconnect/cmd/serve/serve.go b/polyculeconnect/cmd/serve/serve.go
index 1fd4080..63c7415 100644
--- a/polyculeconnect/cmd/serve/serve.go
+++ b/polyculeconnect/cmd/serve/serve.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/cmd"
 	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/cmd/utils"
+	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/internal/client"
 	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/internal/db"
 	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/internal/middlewares"
 	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/internal/storage"
@@ -45,18 +46,6 @@ func serve() {
 	storageType := utils.InitStorage(conf)
 	logger.L.Infof("Initialized storage backend %q", conf.StorageType)
 
-	logger.L.Info("Initializing authentication backends")
-
-	// dex_server.ConnectorsConfig[connector.TypeRefuseAll] = func() dex_server.ConnectorConfig { return new(connector.RefuseAllConfig) }
-	// connectors, err := dexConf.Storage.ListConnectors()
-	// if err != nil {
-	// 	logger.L.Fatalf("Failed to get existing connectors: %s", err.Error())
-	// }
-	// var connectorIDs []string
-	// for _, conn := range connectors {
-	// 	connectorIDs = append(connectorIDs, conn.ID)
-	// }
-
 	userDB, err := db.New(*conf)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Failf("failed to init user DB: %s", err.Error())
@@ -71,6 +60,30 @@ func serve() {
 		op.WithLogger(slogger),
 		op.WithHttpInterceptors(middlewares.WithBackendFromRequestMiddleware),
 	}
+
+	logger.L.Info("Initializing authentication backends")
+	backends := []*client.OIDCClient{}
+	backendConfs, err := userDB.BackendStorage().GetAllBackends(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		utils.Failf("failed to get backend configs from the DB: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	// TODO: check if we need to do it this way or
+	// 	- do a try-loop?
+	//	- only init when using them in a request?
+	for _, c := range backendConfs {
+		b, err := client.New(context.Background(), c)
+		if err != nil {
+			utils.Failf("failed to init backend client: %s", err.Error())
+		}
+		backends = append(backends, b)
+	}
+	if len(backends) == 0 {
+		logger.L.Warn("No auth backend loaded")
+	} else {
+		logger.L.Infof("Initialized %d auth backends", len(backends))
+	}
+
 	provider, err := op.NewProvider(&opConf, &st, op.StaticIssuer(conf.Issuer), options...)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Failf("failed to init OIDC provider: %s", err.Error())
diff --git a/polyculeconnect/internal/client/client.go b/polyculeconnect/internal/client/client.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cccef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polyculeconnect/internal/client/client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package client
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"git.faercol.me/faercol/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect/internal/model"
+	"github.com/zitadel/oidc/v3/pkg/client/rp"
+)
+
+type OIDCClient struct {
+	Conf     *model.Backend
+	provider rp.RelyingParty
+}
+
+func New(ctx context.Context, conf *model.Backend) (*OIDCClient, error) {
+	pr, err := rp.NewRelyingPartyOIDC(ctx, conf.OIDCConfig.Issuer, conf.OIDCConfig.ClientID, conf.OIDCConfig.ClientSecret, conf.OIDCConfig.RedirectURI, []string{})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to init relying party provider: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return &OIDCClient{Conf: conf, provider: pr}, nil
+}
diff --git a/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect.db b/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect.db
index 8cfa771..3b23f7a 100644
Binary files a/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect.db and b/polyculeconnect/polyculeconnect.db differ