diff --git a/dev-client/index.js b/dev-client/index.js
index 4f03e6e82..a54380c8c 100644
--- a/dev-client/index.js
+++ b/dev-client/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * @format
  */
-
+import 'terraso-mobile-client/prelude';
 import {AppRegistry} from 'react-native';
 import App from 'terraso-mobile-client/App';
 import {name as appName} from './app.json'; // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/no-restricted-imports
diff --git a/dev-client/package-lock.json b/dev-client/package-lock.json
index bb2f28ae3..3369651a3 100644
--- a/dev-client/package-lock.json
+++ b/dev-client/package-lock.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
         "@react-navigation/native": "^6.1.9",
         "@react-navigation/native-stack": "^6.9.16",
         "@rnmapbox/maps": "^10.0.15",
+        "base-64": "^1.0.0",
         "formik": "^2.4.5",
         "i18next": "^23.6.0",
         "native-base": "^3.4.28",
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
         "@babel/runtime": "^7.23.2",
         "@react-native-community/eslint-config": "^3.2.0",
         "@tsconfig/react-native": "^3.0.2",
+        "@types/base-64": "^1.0.1",
         "@types/jest": "^29.5.6",
         "@types/react": "^18.2.33",
         "@types/react-native-vector-icons": "^6.4.16",
@@ -7269,6 +7271,12 @@
         "@babel/types": "^7.20.7"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@types/base-64": {
+      "version": "1.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/base-64/-/base-64-1.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-syGYQWNlO2yyGJjyP9i3eZeHZN+QS3V11EnsVwCiYgOQXMmQNAIgVpFsZ146R+o3l9ltB+KEVKsPW8RCyq2EAw==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "node_modules/@types/geojson": {
       "version": "7946.0.12",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/geojson/-/geojson-7946.0.12.tgz",
@@ -8443,6 +8451,11 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/balanced-match/-/balanced-match-1.0.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-3oSeUO0TMV67hN1AmbXsK4yaqU7tjiHlbxRDZOpH0KW9+CeX4bRAaX0Anxt0tx2MrpRpWwQaPwIlISEJhYU5Pw=="
     },
+    "node_modules/base-64": {
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/base-64/-/base-64-1.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-kwDPIFCGx0NZHog36dj+tHiwP4QMzsZ3AgMViUBKI0+V5n4U0ufTCUMhnQ04diaRI8EX/QcPfql7zlhZ7j4zgg=="
+    },
     "node_modules/base64-js": {
       "version": "1.5.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/base64-js/-/base64-js-1.5.1.tgz",
diff --git a/dev-client/package.json b/dev-client/package.json
index 653cad88a..0fd928461 100644
--- a/dev-client/package.json
+++ b/dev-client/package.json
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
     "@react-navigation/native": "^6.1.9",
     "@react-navigation/native-stack": "^6.9.16",
     "@rnmapbox/maps": "^10.0.15",
+    "base-64": "^1.0.0",
     "formik": "^2.4.5",
     "i18next": "^23.6.0",
     "native-base": "^3.4.28",
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
     "@babel/runtime": "^7.23.2",
     "@react-native-community/eslint-config": "^3.2.0",
     "@tsconfig/react-native": "^3.0.2",
+    "@types/base-64": "^1.0.1",
     "@types/jest": "^29.5.6",
     "@types/react": "^18.2.33",
     "@types/react-native-vector-icons": "^6.4.16",
diff --git a/dev-client/src/prelude.ts b/dev-client/src/prelude.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29b83ba6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-client/src/prelude.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Code in this file that needs to run before anything else
+import {decode, encode} from 'base-64';
+
+// jwt-decode (used in shared-client) no longer carries a polyfill for browser b64 functions which it uses
+// react native JS built-ins does not include these functions, so we need to provide implementation
+// see https://github.com/facebook/hermes/issues/1178 for updates
+const b64_polyfill = () => {
+  if (!global.btoa) {
+    global.btoa = encode;
+  }
+
+  if (!global.atob) {
+    global.atob = decode;
+  }
+};
+
+b64_polyfill();