diff --git a/.changeset/early-lions-occur.md b/.changeset/early-lions-occur.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cc3e53e925c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/early-lions-occur.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/adapter-vercel': patch
+---
+
+fix: ensure `read` works in an edge function that has deployment protection. Protection bypass automation must be enabled
diff --git a/packages/adapter-vercel/files/edge.js b/packages/adapter-vercel/files/edge.js
index e2b6301a004b..1a66bf2d8f9a 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-vercel/files/edge.js
+++ b/packages/adapter-vercel/files/edge.js
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ import { manifest } from 'MANIFEST';
 
 const server = new Server(manifest);
 
+/** @type {HeadersInit | undefined} */
+let read_headers;
+if (process.env.VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET) {
+	read_headers = {
+		'x-vercel-protection-bypass': process.env.VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET
+	};
+}
+
 /**
  * We don't know the origin until we receive a request, but
  * that's guaranteed to happen before we call `read`
@@ -15,10 +23,19 @@ let origin;
 const initialized = server.init({
 	env: /** @type {Record<string, string>} */ (process.env),
 	read: async (file) => {
-		const response = await fetch(`${origin}/${file}`);
+		const url = `${origin}/${file}`;
+		const response = await fetch(url, {
+			// we need to add a bypass header if the user has deployment protection enabled
+			// see https://vercel.com/docs/deployment-protection/methods-to-bypass-deployment-protection/protection-bypass-automation
+			headers: read_headers
+		});
+
+		// TODO: if the user hasn't enabled protection bypass for automation we should probably tell them to do so but only if deployment protection is enabled
+
 		if (!response.ok) {
-			throw new Error(`Failed to fetch ${file}: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
+			throw new Error(`Failed to fetch ${url}: ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`);
 		}
+
 		return response.body;
 	}
 });