diff --git a/src/compat.ts b/src/compat.ts
index 90e4e32264..83c4278382 100644
--- a/src/compat.ts
+++ b/src/compat.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ export default function nuxt2CompatModule () {
   // Disable server sourceMap, esbuild will generate for it.
   nuxt.hook('webpack:config', (webpackConfigs) => {
     const serverConfig = webpackConfigs.find(config => config.name === 'server')
-    serverConfig.devtool = false
+    if (serverConfig) {
+      serverConfig.devtool = false
+    }
   })
 
   // Nitro client plugin
diff --git a/src/context.ts b/src/context.ts
index d1da8901fc..66b58b7292 100644
--- a/src/context.ts
+++ b/src/context.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export interface NitroContext {
   _nuxt: {
     majorVersion: number
     dev: boolean
+    ssr: boolean
     rootDir: string
     srcDir: string
     buildDir: string
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ export function getNitroContext (nuxtOptions: NuxtOptions, input: NitroInput): N
     _nuxt: {
       majorVersion: nuxtOptions._majorVersion || 2,
       dev: nuxtOptions.dev,
+      ssr: nuxtOptions.ssr,
       rootDir: nuxtOptions.rootDir,
       srcDir: nuxtOptions.srcDir,
       buildDir: nuxtOptions.buildDir,
diff --git a/src/index.d.ts b/src/index.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69b9455c84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+declare module '#build/dist/server/client.manifest.mjs' {
+    type ClientManifest = any // TODO: export from vue-bundle-renderer
+    const clientManifest: ClientManifest
+    export default clientManifest
+}
+
+declare module '#build/dist/server/server.mjs' {
+    const _default: any
+    export default _default
+}
+
+declare module '#nitro-renderer' {
+    export const renderToString: Function
+}
diff --git a/src/package.json b/src/package.json
index b9ac34de1d..43d0a16147 100644
--- a/src/package.json
+++ b/src/package.json
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     "unstorage": "^0.2.3",
     "upath": "^2.0.1",
     "vue": "3.1.5",
-    "vue-bundle-renderer": "^0.2.5",
+    "vue-bundle-renderer": "^0.2.9",
     "vue-server-renderer": "^2.6.14"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/src/rollup/config.ts b/src/rollup/config.ts
index 2e75316587..96bf961de4 100644
--- a/src/rollup/config.ts
+++ b/src/rollup/config.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ export const getRollupConfig = (nitroContext: NitroContext) => {
       'global.': 'globalThis.',
       'process.server': 'true',
       'process.client': 'false',
+      'process.env.NUXT_NO_SSR': JSON.stringify(!nitroContext._nuxt.ssr),
       'process.env.ROUTER_BASE': JSON.stringify(nitroContext._nuxt.routerBase),
       'process.env.PUBLIC_PATH': JSON.stringify(nitroContext._nuxt.publicPath),
       'process.env.NUXT_STATIC_BASE': JSON.stringify(nitroContext._nuxt.staticAssets.base),
diff --git a/src/runtime/app/render.ts b/src/runtime/app/render.ts
index dc0b5b0be0..277d953635 100644
--- a/src/runtime/app/render.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/app/render.ts
@@ -4,27 +4,47 @@ import { runtimeConfig } from './config'
 // @ts-ignore
 import htmlTemplate from '#build/views/document.template.mjs'
 
-function _interopDefault (e) { return e && typeof e === 'object' && 'default' in e ? e.default : e }
-
 const STATIC_ASSETS_BASE = process.env.NUXT_STATIC_BASE + '/' + process.env.NUXT_STATIC_VERSION
+const NUXT_NO_SSR = process.env.NUXT_NO_SSR
 const PAYLOAD_JS = '/payload.js'
 
-let _renderer
-async function loadRenderer () {
-  if (_renderer) {
-    return _renderer
-  }
-  // @ts-ignore
+const getClientManifest = cachedImport(() => import('#build/dist/server/client.manifest.mjs'))
+const getSSRApp = cachedImport(() => import('#build/dist/server/server.mjs'))
+
+const getSSRRenderer = cachedResult(async () => {
+  // Load client manifest
+  const clientManifest = await getClientManifest()
+  if (!clientManifest) { throw new Error('client.manifest is missing') }
+  // Load server bundle
+  const createSSRApp = await getSSRApp()
+  if (!createSSRApp) { throw new Error('Server bundle is missing') }
+  // Create renderer
   const { renderToString } = await import('#nitro-renderer')
-  // @ts-ignore
-  const createApp = await import('#build/dist/server/server.mjs')
-  // @ts-ignore
-  const clientManifest = await import('#build/dist/server/client.manifest.mjs')
-  _renderer = createRenderer(_interopDefault(createApp), {
-    clientManifest: _interopDefault(clientManifest),
-    renderToString
+  return createRenderer((createSSRApp), { clientManifest, renderToString }).renderToString
+})
+
+const getSPARenderer = cachedResult(async () => {
+  const clientManifest = await getClientManifest()
+  return (ssrContext) => {
+    ssrContext.nuxt = {}
+    return {
+      html: '<div id="__nuxt"></div>',
+      renderResourceHints: () => '',
+      renderStyles: () => '',
+      renderScripts: () => clientManifest.initial.map((s) => {
+        const isMJS = !s.endsWith('.js')
+        return `<script ${isMJS ? 'type="module"' : ''} src="${clientManifest.publicPath}${s}"></script>`
+      }).join('')
+    }
+  }
+})
+
+function renderToString (ssrContext) {
+  const getRenderer = (NUXT_NO_SSR || ssrContext.noSSR) ? getSPARenderer : getSSRRenderer
+  return getRenderer().then(renderToString => renderToString(ssrContext)).catch((err) => {
+    console.warn('Server Side Rendering Error:', err)
+    return getSPARenderer().then(renderToString => renderToString(ssrContext))
   })
-  return _renderer
 }
 
 export async function renderMiddleware (req, res) {
@@ -37,15 +57,18 @@ export async function renderMiddleware (req, res) {
     url = url.substr(STATIC_ASSETS_BASE.length, url.length - STATIC_ASSETS_BASE.length - PAYLOAD_JS.length)
   }
 
+  // Initialize ssr context
   const ssrContext = {
     url,
     req,
     res,
     runtimeConfig,
+    noSSR: req.spa || req.headers['x-nuxt-no-ssr'],
     ...(req.context || {})
   }
-  const renderer = await loadRenderer()
-  const rendered = await renderer.renderToString(ssrContext)
+
+  // Render app
+  const rendered = await renderToString(ssrContext)
 
   // Handle errors
   if (ssrContext.error) {
@@ -107,3 +130,24 @@ async function renderHTML (payload, rendered, ssrContext) {
 function renderPayload (payload, url) {
   return `__NUXT_JSONP__("${url}", ${devalue(payload)})`
 }
+
+function _interopDefault (e) {
+  return e && typeof e === 'object' && 'default' in e ? e.default : e
+}
+
+function cachedImport <M> (importer: () => Promise<M>) {
+  return cachedResult(() => importer().then(_interopDefault).catch((err) => {
+    if (err.code === 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND') { return null }
+    throw err
+  }))
+}
+
+function cachedResult <T> (fn: () => Promise<T>): () => Promise<T> {
+  let res = null
+  return () => {
+    if (res === null) {
+      res = fn().catch((err) => { res = null; throw err })
+    }
+    return res
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/server/dev.ts b/src/server/dev.ts
index 2b856a54eb..ab047a8340 100644
--- a/src/server/dev.ts
+++ b/src/server/dev.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@ export function createDevServer (nitroContext: NitroContext) {
   const proxy = createProxy()
   app.use((req, res) => {
     if (workerAddress) {
+      // Workaround to pass legacy req.spa to proxy
+      // @ts-ignore
+      if (req.spa) {
+        req.headers['x-nuxt-no-ssr'] = 'true'
+      }
       proxy.web(req, res, { target: workerAddress }, (_err: unknown) => {
         // console.error('[proxy]', err)
       })