diff --git a/packages/start-client-core/src/createMiddleware.ts b/packages/start-client-core/src/createMiddleware.ts
index d204b37c84..a637c2dbb2 100644
--- a/packages/start-client-core/src/createMiddleware.ts
+++ b/packages/start-client-core/src/createMiddleware.ts
@@ -760,19 +760,27 @@ export type RequestServerNextFn<TRegister, TMiddlewares> = <
   TServerContext = undefined,
 >(
   options?: RequestServerNextFnOptions<TServerContext>,
-) => RequestMiddlewareServerFnResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>
+) => RequestServerNextFnResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>
 
 export interface RequestServerNextFnOptions<TServerContext> {
   context?: TServerContext
 }
 
+export type RequestServerNextFnResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext> =
+
+    | Promise<RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>>
+    | RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>
+
 export type RequestMiddlewareServerFnResult<
   TRegister,
   TMiddlewares,
   TServerContext,
 > =
-  | Promise<RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>>
+  | Promise<
+      RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext> | Response
+    >
   | RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext>
+  | Response
 
 export interface RequestServerResult<TRegister, TMiddlewares, TServerContext> {
   request: Request
diff --git a/packages/start-client-core/src/tests/createServerMiddleware.test-d.ts b/packages/start-client-core/src/tests/createServerMiddleware.test-d.ts
index 6e4fb8e27f..9759e39d06 100644
--- a/packages/start-client-core/src/tests/createServerMiddleware.test-d.ts
+++ b/packages/start-client-core/src/tests/createServerMiddleware.test-d.ts
@@ -741,3 +741,53 @@ test('createMiddleware with type request, middleware and context', () => {
       return result
     })
 })
+
+test('createMiddleware with type request can return Response directly', () => {
+  createMiddleware({ type: 'request' }).server(async (options) => {
+    expectTypeOf(options).toEqualTypeOf<{
+      request: Request
+      next: RequestServerNextFn<{}, undefined>
+      pathname: string
+      context: undefined
+    }>()
+
+    // Should be able to return a Response directly
+    if (Math.random() > 0.5) {
+      return new Response('Unauthorized', { status: 401 })
+    }
+
+    // Or return the result from next()
+    return options.next()
+  })
+})
+
+test('createMiddleware with type request can return Promise<Response>', () => {
+  createMiddleware({ type: 'request' }).server(async (options) => {
+    expectTypeOf(options).toEqualTypeOf<{
+      request: Request
+      next: RequestServerNextFn<{}, undefined>
+      pathname: string
+      context: undefined
+    }>()
+
+    // Should be able to return a Promise<Response>
+    return Promise.resolve(new Response('OK', { status: 200 }))
+  })
+})
+
+test('createMiddleware with type request can return sync Response', () => {
+  createMiddleware({ type: 'request' }).server((options) => {
+    expectTypeOf(options).toEqualTypeOf<{
+      request: Request
+      next: RequestServerNextFn<{}, undefined>
+      pathname: string
+      context: undefined
+    }>()
+
+    // Should be able to return a synchronous Response
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Not Found' }), {
+      status: 404,
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+    })
+  })
+})