diff --git a/.changeset/tangy-sides-crash.md b/.changeset/tangy-sides-crash.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..318a91808ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tangy-sides-crash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/nextjs': patch
+---
+
+Updates middleware location check to account for proxy.ts in next 16+ applications.
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/auth.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/auth.ts
index 3a4f0efd544..2a332e44162 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/auth.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/app-router/server/auth.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { unauthorized } from '../../server/nextErrors';
 import type { AuthProtect } from '../../server/protect';
 import { createProtect } from '../../server/protect';
 import { decryptClerkRequestData } from '../../server/utils';
-import { isNextWithUnstableServerActions } from '../../utils/sdk-versions';
+import { isNext16OrHigher, isNextWithUnstableServerActions } from '../../utils/sdk-versions';
 import { buildRequestLike } from './utils';
 
 /**
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ export const auth: AuthFn = (async (options?: AuthOptions) => {
 
     try {
       const isSrcAppDir = await import('../../server/fs/middleware-location.js').then(m => m.hasSrcAppDir());
-      return [`Your Middleware exists at ./${isSrcAppDir ? 'src/' : ''}middleware.(ts|js)`];
+      const fileName = isNext16OrHigher ? 'middleware.(ts|js) or proxy.(ts|js)' : 'middleware.(ts|js)';
+      return [`Your Middleware exists at ./${isSrcAppDir ? 'src/' : ''}${fileName}`];
     } catch {
       return [];
     }
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/server/fs/middleware-location.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/server/fs/middleware-location.ts
index 3586d4a1ae2..67a7393e20d 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/server/fs/middleware-location.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/server/fs/middleware-location.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { isNext16OrHigher } from '../../utils/sdk-versions';
 import { nodeCwdOrThrow, nodeFsOrThrow, nodePathOrThrow } from './utils';
 
 function hasSrcAppDir() {
@@ -12,12 +13,17 @@ function hasSrcAppDir() {
 
 function suggestMiddlewareLocation() {
   const fileExtensions = ['ts', 'js'] as const;
+  // Next.js 16+ supports both middleware.ts (Edge runtime) and proxy.ts (Node.js runtime)
+  const fileNames = isNext16OrHigher ? ['middleware', 'proxy'] : ['middleware'];
+  const fileNameDisplay = isNext16OrHigher ? 'middleware or proxy' : 'middleware';
+
   const suggestionMessage = (
+    fileName: string,
     extension: (typeof fileExtensions)[number],
     to: 'src/' | '',
     from: 'src/app/' | 'app/' | '',
   ) =>
-    `Clerk: clerkMiddleware() was not run, your middleware file might be misplaced. Move your middleware file to ./${to}middleware.${extension}. Currently located at ./${from}middleware.${extension}`;
+    `Clerk: clerkMiddleware() was not run, your ${fileNameDisplay} file might be misplaced. Move your ${fileNameDisplay} file to ./${to}${fileName}.${extension}. Currently located at ./${from}${fileName}.${extension}`;
 
   const { existsSync } = nodeFsOrThrow();
   const path = nodePathOrThrow();
@@ -31,9 +37,11 @@ function suggestMiddlewareLocation() {
     to: 'src/' | '',
     from: 'src/app/' | 'app/' | '',
   ): string | undefined => {
-    for (const fileExtension of fileExtensions) {
-      if (existsSync(path.join(basePath, `middleware.${fileExtension}`))) {
-        return suggestionMessage(fileExtension, to, from);
+    for (const fileName of fileNames) {
+      for (const fileExtension of fileExtensions) {
+        if (existsSync(path.join(basePath, `${fileName}.${fileExtension}`))) {
+          return suggestionMessage(fileName, fileExtension, to, from);
+        }
       }
     }
     return undefined;
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/utils/sdk-versions.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/utils/sdk-versions.ts
index 729a096a6f9..e470186ca07 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/utils/sdk-versions.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/utils/sdk-versions.ts
@@ -8,4 +8,9 @@ const isNext13 = nextPkg.version.startsWith('13.');
  */
 const isNextWithUnstableServerActions = isNext13 || nextPkg.version.startsWith('14.0');
 
-export { isNext13, isNextWithUnstableServerActions };
+/**
+ * Next.js 16+ renamed middleware.ts to proxy.ts
+ */
+const isNext16OrHigher = nextPkg.version.startsWith('16.') || parseInt(nextPkg.version.split('.')[0]) >= 16;
+
+export { isNext13, isNextWithUnstableServerActions, isNext16OrHigher };