How to make /dashboard behave like a true SPA in Next.js 15 App Router? RSC & streaming causing performance issues

[ganeshrvel]

Summary

I'm building a web app using Next.js 15 (App Router). My dashboard section (/dashboard, /dashboard/projects, /dashboard/projects/[id], etc.) has several nested routes. I hardly use any server actions, in fact none at all in the dashboard route.

Problem

Every time I navigate within the dashboard routes:

• New JS chunks are downloaded from the server
• Shimmer loaders show up
• The navigation isn't smooth, it feels like full-page reloads

All the components under /dashboard/ are marked with 'use client', and I have verified that no <Suspense> boundaries are being used. Still, I notice server streaming behavior and layout-level delays on every route transition.

This is causing poor performance. Ideally, the dashboard should:

• Load once (like a proper SPA)
• Use client-side routing only for all nested routes
• Avoid RSC calls or streaming entirely after the first load

What I’ve Tried

• ✅ 'use client' at all levels (layouts, pages, components), didn’t help
• ✅ Used a route group like (dashboard), didn’t help
• ✅ Used router.push() instead of <Link>, didn’t help
• ❌ export const dynamic = 'force-static', didn’t help

### Folder Structure

app/
  (dashboard)/
    layout.tsx          // 'use client'
    dashboard/
      layout.tsx        // 'use client'
      page.tsx          // 'use client'
      projects/
        layout.tsx      // 'use client'
        page.tsx        // 'use client'
        [projectId]/
          page.tsx      // 'use client'

What I’m Expecting

• The whole dashboard section should work like an SPA
• Initial dashboard page load fetches everything
• All navigation after that is fast, fully client-side
• No shimmer or streaming between route transitions

Questions

1. Is there a config or recommended pattern to fully disable RSC/streaming behavior for specific routes like /dashboard?
2. Is there any workaround or known setup to achieve full SPA behavior within the App Router?

Would appreciate any guidance or suggestions!

Additional information

No response

Example

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