This is a minimal Next.js + Clerk.dev setup to reproduce an issue related to Next middleware and Clerk authentication.

Repro Steps

• Check out the repository
• Create a fresh Clerk development instance w/ only email verification code auth enabled
• Add Clerk credentials (NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY and CLERK_SECRET_KEY) to .env.local from Clerk "API Keys" page
• npm install
• npm run build
• npm run start
• Open URL in fresh incognito window
• Observe logged-out state with a link to protected page
• Click on either "Sign Up" link
• Sign up with a Clerk test email (https://clerk.dev/docs/testing/e2e-testing#how-to-use-test-mode)
• Observe redirect back to homepage
• Click "Protected Page"
• Observe redirect thru sign in page and back to home page
• Hard refresh the page
• Click "Protected Page"
• Observe it loads