Returning Response(null, { status: 404 }) from middleware makes astro dev hang

[itsmatteomanf]

Astro info

Astro version            v2.10.14
Package manager          pnpm
Platform                 darwin
Architecture             arm64
Adapter                  @astrojs/cloudflare
Integrations             @astrojs/tailwind

What browser are you using?

Safari, Chrome

Describe the Bug

If I try and return new Response(null, { status: 404 }) from the middleware (works in a page), the process astro dev hangs indefinitely, forcing a manual restart.

What's the expected result?

Returning the 404.astro page.

Link to Minimal Reproducible Example

https://stackblitz.com/edit/withastro-astro-issue-8257?file=src%2Fmiddleware.js

Participation

• I am willing to submit a pull request for this issue.

[lilnasy]

Couldn't reproduce, the dev server continues to serve requests and handle module updates as expected.

Could you check again?

[itsmatteomanf]

Stackblitz's example fails, too... Other than telling you that's the case, I have no idea how to test again, given it behaves like that to me (and even in the minimal example above). The page shows blank, while it should return the 404 page given what the middleware tells it to return.

[ematipico]

Is it possible that the middleware doesn't run?

[itsmatteomanf]

Is it possible that the middleware doesn't run?

I doubt that, given that if I put anything else in there it works just as well. Even returning new Response("hello", { status: 200 }) works. As soon as the status is set to 404 it hangs and never returns anything.

As I said above, putting the same in a page, not the middleware, works as expected when @natemoo-re suggested this solution on Discord.

[itsmatteomanf]

Adding that I am expecting to return the 404 page on a page that actually exists, so middleware should definitely run.
I'm pretty sure middleware runs even on routes that return 404, though.

[lilnasy]

404.astro wasn't there when I tested yesterday. I can confirm the issue now.

[itsmatteomanf]

Oh, I'm sure I added it... it might not have saved it and it did when I switched to that tab again after you posted.

I think it's not just in dev, it's in prod, too, @lilnasy.

[lilnasy]

Just tested by adding the node adapter to the repro, it works fine.

[ematipico]

I am going ahead and close the issue. This is a feature, and it requires some internal changes, which should also be reflected in the respective adapters.

One of our maintainers - @lilnasy - created a proposal that would solve this issue: withastro/roadmap#681

If you need it, please upvote it!

[itsmatteomanf]

This is a feature

I'm not sure it is, it's a bug for me, if that's the way it's recommended to do 404 from middleware now.
I worked around it, plus it's not a massive issue, but it's still a problem.

If you need it, please upvote it!

Done!