diff --git a/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts b/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
index 8c81cd18a8e9a..2026e6f613209 100644
--- a/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
+++ b/packages/next/next-server/server/next-server.ts
@@ -1123,28 +1123,31 @@ export default class Server {
     let result: null | LoadComponentsReturnType = null
 
     const { static404, pages404 } = this.nextConfig.experimental
+    const is404 = res.statusCode === 404
     let using404Page = false
 
     // use static 404 page if available and is 404 response
-    if (static404 && res.statusCode === 404) {
-      try {
-        result = await this.findPageComponents('/_errors/404')
-      } catch (err) {
-        if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
-          throw err
+    if (is404) {
+      if (static404) {
+        try {
+          result = await this.findPageComponents('/_errors/404')
+        } catch (err) {
+          if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
+            throw err
+          }
         }
       }
-    }
 
-    // use 404 if /_errors/404 isn't available which occurs
-    // during development and when _app has getInitialProps
-    if (!result && pages404) {
-      try {
-        result = await this.findPageComponents('/404')
-        using404Page = true
-      } catch (err) {
-        if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
-          throw err
+      // use 404 if /_errors/404 isn't available which occurs
+      // during development and when _app has getInitialProps
+      if (!result && pages404) {
+        try {
+          result = await this.findPageComponents('/404')
+          using404Page = true
+        } catch (err) {
+          if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
+            throw err
+          }
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/integration/404-page/pages/err.js b/test/integration/404-page/pages/err.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..938b5e49ac296
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/404-page/pages/err.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+const page = () => 'custom 404 page'
+page.getInitialProps = () => {
+  throw new Error('oops')
+}
+export default page
diff --git a/test/integration/404-page/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/404-page/test/index.test.js
index 5208f99d9b080..e6c28cee3871a 100644
--- a/test/integration/404-page/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/404-page/test/index.test.js
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ const runTests = (mode = 'server') => {
     expect(await res.text()).toContain('custom 404 page')
   })
 
+  it('should render _error for a 500 error still', async () => {
+    const html = await renderViaHTTP(appPort, '/err')
+    expect(html).not.toContain('custom 404 page')
+    expect(html).toContain(mode === 'dev' ? 'oops' : 'Internal Server Error')
+  })
+
   if (mode !== 'dev') {
     it('should output _errors/404.html during build', async () => {
       expect(