Link to the code that reproduces this issue

https://github.com/KumarNitin19/nextjs-prefetch-redirect-bug

To Reproduce

I'm running middleware that conditionally redirects based on a cookie value. The / route is protected and redirects to /process when the processingComplete cookie is not set.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Navigate to /process page (no cookie set)
2. Page renders with a sidebar containing <Link href="/">Dashboard</Link>
3. Next.js automatically prefetches the / route
4. Middleware evaluates and returns 307 redirect to /process (because cookie is false)
5. Click "Start Process" button which:
   • Performs async work (simulated 2 seconds)
   • Sets cookie: processingComplete=true
   • Calls router.push('/') to navigate to dashboard
6. Observe: User stuck on /process page, no navigation occurs

Live Demo (Vercel): https://nextjs-prefetch-redirect-bug.vercel.app/

Current vs. Expected behavior

Expected: When router.push('/') is called after the cookie changes:

• Fresh GET request should be made to /
• Middleware should re-evaluate with new cookie value
• Middleware should allow navigation (no redirect)
• User navigates to Dashboard

Current:

• No fresh request is made to /
• Router reuses the cached redirect from initial prefetch
• Middleware is never re-evaluated
• User stuck on /process page

The router appears to cache the redirect response from the prefetch and reuses it on router.push() without checking if the state has changed.

Provide environment information

Relevant Packages:

• next: 15.5.8 (also tested on 15.5.9, bug reproduces on both)
• react: 19.1.0
• react-dom: 19.1.0
• typescript: ^5

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Linking and Navigating, Middleware

Which stage(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Vercel (Deployed), Other (Deployed), next build (local)

Additional context

Workarounds:

1. Disable prefetch (works reliably): <Link href="/" prefetch={false}>Dashboard</Link>

2. Hard navigation (works reliably): window.location.href = '/';

3. Router refresh before push (unreliable):

router.refresh();
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
router.push('/');

Impact:

This affects any route where NextResponse.redirect() was previously returned by middleware. Once the redirect is cached from a prefetch, subsequent router.push() calls to that route will reuse the cached redirect without re-evaluating middleware logic, even if the application state has changed.

Common scenarios affected:

• Onboarding/signup flows with step-based redirects
• Authentication state transitions
• Feature flag-based routing