diff --git a/rita_client/src/rita_loop/mod.rs b/rita_client/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
index add60deb9..8b152c829 100644
--- a/rita_client/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
+++ b/rita_client/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ use althea_types::ExitState;
 use antenna_forwarding_client::start_antenna_forwarding_proxy;
 use rita_common::dashboard::interfaces::get_interfaces;
 use rita_common::dashboard::interfaces::InterfaceMode;
-use rita_common::rita_loop::set_gateway;
 use rita_common::tunnel_manager::tm_get_neighbors;
 use rita_common::usage_tracker::get_current_hour;
 use rita_common::usage_tracker::get_last_saved_usage_hour;
@@ -248,10 +247,6 @@ fn manage_gateway() {
     if let Some(external_nic) = settings::get_rita_common().network.external_nic {
         if is_iface_up(&external_nic).unwrap_or(false) {
             if let Ok(interfaces) = get_interfaces() {
-                info!("We are a Gateway");
-                // this flag is used to handle billing around the corner case
-                set_gateway(true);
-
                 // This is used to insert a route for each dns server in /etc/resolv.conf to override
                 // the wg_exit default route, this is needed for bootstrapping as a gateway can not
                 // resolve the exit ip addresses in order to perform peer discovery without these rules
diff --git a/rita_common/src/rita_loop/mod.rs b/rita_common/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
index 19bc40525..341ada1c6 100644
--- a/rita_common/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
+++ b/rita_common/src/rita_loop/mod.rs
@@ -5,36 +5,40 @@
 //! all system functions. Anything that blocks will eventually filter up to block this loop and
 //! halt essential functions like opening tunnels and managing peers
 
+use crate::dashboard::interfaces::get_interfaces;
+use crate::dashboard::interfaces::InterfaceMode;
 use crate::network_endpoints::*;
 use crate::traffic_watcher::init_traffic_watcher;
 use actix::System;
 use actix_web::{web, App, HttpServer};
+use althea_kernel_interface::ip_addr::is_iface_up;
 use rand::thread_rng;
 use rand::Rng;
-use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
-use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::thread;
 
 pub mod fast_loop;
 pub mod slow_loop;
 pub mod write_to_disk;
 
-lazy_static! {
-    /// keeps track of if this node is a gateway, specifically if this node
-    /// needs to perform the various edge case behaviors required to manage
-    /// peering out to exits over a WAN port. This includes DHCP lookups
-    /// in tunnel manager, where the gateway reaches out to it's manual peers
-    /// to create NAT punching tunnels to the exit and setting routes to prevent
-    /// exit traffic from going over the exit tunnel (which obviously doesn't work)
-    static ref IS_GATEWAY: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);
-}
-
+/// returns true if this node is a gateway, specifically if this node
+/// needs to perform the various edge case behaviors required to manage
+/// peering out to exits over a WAN port. This includes DHCP lookups
+/// in tunnel manager, where the gateway reaches out to it's manual peers
+/// to create NAT punching tunnels to the exit and setting routes to prevent
+/// exit traffic from going over the exit tunnel (which obviously doesn't work)
 pub fn is_gateway() -> bool {
-    IS_GATEWAY.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
-}
-
-pub fn set_gateway(input: bool) {
-    IS_GATEWAY.store(input, Ordering::Relaxed)
+    if let Some(external_nic) = settings::get_rita_common().network.external_nic {
+        if is_iface_up(&external_nic).unwrap_or(false) {
+            if let Ok(interfaces) = get_interfaces() {
+                if let Some(mode) = interfaces.get(&external_nic) {
+                    if matches!(mode, InterfaceMode::Wan | InterfaceMode::StaticWan { .. }) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    false
 }
 
 /// Checks the list of full nodes, panics if none exist, if there exist