diff --git a/.changeset/solid-yaks-enter.md b/.changeset/solid-yaks-enter.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c95fffe9b9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/solid-yaks-enter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/backend': patch
+---
+
+Fixes a bug where `getAuth()` returns unauthenticated during Next.js Pages Router client-side navigations (such as `_next/data` requests), when the `__client_uat` cookie is missing.
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/tokens/__tests__/request.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/tokens/__tests__/request.test.ts
index 3a9640fe23e..605ae0c34aa 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/tokens/__tests__/request.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/tokens/__tests__/request.test.ts
@@ -988,6 +988,43 @@ describe('tokens.authenticateRequest(options)', () => {
     expect(requestState.toAuth()).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  test('cookieToken: returns signed in for non-document request when no clientUat but valid session token (production)', async () => {
+    server.use(
+      http.get('https://api.clerk.test/v1/jwks', () => {
+        return HttpResponse.json(mockJwks);
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const requestState = await authenticateRequest(
+      mockRequestWithCookies({ ...defaultHeaders, 'sec-fetch-dest': 'empty' }, { __session: mockJwt }),
+      mockOptions({ publishableKey: PK_LIVE }),
+    );
+
+    expect(requestState).toBeSignedIn();
+    expect(requestState.toAuth()).toBeSignedInToAuth();
+  });
+
+  test('cookieToken: returns signed in for non-document request when no clientUat but valid session token (development)', async () => {
+    server.use(
+      http.get('https://api.clerk.test/v1/jwks', () => {
+        return HttpResponse.json(mockJwks);
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const requestState = await authenticateRequest(
+      mockRequestWithCookies(
+        { ...defaultHeaders, 'sec-fetch-dest': 'empty' },
+        { __clerk_db_jwt: 'deadbeef', __session: mockJwt },
+      ),
+      mockOptions({
+        secretKey: 'test_deadbeef',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(requestState).toBeSignedIn();
+    expect(requestState.toAuth()).toBeSignedInToAuth();
+  });
+
   test('cookieToken: returns handshake when no cookies in development [5y]', async () => {
     const requestState = await authenticateRequest(
       mockRequestWithCookies({}),
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/tokens/request.ts b/packages/backend/src/tokens/request.ts
index 9778a5e89b3..f5969076d11 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/tokens/request.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/tokens/request.ts
@@ -607,7 +607,9 @@ export const authenticateRequest: AuthenticateRequest = (async (
 
     // This can eagerly run handshake since client_uat is SameSite=Strict in dev
     if (!hasActiveClient && hasSessionToken) {
-      return handleMaybeHandshakeStatus(authenticateContext, AuthErrorReason.SessionTokenWithoutClientUAT, '');
+      if (handshakeService.isRequestEligibleForHandshake()) {
+        return handleMaybeHandshakeStatus(authenticateContext, AuthErrorReason.SessionTokenWithoutClientUAT, '');
+      }
     }
 
     if (hasActiveClient && !hasSessionToken) {
@@ -621,7 +623,7 @@ export const authenticateRequest: AuthenticateRequest = (async (
       return handleSessionTokenError(decodedErrors[0], 'cookie');
     }
 
-    if (decodeResult.payload.iat < authenticateContext.clientUat) {
+    if (authenticateContext.clientUat && decodeResult.payload.iat < authenticateContext.clientUat) {
       return handleMaybeHandshakeStatus(authenticateContext, AuthErrorReason.SessionTokenIATBeforeClientUAT, '');
     }