Support passing agent option in fetch for proxy use cases (with Next.js fetch layer)

[jdladiana86]

Summary

Currently, Next.js overrides the global fetch implementation to add caching, revalidation, and streaming support. However, this fetch layer does not allow passing an agent option, which is necessary when working with proxy agents (e.g. https-proxy-agent) in some environments.

This makes it impossible to use Next.js's enhanced fetch and proxy HTTP requests at the same time.

Why it's needed

I have a real-world use case where:

• I need to fetch external APIs via a proxy (e.g. corporate proxy or VPN)
• I also want to benefit from fetch caching features (next.revalidate, deduplication, etc.)

At the moment, I’m forced to either:

• Use globalThis.fetch or node-fetch, which allows agent but loses Next.js features
• Or use Next.js fetch, but lose the ability to configure a proxy agent

This is a blocker for some production setups, especially in enterprise environments.

Suggested solution

It would be helpful to either:

1. Support the agent option directly (if possible)
2. Allow passing it via a custom next config key, e.g.:

await fetch('https://example.com', {
  next: {
    revalidate: 60,
    agent: new HttpsProxyAgent('http://example-proxy:8080')
  }
});

[raphahardt]

+1

I was searching for this. Another use case (my case) it is to use custom certificates, which some servers I need to fetch requires me to. Like so:

const agent = new https.Agent({
  cert: process.env.SOME_CERT,
  key: process.env.SOME_KEY,
});
await fetch("https://some-site.com", {
    next: {
        agent: agent,
    }
});

[internalG]

I also need the proxy support. Is there doc about nextjs fetch? I thought it was the native server fetch in nodejs...

[icyJoseph]

It is the native fetch, but AFAIK, the dispatcher option in fetch.options is not typed - so TS won't be happy about it. And you have to install undici.

import { Agent } from 'undici'

export default async function Page() {
  const response = await fetch('https://httpbin.dev/uuid', {
    dispatcher: new Agent({
      bodyTimeout: 1,
    }).compose((dispatch) => (opts, handler) => {
      console.count('HIT')
      return dispatch(opts, handler)
    }),
  })
  const uuid = await response.text()

  return <p>{uuid}</p>
}

This will count HIT every time you hit this page.

Source: https://undici.nodejs.org/#/docs/api/Dispatcher?id=example-1-basic-compose

[internalG]

Thanks. My current issue is I can't make the new NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY option to work on my nextjs project transparently like n8n. I have create below issue in nodejs but still wait for a solution.

nodejs/node#59439