diff --git a/.changeset/angry-cougars-tap.md b/.changeset/angry-cougars-tap.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3d99a871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/angry-cougars-tap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@opennextjs/aws": patch
+---
+
+fix(middleware): always compiles the middleware.
+
+Prior to this PR the middleware would only be compiled when a middleware.ts exists.
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/README.md b/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/README.md
index 324cf3737..ebc4a1f2f 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/README.md
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/README.md
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-### Known issues
+# Known issues
 
-Do not include `types` in #override and #imports, as esbuild will remove preceeding comments (ie it removes //#override id)when it builds.
+Do not include `types` in #override and #imports, as esbuild will remove preceding comments (ie it removes //#override id)when it builds.
 
 Instead, put the `import type` outside like:
 
-```
+```ts
 import type { PluginHandler } from "../next-types.js";
 import type { IncomingMessage } from "../request.js";
 import type { ServerResponse } from "../response.js";
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/without-routing/requestHandler.ts b/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/without-routing/requestHandler.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 834a05aec..000000000
--- a/packages/open-next/src/adapters/plugins/without-routing/requestHandler.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-/* eslint-disable unused-imports/no-unused-vars */
-import type { InternalEvent } from "types/open-next";
-
-import type { MiddlewareOutputEvent } from "../../../core/routingHandler";
-// This is available in requestHandler.ts
-declare const internalEvent: InternalEvent;
-
-//#override withRouting
-const preprocessResult: MiddlewareOutputEvent = {
-  internalEvent: internalEvent,
-  isExternalRewrite: false,
-  origin: false,
-  isISR: false,
-};
-//#endOverride
-
-// We need to export something otherwise when compiled in js it creates an empty export {} inside the override
-export default {};
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/build/createMiddleware.ts b/packages/open-next/src/build/createMiddleware.ts
index bfa845cf5..2271b0af4 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/build/createMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/build/createMiddleware.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 
 import logger from "../logger.js";
-import { type MiddlewareManifest } from "../types/next-types.js";
+import {
+  type MiddlewareInfo,
+  type MiddlewareManifest,
+} from "../types/next-types.js";
 import { buildEdgeBundle } from "./edge/createEdgeBundle.js";
 import * as buildHelper from "./helper.js";
 import { installDependencies } from "./installDeps.js";
@@ -11,7 +14,6 @@ import { installDependencies } from "./installDeps.js";
  * Compiles the middleware bundle.
  *
  * @param options Build Options.
- * @returns Whether the app uses a Middleware.
  */
 export async function createMiddleware(options: buildHelper.BuildOptions) {
   logger.info(`Bundling middleware function...`);
@@ -26,15 +28,9 @@ export async function createMiddleware(options: buildHelper.BuildOptions) {
     ),
   ) as MiddlewareManifest;
 
-  const entry = middlewareManifest.middleware["/"];
-  if (!entry) {
-    return { useMiddleware: false };
-  }
-
-  const commonMiddlewareOptions = {
-    middlewareInfo: entry,
-    options,
-  };
+  const middlewareInfo = middlewareManifest.middleware["/"] as
+    | MiddlewareInfo
+    | undefined;
 
   if (config.middleware?.external) {
     const outputPath = path.join(outputDir, "middleware");
@@ -55,7 +51,8 @@ export async function createMiddleware(options: buildHelper.BuildOptions) {
         "middleware.js",
       ),
       outfile: path.join(outputPath, "handler.mjs"),
-      ...commonMiddlewareOptions,
+      middlewareInfo,
+      options,
       overrides: config.middleware?.override,
       defaultConverter: "aws-cloudfront",
       includeCache: config.dangerous?.enableCacheInterception,
@@ -71,10 +68,9 @@ export async function createMiddleware(options: buildHelper.BuildOptions) {
         "edgeFunctionHandler.js",
       ),
       outfile: path.join(options.buildDir, "middleware.mjs"),
-      ...commonMiddlewareOptions,
+      middlewareInfo,
+      options,
       onlyBuildOnce: true,
     });
   }
-
-  return { useMiddleware: true };
 }
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/build/createServerBundle.ts b/packages/open-next/src/build/createServerBundle.ts
index 29e33a05d..3590de236 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/build/createServerBundle.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/build/createServerBundle.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
-import { createRequire } from "node:module";
 import path from "node:path";
 
 import type { FunctionOptions, SplittedFunctionOptions } from "types/open-next";
@@ -15,8 +14,6 @@ import { generateEdgeBundle } from "./edge/createEdgeBundle.js";
 import * as buildHelper from "./helper.js";
 import { installDependencies } from "./installDeps.js";
 
-const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
-
 export async function createServerBundle(options: buildHelper.BuildOptions) {
   const { config } = options;
   const foundRoutes = new Set<string>();
@@ -146,10 +143,7 @@ async function generateBundle(
   }
 
   // Copy middleware
-  if (
-    !config.middleware?.external &&
-    fs.existsSync(path.join(options.buildDir, "middleware.mjs"))
-  ) {
+  if (!config.middleware?.external) {
     fs.copyFileSync(
       path.join(options.buildDir, "middleware.mjs"),
       path.join(outputPath, packagePath, "middleware.mjs"),
@@ -191,18 +185,15 @@ async function generateBundle(
     buildHelper.compareSemver(options.nextVersion, "14.0.4") >= 0;
 
   const disableRouting = isBefore13413 || config.middleware?.external;
+
   const plugins = [
     openNextReplacementPlugin({
       name: `requestHandlerOverride ${name}`,
       target: /core(\/|\\)requestHandler\.js/g,
-      deletes: disableNextPrebundledReact ? ["applyNextjsPrebundledReact"] : [],
-      replacements: disableRouting
-        ? [
-            require.resolve(
-              "../adapters/plugins/without-routing/requestHandler.js",
-            ),
-          ]
-        : [],
+      deletes: [
+        ...(disableNextPrebundledReact ? ["applyNextjsPrebundledReact"] : []),
+        ...(disableRouting ? ["withRouting"] : []),
+      ],
     }),
     openNextReplacementPlugin({
       name: `utilOverride ${name}`,
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/build/edge/createEdgeBundle.ts b/packages/open-next/src/build/edge/createEdgeBundle.ts
index dd9b7d19a..255f15b1d 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/build/edge/createEdgeBundle.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/build/edge/createEdgeBundle.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import type { BuildOptions } from "../helper.js";
 import { copyOpenNextConfig, esbuildAsync } from "../helper.js";
 
 interface BuildEdgeBundleOptions {
-  middlewareInfo: MiddlewareInfo;
+  middlewareInfo?: MiddlewareInfo;
   entrypoint: string;
   outfile: string;
   options: BuildOptions;
@@ -158,8 +158,6 @@ globalThis.AsyncLocalStorage = AsyncLocalStorage;
   }
 }
 
-export function copyMiddlewareAssetsAndWasm({}) {}
-
 export async function generateEdgeBundle(
   name: string,
   options: BuildOptions,
@@ -191,10 +189,10 @@ export async function generateEdgeBundle(
   if (functions.length > 1) {
     throw new Error("Only one function is supported for now");
   }
-  const fn = functions[0];
+  const middlewareInfo = functions[0];
 
   //Copy wasm files
-  const wasmFiles = fn.wasm;
+  const wasmFiles = middlewareInfo.wasm;
   mkdirSync(path.join(outputPath, "wasm"), { recursive: true });
   for (const wasmFile of wasmFiles) {
     fs.copyFileSync(
@@ -204,7 +202,7 @@ export async function generateEdgeBundle(
   }
 
   // Copy assets
-  const assets = fn.assets;
+  const assets = middlewareInfo.assets;
   mkdirSync(path.join(outputPath, "assets"), { recursive: true });
   for (const asset of assets) {
     fs.copyFileSync(
@@ -214,7 +212,7 @@ export async function generateEdgeBundle(
   }
 
   await buildEdgeBundle({
-    middlewareInfo: fn,
+    middlewareInfo,
     entrypoint: path.join(
       options.openNextDistDir,
       "adapters",
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/core/requestHandler.ts b/packages/open-next/src/core/requestHandler.ts
index f255c5e35..8d1758ae9 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/core/requestHandler.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/core/requestHandler.ts
@@ -31,13 +31,14 @@ export async function openNextHandler(
   }
   debug("internalEvent", internalEvent);
 
-  //#override withRouting
   let preprocessResult: InternalResult | MiddlewareOutputEvent = {
     internalEvent: internalEvent,
     isExternalRewrite: false,
     origin: false,
     isISR: false,
   };
+
+  //#override withRouting
   try {
     preprocessResult = await routingHandler(internalEvent);
   } catch (e) {
diff --git a/packages/open-next/src/plugins/edge.ts b/packages/open-next/src/plugins/edge.ts
index 6a87b6108..fb8ab805c 100644
--- a/packages/open-next/src/plugins/edge.ts
+++ b/packages/open-next/src/plugins/edge.ts
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ import {
 export interface IPluginSettings {
   nextDir: string;
   edgeFunctionHandlerPath?: string;
-  middlewareInfo: MiddlewareInfo;
+  middlewareInfo?: MiddlewareInfo;
   isInCloudfare?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
  * @param opts.nextDir - The path to the .next directory
  * @param opts.edgeFunctionHandlerPath - The path to the edgeFunctionHandler.js file that we'll use to bundle the routing
- * @param opts.entryFiles - The entry files that we'll inject into the edgeFunctionHandler.js file
+ * @param opts.middlewareInfo - The entry files that we'll inject into the edgeFunctionHandler.js file
  * @returns
  */
 export function openNextEdgePlugins({
@@ -34,17 +34,19 @@ export function openNextEdgePlugins({
   middlewareInfo,
   isInCloudfare,
 }: IPluginSettings): Plugin {
-  const entryFiles = middlewareInfo.files.map((file: string) =>
-    path.join(nextDir, file),
-  );
-  const routes = [
-    {
-      name: middlewareInfo.name || "/",
-      page: middlewareInfo.page,
-      regex: middlewareInfo.matchers.map((m) => m.regexp),
-    },
-  ];
-  const wasmFiles = middlewareInfo.wasm ?? [];
+  const entryFiles =
+    middlewareInfo?.files.map((file: string) => path.join(nextDir, file)) ?? [];
+  const routes = middlewareInfo
+    ? [
+        {
+          name: middlewareInfo.name || "/",
+          page: middlewareInfo.page,
+          regex: middlewareInfo.matchers.map((m) => m.regexp),
+        },
+      ]
+    : [];
+  const wasmFiles = middlewareInfo?.wasm ?? [];
+
   return {
     name: "opennext-edge",
     setup(build) {
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ if(!globalThis.Crypto) {
   globalThis.Crypto = webcrypto.Crypto
 }
 // We also need to polyfill URLPattern
-if (!globalThis.URLPattern) { 
+if (!globalThis.URLPattern) {
   await import("urlpattern-polyfill");
 }
 `
@@ -146,8 +148,8 @@ ${wasmFiles
       : `const ${file.name} = readFileSync(path.join(__dirname,'/wasm/${file.name}.wasm'));`,
   )
   .join("\n")}
-${entryFiles?.map((file) => `require("${file}");`).join("\n")}
-${contents}        
+${entryFiles.map((file) => `require("${file}");`).join("\n")}
+${contents}
         `;
         return {
           contents,
@@ -166,18 +168,18 @@ ${contents}
 
         const contents = `
   import path from "path";
-  
+
   import { debug } from "../logger";
-  
+
   if(!globalThis.__dirname) {
     globalThis.__dirname = ""
   }
-  
+
   export const NEXT_DIR = path.join(__dirname, ".next");
   export const OPEN_NEXT_DIR = path.join(__dirname, ".open-next");
-  
+
   debug({ NEXT_DIR, OPEN_NEXT_DIR });
-  
+
   export const NextConfig = ${JSON.stringify(NextConfig)};
   export const BuildId = ${JSON.stringify(BuildId)};
   export const HtmlPages = ${JSON.stringify(HtmlPages)};
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ ${contents}
   export const MiddlewareManifest = ${JSON.stringify(MiddlewareManifest)};
 
   process.env.NEXT_BUILD_ID = BuildId;
-  
+
           `;
         return {
           contents,