diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 84f273a..33f2b52 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: examples/nextjs
 
       - name: Run local tests
-        run: bun test .
+        run: node ci.mjs
         working-directory: examples/nextjs
 
   nextjs-pages-local-build:
diff --git a/examples/nextjs/ci.mjs b/examples/nextjs/ci.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ecbf08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/nextjs/ci.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// this file is need for the Node 18 test
+
+import { Client } from "@upstash/qstash"
+import { serve } from "@upstash/workflow/nextjs"
+
+const qstashClient = new Client({
+  baseUrl: "https://workflow-tests.requestcatcher.com/",
+  token: "mock"
+})
+
+const { POST: serveHandler } = serve(
+  async (context) => {
+    await context.sleep("sleeping", 10)
+  }, {
+    qstashClient,
+    receiver: undefined
+  }
+)
+
+const request = new Request("https://workflow-tests.requestcatcher.com/")
+const response = await serveHandler(request)
+
+const status = response.status
+const body = await response.text()
+
+if (status !== 500) {
+  throw new Error(`ci failed. incorrect status. status: ${status}, body: ${body}`)
+}
+if (body !== `{"error":"SyntaxError","message":"Unexpected token 'r', \\"request caught\\" is not valid JSON"}`) {
+  throw new Error(`ci failed. incorrect body. status: ${status}, body: ${body}`)
+}
+console.log(">>> CI SUCCESFUL")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/nextjs/ci.test.ts b/examples/nextjs/ci.test.ts
index 7f94f13..fa85560 100644
--- a/examples/nextjs/ci.test.ts
+++ b/examples/nextjs/ci.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ const { POST: serveHandler } = serve(
   }
 )
 
+console.log(process.versions.node.split('.').map(Number));
+
 describe("nextjs tests", () => {
   test("first invocation", async () => {
     const request = new Request("https://workflow-tests.requestcatcher.com/")
diff --git a/src/context/auto-executor.ts b/src/context/auto-executor.ts
index 6a511ef..930fa52 100644
--- a/src/context/auto-executor.ts
+++ b/src/context/auto-executor.ts
@@ -529,5 +529,5 @@ const validateParallelSteps = (lazySteps: BaseLazyStep[], stepsFromRequest: Step
  */
 const sortSteps = (steps: Step[]): Step[] => {
   const getStepId = (step: Step) => step.targetStep || step.stepId;
-  return [...steps].sort((step, stepOther) => getStepId(step) - getStepId(stepOther));
+  return steps.toSorted((step, stepOther) => getStepId(step) - getStepId(stepOther));
 };