diff --git a/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/base.py b/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/base.py
index 7796e40d63..fd31c7ac3c 100644
--- a/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/base.py
+++ b/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/base.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, AnyStr, Mapping, Sequence, TypedDict, cast
+import functools
+import inspect
 
 from litestar._layers.utils import narrow_response_cookies, narrow_response_headers
 from litestar.connection import Request
@@ -61,6 +63,14 @@
 
 __all__ = ("HTTPRouteHandler", "route")
 
+def _wrap_layered_hooks(hooks: list[Callable]) -> AsyncAnyCallable | None:
+    """Given a list of callables, starting from the end, """
+    if not hooks:
+        return None
+    if 'parent' in inspect.signature(hooks[-1]).parameters:
+        return functools.partial(hooks[-1], parent=_wrap_layered_hooks(hooks[:-1]))
+    return hooks[-1]
+
 
 class ResponseHandlerMap(TypedDict):
     default_handler: Callable[[Any], Awaitable[ASGIApp]] | EmptyType
@@ -400,7 +410,7 @@ def resolve_before_request(self) -> AsyncAnyCallable | None:
         """
         if self._resolved_before_request is Empty:
             before_request_handlers = [layer.before_request for layer in self.ownership_layers if layer.before_request]
-            self._resolved_before_request = before_request_handlers[-1] if before_request_handlers else None
+            self._resolved_before_request = _wrap_layered_hooks(before_request_handlers)
         return cast("AsyncAnyCallable | None", self._resolved_before_request)
 
     def resolve_after_response(self) -> AsyncAnyCallable | None:
@@ -418,7 +428,7 @@ def resolve_after_response(self) -> AsyncAnyCallable | None:
                 for layer in self.ownership_layers
                 if layer.after_response
             ]
-            self._resolved_after_response = after_response_handlers[-1] if after_response_handlers else None
+            self._resolved_after_response = _wrap_layered_hooks(after_response_handlers)
 
         return cast("AsyncAnyCallable | None", self._resolved_after_response)
 
diff --git a/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/decorators.py b/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/decorators.py
index 593a1a7d19..227e34b858 100644
--- a/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/decorators.py
+++ b/litestar/handlers/http_handlers/decorators.py
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ def __init__(
                 :class:`BackgroundTasks <.background_tasks.BackgroundTasks>` to execute after the response is finished.
                 Defaults to ``None``.
             before_request: A sync or async function called immediately before calling the route handler. Receives
-                the :class:`.connection.Request` instance and any non-``None`` return value is used for the response,
-                bypassing the route handler.
+                the :class:`.connection.Request` instance (and, if it accepts a keyword argument named `parent`, the
+                outer scope's before_request handler if any exists). Any non-``None`` return value is used for the
+                response, bypassing the route handler.
             cache: Enables response caching if configured on the application level. Valid values are ``True`` or a number
                 of seconds (e.g. ``120``) to cache the response.
             cache_control: A ``cache-control`` header of type
diff --git a/litestar/types/callable_types.py b/litestar/types/callable_types.py
index 36055d7199..1ebbf0f894 100644
--- a/litestar/types/callable_types.py
+++ b/litestar/types/callable_types.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, AsyncGenerator, Awaitable, Callable, Generator, TypeVar
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, AsyncGenerator, Awaitable, Callable, Generator, Protocol, TypeVar
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from typing_extensions import TypeAlias
@@ -23,12 +23,29 @@
 AfterRequestHookHandler: TypeAlias = (
     "Callable[[ASGIApp], SyncOrAsyncUnion[ASGIApp]] | Callable[[Response], SyncOrAsyncUnion[Response]]"
 )
-AfterResponseHookHandler: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request], SyncOrAsyncUnion[None]]"
+
+AfterResponseHookHandlerSimple: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request], SyncOrAsyncUnion[None]]"
+
+class AfterResponseHookHandlerWithParentAsync(Protocol):
+    async def __call__(self, request: "Request", /, *, parent: "AfterResponseHookHandler | None") -> Any: ...
+class AfterResponseHookHandlerWithParentSync(Protocol):
+    def __call__(self, request: "Request", /, *, parent: "AfterResponseHookHandler | None") -> Any: ...
+
+AfterResponseHookHandler: TypeAlias = "AfterResponseHookHandlerSimple | AfterResponseHookHandlerWithParentAsync | AfterResponseHookHandlerWithParentSync"
+
 AsyncAnyCallable: TypeAlias = Callable[..., Awaitable[Any]]
 AnyCallable: TypeAlias = Callable[..., Any]
 AnyGenerator: TypeAlias = "Generator[Any, Any, Any] | AsyncGenerator[Any, Any]"
 BeforeMessageSendHookHandler: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Message, Scope], SyncOrAsyncUnion[None]]"
-BeforeRequestHookHandler: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request], Any | Awaitable[Any]]"
+
+class BeforeRequestHookHandlerWithParentAsync(Protocol):
+    async def __call__(self, request: "Request", /, *, parent: "BeforeRequestHookHandler | None") -> Any: ...
+class BeforeRequestHookHandlerWithParentSync(Protocol):
+    def __call__(self, request: "Request", /, *, parent: "BeforeRequestHookHandler | None") -> Any: ...
+
+BeforeRequestHookHandlerSimple: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request], Any | Awaitable[Any]]"
+BeforeRequestHookHandler: TypeAlias = "BeforeRequestHookHandlerSimple | BeforeRequestHookHandlerWithParentSync | BeforeRequestHookHandlerWithParentAsync"
+
 CacheKeyBuilder: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request], str]"
 ExceptionHandler: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Request, ExceptionT], Response]"
 ExceptionLoggingHandler: TypeAlias = "Callable[[Logger, Scope, list[str]], None]"