diff --git a/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts b/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
index 2cae6262e1d6208c7a2e39c61bd17f4bdf101cfb..50704b0e8033a4cad49ff52df691445fb36b1568 100644
--- a/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
+++ b/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ export default class Server {
   }
 
   protected generateRoutes(): Route[] {
+    const publicRoutes = fs.existsSync(this.publicDir)
+      ? this.generatePublicRoutes()
+      : []
+
     const routes: Route[] = [
       {
         match: route('/_next/static/:path*'),
@@ -270,6 +274,7 @@ export default class Server {
           await this.render404(req, res, parsedUrl)
         },
       },
+      ...publicRoutes,
       {
         // It's very important to keep this route's param optional.
         // (but it should support as many params as needed, separated by '/')
@@ -294,10 +299,6 @@ export default class Server {
       },
     ]
 
-    if (fs.existsSync(this.publicDir)) {
-      routes.push(...this.generatePublicRoutes())
-    }
-
     if (this.nextConfig.useFileSystemPublicRoutes) {
       this.dynamicRoutes = this.getDynamicRoutes()
 
diff --git a/test/integration/basic/public/static/legacy.txt b/test/integration/basic/public/static/legacy.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5b8131490835184bfefabfb2319f5c37be6e4dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/basic/public/static/legacy.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+new static folder
diff --git a/test/integration/basic/test/public-folder.js b/test/integration/basic/test/public-folder.js
index 5b7f1cb3c384c69b4170597724e351c8f07a400a..e64592e3bce8844c40cfe6c29236c83d43cc7114 100644
--- a/test/integration/basic/test/public-folder.js
+++ b/test/integration/basic/test/public-folder.js
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ export default context => {
     it('should allow access to public files', async () => {
       const data = await renderViaHTTP(context.appPort, '/data/data.txt')
       expect(data).toBe('data')
+
+      const legacy = await renderViaHTTP(context.appPort, '/static/legacy.txt')
+      expect(legacy).toMatch(`new static folder`)
     })
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/production/public/static/legacy.txt b/test/integration/production/public/static/legacy.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5b8131490835184bfefabfb2319f5c37be6e4dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/production/public/static/legacy.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+new static folder
diff --git a/test/integration/production/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/production/test/index.test.js
index 9a7e02f5dbadf6ec674c15e2e940d02dbcdb3f92..c2c2cff4785a5846bc6a9740d298eb7fd3d8fbac 100644
--- a/test/integration/production/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/production/test/index.test.js
@@ -377,8 +377,10 @@ describe('Production Usage', () => {
     it('Should allow access to public files', async () => {
       const data = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/data/data.txt')
       const file = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/file')
+      const legacy = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/static/legacy.txt')
       expect(data).toBe('data')
       expect(file).toBe('test')
+      expect(legacy).toMatch(`new static folder`)
     })
 
     it('should reload the page on page script error', async () => {
diff --git a/test/integration/serverless/public/static/legacy.txt b/test/integration/serverless/public/static/legacy.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5b8131490835184bfefabfb2319f5c37be6e4dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/serverless/public/static/legacy.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+new static folder
diff --git a/test/integration/serverless/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/serverless/test/index.test.js
index 442697d24f22ddc31d4904ce9be4d9f50596d3e6..b54b7395ec5e7e12b1f97d936accdcc90b1c4fe8 100644
--- a/test/integration/serverless/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/serverless/test/index.test.js
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ describe('Serverless', () => {
   it('should serve file from public folder', async () => {
     const content = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/hello.txt')
     expect(content.trim()).toBe('hello world')
+
+    const legacy = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/static/legacy.txt')
+    expect(legacy).toMatch(`new static folder`)
   })
 
   it('should render the page with dynamic import', async () => {