diff --git a/.changeset/curvy-elephants-fry.md b/.changeset/curvy-elephants-fry.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..41bbd9e4c3eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/curvy-elephants-fry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'astro': patch
+---
+
+Fixes an issue where Astro didn't throw an error when `Astro.rewrite` was used without providing the experimental flag
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/core/render-context.ts b/packages/astro/src/core/render-context.ts
index e6ac423648ad..93899129d9e5 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/core/render-context.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/core/render-context.ts
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export class RenderContext {
 					componentInstance = component;
 					this.isRewriting = true;
 				} else {
-					this.pipeline.logger.warn(
+					this.pipeline.logger.error(
 						'router',
 						'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.'
 					);
@@ -239,6 +239,20 @@ export class RenderContext {
 
 		const rewrite = async (reroutePayload: RewritePayload) => {
 			pipeline.logger.debug('router', 'Called rewriting to:', reroutePayload);
+			if (!this.pipeline.manifest.rewritingEnabled) {
+				this.pipeline.logger.error(
+					'router',
+					'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.'
+				);
+				return new Response(
+					'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.',
+					{
+						status: 500,
+						statusText:
+							'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.',
+					}
+				);
+			}
 			const [routeData, component, newURL] = await pipeline.tryRewrite(
 				reroutePayload,
 				this.request,
@@ -433,6 +447,20 @@ export class RenderContext {
 		};
 
 		const rewrite = async (reroutePayload: RewritePayload) => {
+			if (!this.pipeline.manifest.rewritingEnabled) {
+				this.pipeline.logger.error(
+					'router',
+					'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.'
+				);
+				return new Response(
+					'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.',
+					{
+						status: 500,
+						statusText:
+							'The rewrite API is experimental. To use this feature, add the `rewriting` flag to the `experimental` object in your Astro config.',
+					}
+				);
+			}
 			pipeline.logger.debug('router', 'Calling rewrite: ', reroutePayload);
 			const [routeData, component, newURL] = await pipeline.tryRewrite(
 				reroutePayload,
diff --git a/packages/astro/test/actions.test.js b/packages/astro/test/actions.test.js
index 081e83bf6dd7..e36d29a105e2 100644
--- a/packages/astro/test/actions.test.js
+++ b/packages/astro/test/actions.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ describe('Astro Actions', () => {
 		fixture = await loadFixture({
 			root: './fixtures/actions/',
 			adapter: testAdapter(),
+			experimental: {
+				rewriting: true
+			}
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/packages/astro/test/astro-cookies.test.js b/packages/astro/test/astro-cookies.test.js
index 482474b54be2..c27efb243407 100644
--- a/packages/astro/test/astro-cookies.test.js
+++ b/packages/astro/test/astro-cookies.test.js
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ describe('Astro.cookies', () => {
 			root: './fixtures/astro-cookies/',
 			output: 'server',
 			adapter: testAdapter(),
+			experimental: {
+				rewriting: true
+			}
 		});
 	});