diff --git a/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-server.ts b/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-server.ts
index 1739d21bc51121..20aab194b29523 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-server.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-server.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import { getNextPathnameInfo } from '../../shared/lib/router/utils/get-next-path
 import { getHostname } from '../../shared/lib/get-hostname'
 import { detectDomainLocale } from '../../shared/lib/i18n/detect-domain-locale'
 import { normalizedAssetPrefix } from '../../shared/lib/normalized-asset-prefix'
+import { filterInternalHeaders } from './server-ipc/utils'
 
 const debug = setupDebug('next:router-server:main')
 const isNextFont = (pathname: string | null) =>
@@ -149,6 +150,11 @@ export async function initialize(opts: {
     require('./render-server') as typeof import('./render-server')
 
   const requestHandlerImpl: WorkerRequestHandler = async (req, res) => {
+    // internal headers should not be honored by the request handler
+    if (!process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS) {
+      filterInternalHeaders(req.headers)
+    }
+
     if (
       !opts.minimalMode &&
       config.i18n &&
diff --git a/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-utils/resolve-routes.ts b/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-utils/resolve-routes.ts
index a57d6abfae6f7c..71201e71086dab 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-utils/resolve-routes.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/server/lib/router-utils/resolve-routes.ts
@@ -589,6 +589,14 @@ export function getResolveRoutes(
               ) {
                 continue
               }
+
+              // for set-cookie, the header shouldn't be added to the response
+              // as it's only needed for the request to the middleware function.
+              if (key === 'x-middleware-set-cookie') {
+                req.headers[key] = value
+                continue
+              }
+
               if (value) {
                 resHeaders[key] = value
                 req.headers[key] = value
diff --git a/packages/next/src/server/lib/server-ipc/utils.ts b/packages/next/src/server/lib/server-ipc/utils.ts
index 3c09bf476b8d7f..09dee95773625d 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/server/lib/server-ipc/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/server/lib/server-ipc/utils.ts
@@ -36,3 +36,26 @@ export const filterReqHeaders = (
   }
   return headers as Record<string, undefined | string | string[]>
 }
+
+// These are headers that are only used internally and should
+// not be honored from the external request
+const INTERNAL_HEADERS = [
+  'x-middleware-rewrite',
+  'x-middleware-redirect',
+  'x-middleware-set-cookie',
+  'x-middleware-skip',
+  'x-middleware-override-headers',
+  'x-middleware-next',
+  'x-now-route-matches',
+  'x-matched-path',
+]
+
+export const filterInternalHeaders = (
+  headers: Record<string, undefined | string | string[]>
+) => {
+  for (const header in headers) {
+    if (INTERNAL_HEADERS.includes(header)) {
+      delete headers[header]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/next/src/server/send-response.ts b/packages/next/src/server/send-response.ts
index 20dd088b788bb8..98ca7e42d7d405 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/server/send-response.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/server/send-response.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ export async function sendResponse(
 
     // Copy over the response headers.
     response.headers?.forEach((value, name) => {
+      // `x-middleware-set-cookie` is an internal header not needed for the response
+      if (name.toLowerCase() === 'x-middleware-set-cookie') {
+        return
+      }
+
       // The append handling is special cased for `set-cookie`.
       if (name.toLowerCase() === 'set-cookie') {
         // TODO: (wyattjoh) replace with native response iteration when we can upgrade undici
diff --git a/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app-middleware.test.ts b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app-middleware.test.ts
index 77e7e8bca5e719..b06d95ffa45c23 100644
--- a/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app-middleware.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app-middleware.test.ts
@@ -174,6 +174,18 @@ createNextDescribe(
       await browser.deleteCookies()
     })
 
+    it('should omit internal headers for middleware cookies', async () => {
+      const response = await next.fetch('/rsc-cookies/cookie-options')
+      expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(response.headers.get('x-middleware-set-cookie')).toBeNull()
+
+      const response2 = await next.fetch('/cookies/api')
+      expect(response2.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(response2.headers.get('x-middleware-set-cookie')).toBeNull()
+      expect(response2.headers.get('set-cookie')).toBeDefined()
+      expect(response2.headers.get('set-cookie')).toContain('example')
+    })
+
     it('should respect cookie options of merged middleware cookies', async () => {
       const browser = await next.browser('/rsc-cookies/cookie-options')
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/api/route.js b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/api/route.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..598c70f384dac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/api/route.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
+
+export function GET() {
+  const response = new NextResponse()
+  response.cookies.set({
+    name: 'example',
+    value: 'example',
+  })
+
+  return response
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/page.js b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/page.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cdcfe3addce7f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/app-dir/app-middleware/app/cookies/page.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import { cookies } from 'next/headers'
+
+export default async function Page() {
+  const cookieLength = (await cookies()).size
+  return <div id="cookies">cookies: {cookieLength}</div>
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/required-server-files-ssr-404/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/required-server-files-ssr-404/test/index.test.js
index ca216733c9316e..9821c589ea4b90 100644
--- a/test/integration/required-server-files-ssr-404/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/required-server-files-ssr-404/test/index.test.js
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ describe('Required Server Files', () => {
         }
         await fs.rename(join(appDir, 'pages'), join(appDir, 'pages-bak'))
 
+        process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
         nextApp = nextServer({
           conf: {},
           dir: appDir,
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ describe('Required Server Files', () => {
         console.log(`Listening at ::${appPort}`)
       })
       afterAll(async () => {
+        delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
         if (server) server.close()
         await fs.rename(join(appDir, 'pages-bak'), join(appDir, 'pages'))
       })
diff --git a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-app.test.ts b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-app.test.ts
index 0860282fb7cf1e..bd7073378fa483 100644
--- a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-app.test.ts
+++ b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-app.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ describe('required server files app router', () => {
   }) => {
     // test build against environment with next support
     process.env.NOW_BUILDER = nextEnv ? '1' : ''
+    process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
 
     next = await createNext({
       files: {
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ describe('required server files app router', () => {
     await setupNext({ nextEnv: true, minimalMode: true })
   })
   afterAll(async () => {
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
     await next.destroy()
     if (server) await killApp(server)
   })
diff --git a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-i18n.test.ts b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-i18n.test.ts
index b99348c6899053..9341b75bad517e 100644
--- a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-i18n.test.ts
+++ b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-i18n.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ describe('required server files i18n', () => {
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
     let wasmPkgIsAvailable = false
+    process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
 
     const res = await nodeFetch(
       `https://registry.npmjs.com/@next/swc-wasm-nodejs/-/swc-wasm-nodejs-${
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ describe('required server files i18n', () => {
     )
   })
   afterAll(async () => {
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
     await next.destroy()
     if (server) await killApp(server)
   })
diff --git a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-ppr.test.ts b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-ppr.test.ts
index e125319491f63c..6ab257ba885378 100644
--- a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-ppr.test.ts
+++ b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files-ppr.test.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ describe('required server files app router', () => {
   }) => {
     // test build against environment with next support
     process.env.NOW_BUILDER = nextEnv ? '1' : ''
+    process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
 
     next = await createNext({
       files: {
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ describe('required server files app router', () => {
     await setupNext({ nextEnv: true, minimalMode: true })
   })
   afterAll(async () => {
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
     await next.destroy()
     if (server) await killApp(server)
   })
diff --git a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files.test.ts b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files.test.ts
index 2d8c58fdee4126..6d2ad6c53d5e4f 100644
--- a/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files.test.ts
+++ b/test/production/standalone-mode/required-server-files/required-server-files.test.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ describe('required server files', () => {
   }) => {
     // test build against environment with next support
     process.env.NOW_BUILDER = nextEnv ? '1' : ''
+    process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
 
     next = await createNext({
       files: {
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ describe('required server files', () => {
     await setupNext({ nextEnv: true, minimalMode: true })
   })
   afterAll(async () => {
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
     await next.destroy()
     if (server) await killApp(server)
   })
diff --git a/test/production/standalone-mode/response-cache/index.test.ts b/test/production/standalone-mode/response-cache/index.test.ts
index 5f962bf3749996..003c21afca7cff 100644
--- a/test/production/standalone-mode/response-cache/index.test.ts
+++ b/test/production/standalone-mode/response-cache/index.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ describe('minimal-mode-response-cache', () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     // test build against environment with next support
     process.env.NOW_BUILDER = '1'
+    process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS = '1'
 
     next = await createNext({
       files: new FileRef(join(__dirname, 'app')),
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ describe('minimal-mode-response-cache', () => {
     appPort = `http://127.0.0.1:${port}`
   })
   afterAll(async () => {
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PRIVATE_TEST_HEADERS
     await next.destroy()
     if (server) await killApp(server)
   })