diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3e9432bb10..6e1003cdb3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ test/sample/netlify/functions
 test/sample/my-publish-dir
 test/sample/.next
 test/sample/.netlify
-next.config.js
+/next.config.js
 
 # Logs
 logs
diff --git a/helpers/doesNotNeedPlugin.js b/helpers/doesNotNeedPlugin.js
index 6e86fbccc2..fd5889c9c8 100644
--- a/helpers/doesNotNeedPlugin.js
+++ b/helpers/doesNotNeedPlugin.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const isStaticExportProject = require('./isStaticExportProject')
 const doesSiteUseNextOnNetlify = require('./doesSiteUseNextOnNetlify')
 const hasCorrectNextConfig = require('./hasCorrectNextConfig')
 
-const doesNotNeedPlugin = async ({ netlifyConfig, packageJson }) => {
+const doesNotNeedPlugin = async ({ netlifyConfig, packageJson, utils }) => {
   const { build } = netlifyConfig
   const { name, scripts = {} } = packageJson
   const nextConfigPath = await findUp('next.config.js')
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const doesNotNeedPlugin = async ({ netlifyConfig, packageJson }) => {
   return (
     isStaticExportProject({ build, scripts }) ||
     doesSiteUseNextOnNetlify({ packageJson }) ||
-    !hasCorrectNextConfig(nextConfigPath)
+    !hasCorrectNextConfig({ nextConfigPath, failBuild: utils.build.failBuild })
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/helpers/hasCorrectNextConfig.js b/helpers/hasCorrectNextConfig.js
index 076a2d01fd..64de96fd75 100644
--- a/helpers/hasCorrectNextConfig.js
+++ b/helpers/hasCorrectNextConfig.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const path = require('path')
 
 // Checks if site has the correct next.cofig.js
-const hasCorrectNextConfig = (nextConfigPath) => {
+const hasCorrectNextConfig = ({ nextConfigPath, failBuild }) => {
   // In the plugin's case, no config is valid because we'll make it ourselves
   if (nextConfigPath === undefined) return true
 
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ const hasCorrectNextConfig = (nextConfigPath) => {
 
   // If the next config exists, log warning if target isnt in acceptableTargets
   const acceptableTargets = ['serverless', 'experimental-serverless-trace']
-  const nextConfig = loadConfig(PHASE_PRODUCTION_BUILD, path.resolve('.'))
+  let nextConfig
+  try {
+    nextConfig = loadConfig(PHASE_PRODUCTION_BUILD, path.resolve('.'))
+  } catch (error) {
+    return failBuild('Error loading your next.config.js.', { error })
+  }
   const isValidTarget = acceptableTargets.includes(nextConfig.target)
   if (!isValidTarget) {
     console.log(
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index ac1779b8b3..9b2b707e8e 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports = {
       return failBuild('Could not find a package.json for this project')
     }
 
-    if (await doesNotNeedPlugin({ netlifyConfig, packageJson })) {
+    if (await doesNotNeedPlugin({ netlifyConfig, packageJson, utils })) {
       return
     }
 
@@ -39,8 +39,13 @@ module.exports = {
       await pWriteFile('next.config.js', nextConfig)
     }
   },
-  async onBuild({ netlifyConfig, packageJson, constants: { PUBLISH_DIR, FUNCTIONS_SRC = DEFAULT_FUNCTIONS_SRC } }) {
-    if (await doesNotNeedPlugin({ netlifyConfig, packageJson })) {
+  async onBuild({
+    netlifyConfig,
+    packageJson,
+    constants: { PUBLISH_DIR, FUNCTIONS_SRC = DEFAULT_FUNCTIONS_SRC },
+    utils,
+  }) {
+    if (await doesNotNeedPlugin({ netlifyConfig, packageJson, utils })) {
       return
     }
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/broken_next_config/next.config.js b/test/fixtures/broken_next_config/next.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b7fff5557c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/broken_next_config/next.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module.exports = {
+  target: "serverless",
+  i18n: {
+    locales: ["en", "fr"
+  }
+};
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index b60b5f672e..5d9cf88902 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -141,6 +141,19 @@ describe('preBuild()', () => {
       }),
     ).rejects.toThrow(`Could not find a package.json for this project`)
   })
+
+  test('fail build if the app cant load the next.config.js', async () => {
+    await useFixture('broken_next_config')
+
+    await expect(
+      plugin.onPreBuild({
+        netlifyConfig,
+        packageJson: DUMMY_PACKAGE_JSON,
+        utils,
+        constants: { FUNCTIONS_SRC: 'out_functions' },
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(`Error loading your next.config.js.`)
+  })
 })
 
 describe('onBuild()', () => {
@@ -155,6 +168,7 @@ describe('onBuild()', () => {
       netlifyConfig,
       packageJson,
       constants: {},
+      utils,
     })
 
     expect(await pathExists(`${PUBLISH_DIR}/index.html`)).toBeFalsy()
@@ -170,6 +184,7 @@ describe('onBuild()', () => {
         packageJson: DUMMY_PACKAGE_JSON,
         utils,
         constants: { FUNCTIONS_SRC: 'out_functions' },
+        utils,
       })
 
       expect(await pathExists(`${PUBLISH_DIR}/index.html`)).toBeFalsy()
@@ -187,6 +202,7 @@ describe('onBuild()', () => {
         PUBLISH_DIR,
         FUNCTIONS_SRC: 'functions',
       },
+      utils,
     })
 
     expect(await pathExists(`${PUBLISH_DIR}/_redirects`)).toBeTruthy()
@@ -206,6 +222,7 @@ describe('onBuild()', () => {
         FUNCTIONS_SRC,
         PUBLISH_DIR: '.',
       },
+      utils,
     })
 
     expect(await pathExists(`${resolvedFunctions}/next_api_test/next_api_test.js`)).toBeTruthy()