diff --git a/.changeset/gorgeous-teachers-scream.md b/.changeset/gorgeous-teachers-scream.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73ebfd1737
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/gorgeous-teachers-scream.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+"@clerk/express": minor
+---
+
+Export [`authenticateRequest` method](https://clerk.com/docs/references/backend/authenticate-request) from `@clerk/express` (in case you want to go low-level and implement flows to your specific needs). You can use it like so:
+
+```ts
+import { authenticateRequest } from "@clerk/express"
+```
+
+This function is adapted to Express' Request wrapper and as such notably different to the exported function from `@clerk/backend`. If you need to use it, be sure to import from `@clerk/express`.
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index ecf42ff4d1..a5b6b33e9f 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -43652,7 +43652,7 @@
         "node": ">=18.17.0"
       },
       "peerDependencies": {
-        "astro": "^4.16.1"
+        "astro": "^3.2.0 || ^4.0.0"
       }
     },
     "packages/astro/node_modules/nanoid": {
diff --git a/packages/express/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/exports.test.ts.snap b/packages/express/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/exports.test.ts.snap
index 406f539783..a25599d3af 100644
--- a/packages/express/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/exports.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/express/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/exports.test.ts.snap
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 exports[`module exports should not change unless explicitly set 1`] = `
 [
+  "authenticateRequest",
   "clerkClient",
   "clerkMiddleware",
   "createClerkClient",
diff --git a/packages/express/src/index.ts b/packages/express/src/index.ts
index 197bf2cd96..b64dc029cf 100644
--- a/packages/express/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/express/src/index.ts
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ export type { ExpressRequestWithAuth } from './types';
 export { clerkMiddleware } from './clerkMiddleware';
 export { getAuth } from './getAuth';
 export { requireAuth } from './requireAuth';
+export { authenticateRequest } from './authenticateRequest';