diff --git a/.changeset/weak-monkeys-approve.md b/.changeset/weak-monkeys-approve.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e30dbadde7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/weak-monkeys-approve.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/nextjs': patch
+---
+
+Avoid calling `safeParseClerkFile` before checking if keyless is allowed.
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/ClerkProvider.tsx b/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/ClerkProvider.tsx
index 7748f06fa6a..60983345579 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/ClerkProvider.tsx
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/ClerkProvider.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 import { PromisifiedAuthProvider } from '../../client-boundary/PromisifiedAuthProvider';
 import { getDynamicAuthData } from '../../server/buildClerkProps';
-import { safeParseClerkFile } from '../../server/keyless-node';
 import type { NextClerkProviderProps } from '../../types';
 import { canUseKeyless } from '../../utils/feature-flags';
 import { mergeNextClerkPropsWithEnv } from '../../utils/mergeNextClerkPropsWithEnv';
@@ -80,8 +79,16 @@ export async function ClerkProvider(
     </ClientClerkProvider>
   );
 
-  const runningWithClaimedKeys = propsWithEnvs.publishableKey === safeParseClerkFile()?.publishableKey;
-  const shouldRunAsKeyless = (!propsWithEnvs.publishableKey || runningWithClaimedKeys) && canUseKeyless;
+  let [shouldRunAsKeyless, runningWithClaimedKeys] = [false, false];
+  if (canUseKeyless) {
+    const locallyStorePublishableKey = await import('../../server/keyless-node.js')
+      .then(mod => mod.safeParseClerkFile()?.publishableKey)
+      .catch(() => undefined);
+
+    runningWithClaimedKeys =
+      Boolean(propsWithEnvs.publishableKey) && propsWithEnvs.publishableKey === locallyStorePublishableKey;
+    shouldRunAsKeyless = !propsWithEnvs.publishableKey || runningWithClaimedKeys;
+  }
 
   if (shouldRunAsKeyless) {
     // NOTE: Create or read keys on every render. Usually this means only on hard refresh or hard navigations.