diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 34e2968dd..653242779 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
       "request": "launch",
       "type": "node-terminal"
     },
+    {
+      "command": "node --no-deprecation test/dev.js auth",
+      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+      "name": "Run Dev Auth",
+      "request": "launch",
+      "type": "node-terminal"
+    },
     {
       "command": "pnpm run dev plugin-cloud-storage",
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
@@ -69,36 +76,26 @@
       }
     },
     {
-      "command": "pnpm run dev versions",
+      "command": "node --no-deprecation test/dev.js versions",
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
       "name": "Run Dev Versions",
       "request": "launch",
       "type": "node-terminal"
     },
     {
-      "command": "pnpm run dev localization",
+      "command": "node --no-deprecation test/dev.js localization",
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
       "name": "Run Dev Localization",
       "request": "launch",
       "type": "node-terminal"
     },
     {
-      "command": "pnpm run dev uploads",
+      "command": "node --no-deprecation test/dev.js uploads",
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
       "name": "Run Dev Uploads",
       "request": "launch",
       "type": "node-terminal"
     },
-    {
-      "command": "PAYLOAD_BUNDLER=vite pnpm run dev fields",
-      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
-      "name": "Run Dev Fields (Vite)",
-      "request": "launch",
-      "type": "node-terminal",
-      "env": {
-        "NODE_ENV": "production"
-      }
-    },
     {
       "command": "pnpm run test:int live-preview",
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/auth/cookies.ts b/packages/payload/src/auth/cookies.ts
index 5d2adc302..31d6f24c0 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/auth/cookies.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/auth/cookies.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { Payload } from '../index.js'
 import type { SanitizedCollectionConfig } from './../collections/config/types.js'
+
 type CookieOptions = {
   domain?: string
   expires?: Date
@@ -7,53 +8,108 @@ type CookieOptions = {
   maxAge?: number
   name: string
   path?: string
+  returnCookieAsObject: boolean
   sameSite?: 'Lax' | 'None' | 'Strict'
   secure?: boolean
   value?: string
 }
 
-export const generateCookies = (cookies: CookieOptions[]): string => {
-  return cookies.map((options) => generateCookie(options)).join('; ')
+type CookieObject = {
+  domain?: string
+  expires?: string
+  httpOnly?: boolean
+  maxAge?: number
+  name: string
+  path?: string
+  sameSite?: 'Lax' | 'None' | 'Strict'
+  secure?: boolean
+  value: string
 }
 
-export const generateCookie = (args: CookieOptions): string => {
-  const { name, domain, expires, httpOnly, maxAge, path, sameSite, secure: secureArg, value } = args
+export const generateCookie = <ReturnCookieAsObject = boolean>(
+  args: CookieOptions,
+): ReturnCookieAsObject extends true ? CookieObject : string => {
+  const {
+    name,
+    domain,
+    expires,
+    httpOnly,
+    maxAge,
+    path,
+    returnCookieAsObject,
+    sameSite,
+    secure: secureArg,
+    value,
+  } = args
 
   let cookieString = `${name}=${value || ''}`
+  const cookieObject: CookieObject = {
+    name,
+    value,
+  }
 
   const secure = secureArg || sameSite === 'None'
 
   if (expires) {
-    cookieString += `; Expires=${expires.toUTCString()}`
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.expires = expires.toUTCString()
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; Expires=${expires.toUTCString()}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (maxAge) {
-    cookieString += `; Max-Age=${maxAge}`
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.maxAge = maxAge
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; Max-Age=${maxAge.toString()}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (domain) {
-    cookieString += `; Domain=${domain}`
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.domain = domain
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; Domain=${domain}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (path) {
-    cookieString += `; Path=${path}`
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.path = path
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; Path=${path}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (secure) {
-    cookieString += '; Secure'
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.secure = secure
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; Secure=${secure}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (httpOnly) {
-    cookieString += '; HttpOnly'
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.httpOnly = httpOnly
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; HttpOnly=${httpOnly}`
+    }
   }
 
   if (sameSite) {
-    cookieString += `; SameSite=${sameSite}`
+    if (returnCookieAsObject) {
+      cookieObject.sameSite = sameSite
+    } else {
+      cookieString += `; SameSite=${sameSite}`
+    }
   }
 
-  return cookieString
+  return (returnCookieAsObject ? cookieObject : cookieString) as ReturnCookieAsObject extends true
+    ? CookieObject
+    : string
 }
-
 type GetCookieExpirationArgs = {
   /*
     The number of seconds until the cookie expires
@@ -72,14 +128,17 @@ type GeneratePayloadCookieArgs = {
   collectionConfig: SanitizedCollectionConfig
   /* An instance of payload */
   payload: Payload
+  /* The returnAs value */
+  returnCookieAsObject?: boolean
   /* The token to be stored in the cookie */
   token: string
 }
-export const generatePayloadCookie = ({
+export const generatePayloadCookie = <T extends GeneratePayloadCookieArgs>({
   collectionConfig,
   payload,
+  returnCookieAsObject = false,
   token,
-}: GeneratePayloadCookieArgs): string => {
+}: T): T['returnCookieAsObject'] extends true ? CookieObject : string => {
   const sameSite =
     typeof collectionConfig.auth.cookies.sameSite === 'string'
       ? collectionConfig.auth.cookies.sameSite
@@ -87,22 +146,24 @@ export const generatePayloadCookie = ({
         ? 'Strict'
         : undefined
 
-  return generateCookie({
+  return generateCookie<T['returnCookieAsObject']>({
     name: `${payload.config.cookiePrefix}-token`,
     domain: collectionConfig.auth.cookies.domain ?? undefined,
     expires: getCookieExpiration({ seconds: collectionConfig.auth.tokenExpiration }),
     httpOnly: true,
     path: '/',
+    returnCookieAsObject,
     sameSite,
     secure: collectionConfig.auth.cookies.secure,
     value: token,
   })
 }
 
-export const generateExpiredPayloadCookie = ({
+export const generateExpiredPayloadCookie = <T extends Omit<GeneratePayloadCookieArgs, 'token'>>({
   collectionConfig,
   payload,
-}: Omit<GeneratePayloadCookieArgs, 'token'>): string => {
+  returnCookieAsObject = false,
+}: T): T['returnCookieAsObject'] extends true ? CookieObject : string => {
   const sameSite =
     typeof collectionConfig.auth.cookies.sameSite === 'string'
       ? collectionConfig.auth.cookies.sameSite
@@ -112,12 +173,13 @@ export const generateExpiredPayloadCookie = ({
 
   const expires = new Date(Date.now() - 1000)
 
-  return generateCookie({
+  return generateCookie<T['returnCookieAsObject']>({
     name: `${payload.config.cookiePrefix}-token`,
     domain: collectionConfig.auth.cookies.domain ?? undefined,
     expires,
     httpOnly: true,
     path: '/',
+    returnCookieAsObject,
     sameSite,
     secure: collectionConfig.auth.cookies.secure,
   })