Self-hosting Next.js 15 (App Router + Turborepo) without full monorepo dependencies

[girishcx07]

Hello team,

I am trying to self-host a Next.js 15 application (using the App Router) on my own NGINX-based server as per my organization’s requirements. The project is part of a Turborepo monorepo that includes multiple packages (shared UI, utilities, etc.).

In my setup, I only want to deploy the production build of a single app (apps/evm) — not the entire monorepo. The goal is to host only the compiled bundle (similar to how React standalone builds work) and avoid shipping all workspace sources, package.json files, or other package directories to production.

However, I am facing the following issues:

1. The standalone build (.next/standalone) still references local workspace packages (@workspace/*).

2. When I move the .next/standalone folder outside the monorepo and run node server.js, I get errors such as:

   Error: Cannot find module 'next'
   Error: Cannot find module 'next/dist/shared/lib/no-fallback-error.external'
   

3. Even after installing next, react, and react-dom inside the standalone folder, runtime errors persist — apparently due to internal references (next/dist/*) that expect the monorepo structure.

4. The app works fine in development and even when run directly from the monorepo after a production build, but crashes when the standalone folder is moved.

I have already:

• Enabled the output: 'standalone' option in next.config.mjs.
• Copied .env, .next/standalone, and public/ to my target folder.
• Tried running pnpm install --prod inside standalone.
• Removed workspace dependencies from package.json.

Despite that, the standalone build still seems to depend on the full workspace context.

---

❓ My Question

What is the recommended way to fully self-host a Next.js 15 App Router app from a Turborepo, without deploying the entire monorepo?

• Is there a way to make the standalone build fully self-contained, bundling all necessary workspace dependencies and internal Next.js runtime files?
• Or is the current standalone mode not designed for this kind of monorepo setup with App Router?

---

⚙️ Environment

• Next.js: 15.2.3
• React: 19 (modular build enabled)
• Monorepo: Turborepo with @workspace/* shared packages
• Server: NGINX reverse proxy + Node.js (v23)
• Build target: App Router + Standalone output
• Goal: Deploy a minimal bundle (.next/standalone, .env, and public/) without full monorepo

---

💡 Expectation

Ideally, node server.js from the .next/standalone folder should run successfully without needing any monorepo source or workspace dependencies — just like a fully portable production bundle.

next.config.mjs

import path from "path";
import { fileURLToPath } from "url";

const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);

/** @type {import('next').NextConfig} */
const nextConfig = {
  transpilePackages: [
    "@workspace/ui",
    "@workspace/common-ui",
    "@workspace/orpc",
  ],
  output: "standalone",
  outputFileTracingRoot: __dirname,
  experimental: {
    reactCompiler: true,
    serverActions: {
      bodySizeLimit: "10mb",
    },
    optimizePackageImports: ["@workspace/common-ui"],
    authInterrupts: true,
  },
  images: {
    domains: [
      "example.com"
    ],
    remotePatterns: [
      {
        protocol: "https",
        hostname: "**.example.com",
      },
    ],
  },
};

export default nextConfig;

[ahuaiqom]

Hi @girishcx07 👋

Short answer: You can deploy a single Next.js app from a Turborepo without the whole monorepo, but you must (1) build with output: 'standalone' and a correct outputFileTracingRoot (the workspace root), and (2) run the generated server from .next/standalone without reinstalling packages or using a custom server.js that calls require('next').
If you need a fully pruned set of sources/deps, use turbo prune.

✅ Correct build settings (monorepo)
// apps/evm/next.config.mjs
import path from "node:path";
import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);

export default /** @type {import('next').NextConfig} / ({
output: "standalone",
// IMPORTANT: point to the monorepo root so file tracing can pull workspace deps
outputFileTracingRoot: path.join(__dirname, "../../"), // adjust depth to your root
transpilePackages: ["@workspace/ui", "@workspace/common-ui", "@workspace/orpc"],
experimental: { / your flags */ },
});

outputFileTracingRoot must be the repo root, not the app dir, so Next can copy anything your app imports from @workspace/* into .next/standalone/node_modules.

🚀 Deploy steps (no full monorepo)

On CI/build machine (inside apps/evm):

pnpm build # produces .next/standalone and .next/static

Copy to the server (only what you need):

apps/evm/.next/standalone/
apps/evm/.next/static/
apps/evm/public/
apps/evm/.env # if used

On the server:

Do NOT run "pnpm install" here; .next/standalone already contains the traced node_modules.
cd /deploy/evm/.next/standalone
NODE_ENV=production PORT=3000 node server.js

Use the generated .next/standalone/server.js. If you run your own custom server.js that calls require('next'), you’ll hit Cannot find module 'next'—standalone doesn’t need next at runtime.

🧩 Why you saw Cannot find module 'next'

Moved the folder then re-installed: running pnpm install --prod inside .next/standalone can break the traced node_modules. Don’t install there.

Custom server: any require('next') or import from next/dist/* bypasses standalone. Use the generated server.js.

Tracing root: if outputFileTracingRoot wasn’t the monorepo root, Next couldn’t copy @workspace/* deps, so the standalone folder referenced packages that weren’t included.

🧵 If you want an even smaller artifact (sources pruned)

Use turbo prune to produce the minimal subset for apps/evm, then build/deploy that subset:

from repo root
turbo prune --scope=apps/evm --docker out
cd out
pnpm install --prod
pnpm --filter apps/evm build
deploy out/apps/evm/.next/standalone + .next/static + public

This keeps only the transitive deps needed by apps/evm.