diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 6cf6f0c4..d26a3e36 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
         "symfony/console": "^6.2|^7.0"
     },
     "require-dev": {
+        "guzzlehttp/guzzle": "^7.2",
         "roave/security-advisories": "dev-master",
         "orchestra/testbench": "^8.0|^9.2|^10.0",
         "mockery/mockery": "^1.3.3",
diff --git a/config/inertia.php b/config/inertia.php
index bab52f25..d79657b9 100644
--- a/config/inertia.php
+++ b/config/inertia.php
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
         'url' => env('INERTIA_SSR_URL', 'http://127.0.0.1:13714'),
 
+        'dispatch_without_bundle' => (bool) env('INERTIA_SSR_DISPATCH_WITHOUT_BUNDLE', false),
+
         // 'bundle' => base_path('bootstrap/ssr/ssr.mjs'),
 
     ],
diff --git a/src/Ssr/HttpGateway.php b/src/Ssr/HttpGateway.php
index 9f777454..9eadb09b 100644
--- a/src/Ssr/HttpGateway.php
+++ b/src/Ssr/HttpGateway.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace Inertia\Ssr;
 
 use Exception;
+use Illuminate\Http\Client\StrayRequestException;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
 
 class HttpGateway implements Gateway
@@ -12,15 +13,25 @@ class HttpGateway implements Gateway
      */
     public function dispatch(array $page): ?Response
     {
-        if (! config('inertia.ssr.enabled', true) || ! (new BundleDetector)->detect()) {
+        if (! config('inertia.ssr.enabled', true)) {
             return null;
         }
 
-        $url = str_replace('/render', '', rtrim(config('inertia.ssr.url', 'http://127.0.0.1:13714'), '/')).'/render';
+        if (! $this->shouldDispatchWithoutBundle() && ! $this->bundleExists()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (! $url = $this->getHttpUrl()) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
         try {
             $response = Http::post($url, $page)->throw()->json();
         } catch (Exception $e) {
+            if ($e instanceof StrayRequestException) {
+                throw $e;
+            }
+
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -33,4 +44,28 @@ public function dispatch(array $page): ?Response
             $response['body']
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Determine if dispatch should proceed even if no bundle is detected.
+     */
+    protected function shouldDispatchWithoutBundle(): bool
+    {
+        return config('inertia.ssr.dispatch_without_bundle', false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if an SSR bundle exists.
+     */
+    protected function bundleExists(): bool
+    {
+        return (new BundleDetector)->detect() !== null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the SSR URL from the configuration, ensuring it ends with '/render'.
+     */
+    public function getHttpUrl(): ?string
+    {
+        return str_replace('/render', '', rtrim(config('inertia.ssr.url', 'http://127.0.0.1:13714'), '/')).'/render';
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/DirectiveTest.php b/tests/DirectiveTest.php
index f1afdd07..f07dad69 100644
--- a/tests/DirectiveTest.php
+++ b/tests/DirectiveTest.php
@@ -27,11 +27,6 @@ class DirectiveTest extends TestCase
      */
     protected $compiler;
 
-    /**
-     * Example Page Objects.
-     */
-    protected const EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT = ['component' => 'Foo/Bar', 'props' => ['foo' => 'bar'], 'url' => '/test', 'version' => '', 'encryptHistory' => false, 'clearHistory' => false];
-
     protected function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();
diff --git a/tests/HttpGatewayTest.php b/tests/HttpGatewayTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a80af616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/HttpGatewayTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Inertia\Tests;
+
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
+use Inertia\Ssr\HttpGateway;
+
+class HttpGatewayTest extends TestCase
+{
+    protected HttpGateway $gateway;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        $this->gateway = new HttpGateway;
+
+        Http::preventStrayRequests();
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_returns_null_when_ssr_is_disabled()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => false,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => __DIR__.'/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js',
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT]));
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_returns_null_when_no_bundle_file_is_detected()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => null,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT]));
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_uses_the_configured_http_url_when_the_bundle_file_is_detected()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => __DIR__.'/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js',
+        ]);
+
+        Http::fake([
+            $this->gateway->getHttpUrl() => Http::response(json_encode([
+                'head' => ['<title>SSR Test</title>', '<style></style>'],
+                'body' => '<div id="app">SSR Response</div>',
+            ])),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNotNull(
+            $response = $this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT])
+        );
+
+        $this->assertEquals("<title>SSR Test</title>\n<style></style>", $response->head);
+        $this->assertEquals('<div id="app">SSR Response</div>', $response->body);
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_uses_the_configured_http_url__when_bundle_file_detection_is_disabled()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.dispatch_without_bundle' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => null,
+        ]);
+
+        Http::fake([
+            $this->gateway->getHttpUrl() => Http::response(json_encode([
+                'head' => ['<title>SSR Test</title>', '<style></style>'],
+                'body' => '<div id="app">SSR Response</div>',
+            ])),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNotNull(
+            $response = $this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT])
+        );
+
+        $this->assertEquals("<title>SSR Test</title>\n<style></style>", $response->head);
+        $this->assertEquals('<div id="app">SSR Response</div>', $response->body);
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_returns_null_when_the_http_request_fails()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => __DIR__.'/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js',
+        ]);
+
+        Http::fake([
+            $this->gateway->getHttpUrl() => Http::response(null, 500),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT]));
+    }
+
+    public function test_it_returns_null_when_invalid_json_is_returned()
+    {
+        config([
+            'inertia.ssr.enabled' => true,
+            'inertia.ssr.bundle' => __DIR__.'/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js',
+        ]);
+
+        Http::fake([
+            $this->gateway->getHttpUrl() => Http::response('invalid json'),
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->gateway->dispatch(['page' => self::EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT]));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js b/tests/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d60d4f8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Stubs/ssr-bundle.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+console.log("This is a stub for SSR bundle.");
diff --git a/tests/TestCase.php b/tests/TestCase.php
index 0586c719..a4e286a7 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase.php
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
 
 abstract class TestCase extends Orchestra
 {
+    /**
+     * Example Page Objects.
+     */
+    protected const EXAMPLE_PAGE_OBJECT = ['component' => 'Foo/Bar', 'props' => ['foo' => 'bar'], 'url' => '/test', 'version' => '', 'encryptHistory' => false, 'clearHistory' => false];
+
     protected function getPackageProviders($app): array
     {
         return [