diff --git a/.changeset/pink-eggs-enjoy.md b/.changeset/pink-eggs-enjoy.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8699873d62e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/pink-eggs-enjoy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/nextjs': minor
+---
+
+Replace redirectUrl of protect with `unauthorizedUrl` and `unauthenticatedUrl`.
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/server/clerkMiddleware.test.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/server/clerkMiddleware.test.ts
index c03142d2e40..4c947b022c8 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/server/clerkMiddleware.test.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/server/clerkMiddleware.test.ts
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ describe('authMiddleware(params)', () => {
       expect(clerkClient.authenticateRequest).toBeCalled();
     });
 
-    it('throws a not found error when protect is called with RBAC params the user does not fulfil, and is a page request', async () => {
+    it('throws a not found error when protect is called with RBAC params the user does not fulfill, and is a page request', async () => {
       const req = mockRequest({
         url: '/protected',
         headers: new Headers({ [constants.Headers.SecFetchDest]: 'document' }),
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ describe('authMiddleware(params)', () => {
       expect(clerkClient.authenticateRequest).toBeCalled();
     });
 
-    it('redirects to redirectUrl when protect is called with the redirectUrl param, the user is signed out, and is a page request', async () => {
+    it('redirects to unauthenticatedUrl when protect is called with the redirectUrl param, the user is signed out, and is a page request', async () => {
       const req = mockRequest({
         url: '/protected',
         headers: new Headers({ [constants.Headers.SecFetchDest]: 'document' }),
@@ -366,11 +366,41 @@ describe('authMiddleware(params)', () => {
       });
 
       const resp = await clerkMiddleware(auth => {
-        auth().protect({ redirectUrl: 'https://www.clerk.com/hello' });
+        auth().protect({ unauthenticatedUrl: 'https://www.clerk.com/hello' });
       })(req, {} as NextFetchEvent);
 
       expect(resp?.status).toEqual(307);
-      expect(resp?.headers.get('location')).toContain('https://www.clerk.com/hello');
+      expect(resp?.headers.get('location')).toEqual('https://www.clerk.com/hello');
+      expect(resp?.headers.get('x-clerk-auth-reason')).toEqual('redirect');
+      expect(resp?.headers.get(constants.Headers.ClerkRedirectTo)).toEqual('true');
+      expect(clerkClient.authenticateRequest).toBeCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('redirects to unauthorizedUrl when protect is called with the redirectUrl param, the user does not fulfill the RBAC params, and is a page request', async () => {
+      const req = mockRequest({
+        url: '/protected',
+        headers: new Headers({ [constants.Headers.SecFetchDest]: 'document' }),
+        appendDevBrowserCookie: true,
+      });
+
+      authenticateRequestMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        status: AuthStatus.SignedIn,
+        headers: new Headers(),
+        toAuth: () => ({ userId: 'user-id', has: () => false }),
+      });
+
+      const resp = await clerkMiddleware(auth => {
+        auth().protect(
+          { role: 'random-role' },
+          {
+            unauthorizedUrl: 'https://www.clerk.com/discover',
+            unauthenticatedUrl: 'https://www.clerk.com/hello',
+          },
+        );
+      })(req, {} as NextFetchEvent);
+
+      expect(resp?.status).toEqual(307);
+      expect(resp?.headers.get('location')).toEqual('https://www.clerk.com/discover');
       expect(resp?.headers.get('x-clerk-auth-reason')).toEqual('redirect');
       expect(resp?.headers.get(constants.Headers.ClerkRedirectTo)).toEqual('true');
       expect(clerkClient.authenticateRequest).toBeCalled();
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/server/protect.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/server/protect.ts
index 0ebdf05a10b..5ec377be05b 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/server/protect.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/server/protect.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type {
 import { constants as nextConstants } from '../constants';
 import { SIGN_IN_URL } from './constants';
 
-type AuthProtectOptions = { redirectUrl?: string };
+type AuthProtectOptions = { unauthorizedUrl?: string; unauthenticatedUrl?: string };
 
 /**
  * @experimental
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@ type AuthProtectOptions = { redirectUrl?: string };
  */
 export interface AuthProtect {
   (params?: CheckAuthorizationParamsWithCustomPermissions, options?: AuthProtectOptions): SignedInAuthObject;
+
   (
     params?: (has: CheckAuthorizationWithCustomPermissions) => boolean,
     options?: AuthProtectOptions,
   ): SignedInAuthObject;
+
   (options?: AuthProtectOptions): SignedInAuthObject;
 }
 
@@ -47,16 +49,18 @@ export const createProtect = (opts: {
   const { redirectToSignIn, authObject, redirect, notFound, request } = opts;
 
   return ((...args: any[]) => {
-    const paramsOrFunction = args[0]?.redirectUrl
+    const optionValuesAsParam = args[0]?.unauthenticatedUrl || args[0]?.unauthorizedUrl;
+    const paramsOrFunction = optionValuesAsParam
       ? undefined
       : (args[0] as
           | CheckAuthorizationParamsWithCustomPermissions
           | ((has: CheckAuthorizationWithCustomPermissions) => boolean));
-    const redirectUrl = (args[0]?.redirectUrl || args[1]?.redirectUrl) as string | undefined;
+    const unauthenticatedUrl = (args[0]?.unauthenticatedUrl || args[1]?.unauthenticatedUrl) as string | undefined;
+    const unauthorizedUrl = (args[0]?.unauthorizedUrl || args[1]?.unauthorizedUrl) as string | undefined;
 
     const handleUnauthenticated = () => {
-      if (redirectUrl) {
-        return redirect(redirectUrl);
+      if (unauthenticatedUrl) {
+        return redirect(unauthenticatedUrl);
       }
       if (isPageRequest(request)) {
         // TODO: Handle runtime values. What happens if runtime values are set in middleware and in ClerkProvider as well?
@@ -66,8 +70,8 @@ export const createProtect = (opts: {
     };
 
     const handleUnauthorized = () => {
-      if (redirectUrl) {
-        return redirect(redirectUrl);
+      if (unauthorizedUrl) {
+        return redirect(unauthorizedUrl);
       }
       return notFound();
     };