Fixing 404 Errors for _next/static in Next.js Standalone Deployments

Fixing 404 Errors for _next/static in Next.js Standalone Deployments

By Errong Leng - January 06, 2026

Fixing 404 Errors for _next/static in Next.js Standalone Deployments

This is Part 4 of the series: Self-Hosting Next.js in Kubernetes (Without Vercel).

If your Next.js app works locally but returns 404 errors for /_next/static/* after deploying to Kubernetes or OpenShift, this post is for you.

This is the most common issue with Next.js standalone deployments.

The Symptom

After deployment, you may see:

Blank pages
Missing CSS or JavaScript
404 errors in browser dev tools for /_next/static/*

Yet the server itself is running fine.

Why This Happens

In standalone mode, Next.js:

Bundles the server into server.js
Includes only required Node.js dependencies
Does NOT automatically include static assets

That means:

.next/standalone exists
.next/static exists
But they are not wired together

On Vercel, this is handled for you. In Kubernetes, you must do it yourself.

How Standalone Mode Resolves Paths

When running in standalone mode, the server expects assets at:

.next/standalone/dist/apps/<app-name>/.next/static

But after build, static files are actually located at:

dist/apps/<app-name>/.next/static

If you don’t copy them, the server simply can’t find them.

The Fix: Copy Static Assets

After npm run build, copy the static assets manually:

cp -R dist/apps/example-web/.next/static \
  dist/apps/example-web/.next/standalone/dist/apps/example-web/.next/static

This single command resolves most /_next/static 404 errors.

Don’t Forget the Public Folder

If you use images, fonts, or files from /public, you must copy that folder as well:

cp -R dist/apps/example-web/public \
  dist/apps/example-web/.next/standalone/apps/example-web/public

Without this, routes like:

/favicon.ico
/images/*

will also return 404.

Common Mistakes

Assuming standalone includes static files automatically
Copying assets into the wrong directory
Using next start instead of server.js
Mounting volumes that overwrite the standalone folder

How to Verify Inside the Container

Exec into the running pod and check:

ls .next/standalone/dist/apps/example-web/.next/static

If the directory exists and contains files, your issue is resolved.

Why This Problem Rarely Appears on Vercel

Vercel hides this complexity by:

Managing file layout internally
Serving static assets via CDN
Abstracting runtime paths

When you self-host, you gain control — but you also take responsibility.

Series Progress

Self-Hosting Next.js in Kubernetes (Without Vercel)

Final Thoughts

If your Next.js standalone app shows 404s for static assets, the problem is almost never Kubernetes itself.

It’s a file layout issue — and once you understand it, the fix is simple and repeatable.

In the next post, we’ll cover how to manage environment variables, ConfigMaps, and Secrets witho

❤️ Support This Blog

If this post helped you, you can support my writing with a small donation. Thank you for reading.

Coffee ☕ Thanks 🙏 Extra Support ❤️

Comments