diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/index.client.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/index.client.ts
index f47f43dc6b88..1c792523148c 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/index.client.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/index.client.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export * from '@sentry/react';
 export function init(options: NextjsOptions): void {
   const metadataBuilder = new MetadataBuilder(options, ['nextjs', 'react']);
   metadataBuilder.addSdkMetadata();
+  options.environment = options.environment || process.env.NODE_ENV;
   reactInit(options);
   configureScope(scope => {
     scope.setTag('runtime', 'browser');
diff --git a/packages/nextjs/src/index.server.ts b/packages/nextjs/src/index.server.ts
index d563ffec10ce..356e2c804e75 100644
--- a/packages/nextjs/src/index.server.ts
+++ b/packages/nextjs/src/index.server.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export { ErrorBoundary, withErrorBoundary } from '@sentry/react';
 export function init(options: NextjsOptions): void {
   const metadataBuilder = new MetadataBuilder(options, ['nextjs', 'node']);
   metadataBuilder.addSdkMetadata();
+  options.environment = options.environment || process.env.NODE_ENV;
   if (options.integrations) {
     options.integrations = getFinalServerIntegrations(options.integrations);
   } else {