diff --git a/packages/next/server/base-server.ts b/packages/next/server/base-server.ts
index 9a6e81bf2590..6a4d6d2dc175 100644
--- a/packages/next/server/base-server.ts
+++ b/packages/next/server/base-server.ts
@@ -560,9 +560,6 @@ export default abstract class Server {
       if (url.locale?.path.detectedLocale) {
         req.url = formatUrl(url)
         addRequestMeta(req, '__nextStrippedLocale', true)
-        if (url.pathname === '/api' || url.pathname.startsWith('/api/')) {
-          return this.render404(req, res, parsedUrl)
-        }
       }
 
       if (!this.minimalMode || !parsedUrl.query.__nextLocale) {
diff --git a/packages/next/server/router.ts b/packages/next/server/router.ts
index 1c618e7616a3..b101f838544e 100644
--- a/packages/next/server/router.ts
+++ b/packages/next/server/router.ts
@@ -317,8 +317,20 @@ export default class Router {
         currentPathnameNoBasePath,
         this.locales
       )
+
       const activeBasePath = keepBasePath ? this.basePath : ''
 
+      // don't match API routes when they are locale prefixed
+      // e.g. /api/hello shouldn't match /en/api/hello as a page
+      // rewrites/redirects can match though
+      if (
+        !isCustomRoute &&
+        localePathResult.detectedLocale &&
+        localePathResult.pathname.match(/^\/api(?:\/|$)/)
+      ) {
+        continue
+      }
+
       if (keepLocale) {
         if (
           !testRoute.internal &&
diff --git a/test/e2e/i18n-api-support/index.test.ts b/test/e2e/i18n-api-support/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fa763d74d231
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/i18n-api-support/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { createNext } from 'e2e-utils'
+import { fetchViaHTTP } from 'next-test-utils'
+import { NextInstance } from 'test/lib/next-modes/base'
+
+describe('i18n API support', () => {
+  let next: NextInstance
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    next = await createNext({
+      files: {
+        'pages/api/hello.js': `
+          export default function handler(req, res) { 
+            res.end('hello world')
+          } 
+        `,
+        'pages/api/blog/[slug].js': `
+          export default function handler(req, res) {
+            res.end('blog/[slug]')
+          }
+        `,
+      },
+      nextConfig: {
+        i18n: {
+          locales: ['en', 'fr'],
+          defaultLocale: 'en',
+        },
+        async rewrites() {
+          return {
+            beforeFiles: [],
+            afterFiles: [],
+            fallback: [
+              {
+                source: '/api/:path*',
+                destination: 'https://example.vercel.sh/',
+              },
+            ],
+          }
+        },
+      },
+      dependencies: {},
+    })
+  })
+  afterAll(() => next.destroy())
+
+  it('should respond to normal API request', async () => {
+    const res = await fetchViaHTTP(next.url, '/api/hello')
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(await res.text()).toBe('hello world')
+  })
+
+  it('should respond to normal dynamic API request', async () => {
+    const res = await fetchViaHTTP(next.url, '/api/blog/first')
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(await res.text()).toBe('blog/[slug]')
+  })
+
+  it('should fallback rewrite non-matching API request', async () => {
+    const paths = [
+      '/fr/api/hello',
+      '/en/api/blog/first',
+      '/en/api/non-existent',
+      '/api/non-existent',
+    ]
+
+    for (const path of paths) {
+      const res = await fetchViaHTTP(next.url, path)
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(await res.text()).toContain('Example Domain')
+    }
+  })
+})