All remained quiet in the French camp on the “lovely May morning” of the 20th, giving the appearance that Napoleon would not attempt to cross the Spree on this day. From one of Bautzen's church steeples, Prussian staff officers noted at 9:15 the march of two imperial infantry divisions northeast from the plateau of Welka as well as the massing of cavalry on the French left. Napoleon himself could be seen reconnoitering the Bautzen position. Along with the reports from the previous day, this news prompted Wittgenstein to continue the measures already started by the corps commanders that corresponded to his instructions for countering a movement through Guttau (Gottamelde) by the French left wing to envelop the Allied right. Accordingly, Barclay would extend the right wing north, leaving Kleist's corps on the hills at Burk to cover his movement; the army then would follow Barclay.

Earlier that morning, Barclay posted his main body between Klix and Brösa; Yorck's corps remained in reserve on the hill of Guttau; and Blücher pushed forward an entire brigade to the Kreckwitz heights (see Map 6). Around noon, he received final instructions from Wittgenstein to move II Corps from Baschütz north to a position between Kreckwitz and Brösa. Grand Duke Constantine's two cuirassier divisions would combine with Blücher's Reserve Cavalry to extend the right wing to Brösa and serve as an intermediate line between Blücher and Barclay. Unsure of the number of villages on the right bank of the Spree between Kreckwitz and Brösa, Wittgenstein directed Blücher to occupy as many as he found. Gorchakov's infantry would form the second line by marching north and assuming the position vacated by II Corps at Baschütz. Kleist would remain at Burk; the infantry of the Russian Guard and Reserve would likewise maintain their positions south of the Bautzen–Weißenberg road. These measures did not achieve fruition. Wittgenstein recalled the cuirassiers to cover the batteries south of Litten. Next, Barclay reported that he could not maintain the Klix–Brösa line and so fell back to the Malschwitz–Gleina line. Under these circumstances Blücher posted Zieten's brigade between Kreckwitz and Doberschütz, concealing his other two brigades as well as Dolffs's Reserve Cavalry along the eastern foot of the Kreckwitz heights.