diff --git a/docs/scoping.md b/docs/scoping.md
index 0ad519c..c1da5b8 100644
--- a/docs/scoping.md
+++ b/docs/scoping.md
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ export default {
     },
     { left: "/docs", beforeShot: async (page) => { await page.click("[data-tab=intro]"); } },
   ],
-  // For every route without its own `before` (which replaces it), CLI routes included;
-  // a top-level `beforeShot` works the same way.
+  // For every route without its own `before` (which replaces it; that one can still run it
+  // with `await topLevel?.()`), CLI routes included; a top-level `beforeShot` works the same way.
   before: async (page, { side, route, width }) => {
     const accept = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Accept" });
     if (await accept.isVisible()) await accept.click();
diff --git a/renderdiff.config.example.ts b/renderdiff.config.example.ts
index 31df8a0..97e63fd 100644
--- a/renderdiff.config.example.ts
+++ b/renderdiff.config.example.ts
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ export default {
     { left: "/blog", right: "/posts" },
     { left: "/pricing", selector: { left: ".plans-v2", right: ".plans" } },
     // `before` runs on each side after the page loads, before it settles and is shot, so
-    // the open menu is what gets measured. Replaces the top-level `before` for this route.
+    // the open menu is what gets measured. Replaces the top-level `before` for this route,
+    // which `topLevel` still runs.
     {
       left: "/docs",
-      before: async (page) => {
+      before: async (page, { topLevel }) => {
+        await topLevel?.();
         await page.click("[aria-label=Menu]");
       },
     },
diff --git a/skills/renderdiff/reference.md b/skills/renderdiff/reference.md
index 9170d92..7640bee 100644
--- a/skills/renderdiff/reference.md
+++ b/skills/renderdiff/reference.md
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@ aria: identical on 2 of 3 route(s), differs /pricing
   transformed element is shot at its axis-aligned box. `xpath=` and `>>` work; pseudo-elements
   are rejected; iframes can't be reached.
 - **`before` hooks** (config only: `before: async (page, { side, route, width }) => …` on a
-  route object, or top level for every route without its own) run after load and the HTTP
+  route object, or top level for every route without its own; a route's own gets `topLevel`
+  too, which runs the top-level one: `await topLevel?.()`) run after load and the HTTP
   check, before settle, masks and the shot. Legitimate: open a menu or tab, dismiss a modal or
   banner *both* sides show, sign in, set a carousel to slide 1 on both. Not: branching on
   `side` to make the sides look alike, hiding or removing an element on one side. `side` is for
diff --git a/src/cache.ts b/src/cache.ts
index 0755399..40942c0 100644
--- a/src/cache.ts
+++ b/src/cache.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ export const shotId = (route: Route, width: number) =>
     width,
     route.before && String(route.before),
     route.beforeShot && String(route.beforeShot),
+    route.topLevel.before && String(route.topLevel.before),
+    route.topLevel.beforeShot && String(route.topLevel.beforeShot),
   ]);
 
 /** Everything that changes what the right origin serves, so one recording never answers another. */
diff --git a/src/capture.ts b/src/capture.ts
index b2a38c1..2076f76 100644
--- a/src/capture.ts
+++ b/src/capture.ts
@@ -286,7 +286,9 @@ export async function capture(
     if (!fn) return;
     step.set(page, `${name} hook`);
     try {
-      await fn(page, { side, route: label(route), width });
+      const ctx = { side, route: label(route), width };
+      const top = route.topLevel[name];
+      await fn(page, top ? { ...ctx, topLevel: () => top(page, ctx) } : ctx);
     } catch (e) {
       throw new HookError(
         `${name} hook failed on ${side}: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`,
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index f9eb962..3b8f313 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -25,16 +25,19 @@ export interface Route {
   selector: Sides | null;
   before: Hook | null;
   beforeShot: Hook | null;
+  /** The top-level hooks this route's own hooks replace, for their `ctx.topLevel`. */
+  topLevel: { before: Hook | null; beforeShot: Hook | null };
 }
 
 /**
  * Runs on each side, e.g. to open a menu: `before` after the page loads, before it settles;
  * `beforeShot` after it settles, right before masks and the shot. `route` is the route's name
- * (`/a`, or `/a::/b` for a pair), the same on both sides.
+ * (`/a`, or `/a::/b` for a pair), the same on both sides. `topLevel`, on a route's own hook,
+ * runs the top-level hook it replaces, when there is one.
  */
 export type Hook = (
   page: Page,
-  ctx: { side: "left" | "right"; route: string; width: number },
+  ctx: { side: "left" | "right"; route: string; width: number; topLevel?: () => Promise<void> },
 ) => Promise<void>;
 
 /**
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ export const name = (r: Pick<Route, "left" | "right" | "selector">) =>
  * literal), which keeps `?q=std::vector` and `/wiki/Talk:Foo` single routes. Each side may end
  * in whitespace + `@sel` (the whitespace keeps `/@user` a path), which beats a CLI `selector`,
  * which beats a config object's own. A route's own `before` (or `beforeShot`) replaces the
- * top-level one.
+ * top-level one, which it can still call as `ctx.topLevel`.
  */
 export function parseRoutes(
   specs: RouteSpec[],
@@ -106,20 +109,26 @@ export function parseRoutes(
     const glob = sides.find((s) => s.includes("*"));
     if (glob) throw new Error(`globs are not supported (${glob}) — pass literal paths.`);
     const own = typeof spec === "string" ? undefined : spec.selector;
+    const hooks: { before?: Hook; beforeShot?: Hook } = typeof spec === "string" ? {} : spec;
+    const top = (h: Hook | undefined, t: Hook | undefined) => (h && t && h !== t ? t : null);
     const route = {
       left: normalize(sides[0]),
       right: normalize(sides[1]),
       selector:
         atSel ?? selector ?? (typeof own === "string" ? { left: own, right: own } : (own ?? null)),
-      before: (typeof spec === "string" ? undefined : spec.before) ?? before ?? null,
-      beforeShot: (typeof spec === "string" ? undefined : spec.beforeShot) ?? beforeShot ?? null,
+      before: hooks.before ?? before ?? null,
+      beforeShot: hooks.beforeShot ?? beforeShot ?? null,
+      topLevel: {
+        before: top(hooks.before, before),
+        beforeShot: top(hooks.beforeShot, beforeShot),
+      },
     };
     const same = out.get(name(route));
     // JSON drops a function but keeps a null, so hooks are compared on their own below.
     if (
       same &&
-      JSON.stringify({ ...same, before: 0, beforeShot: 0 }) !==
-        JSON.stringify({ ...route, before: 0, beforeShot: 0 })
+      JSON.stringify({ ...same, before: 0, beforeShot: 0, topLevel: 0 }) !==
+        JSON.stringify({ ...route, before: 0, beforeShot: 0, topLevel: 0 })
     ) {
       throw new Error(`two routes both read as ${name(route)}; change one of their selectors`);
     }
@@ -277,9 +286,15 @@ export interface RenderdiffConfig {
   right?: string;
   /** Routes to diff when none are passed on the command line. A route object may take a `selector`, `before` and `beforeShot`. */
   routes?: RouteSpec[];
-  /** A {@link Hook} for every route without its own `before`, CLI routes included. */
+  /**
+   * A {@link Hook} for every route without its own `before` (which can call it as
+   * `ctx.topLevel`), CLI routes included.
+   */
   before?: Hook;
-  /** A {@link Hook} for every route without its own `beforeShot`, CLI routes included. */
+  /**
+   * A {@link Hook} for every route without its own `beforeShot` (which can call it as
+   * `ctx.topLevel`), CLI routes included.
+   */
   beforeShot?: Hook;
   /**
    * Playwright storage state files (cookies, localStorage) to start each side with, e.g. to be
diff --git a/tests/unit/cache.test.ts b/tests/unit/cache.test.ts
index f63d79f..0bb913f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cache.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cache.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { after, describe, test } from "node:test";
 import { cacheFile, replayable, REPLAY_TTL, saveRecording, shotId } from "../../src/cache.ts";
-import { parseRoutes, resolveConfig } from "../../src/config.ts";
+import { type Hook, parseRoutes, resolveConfig } from "../../src/config.ts";
 import { cleanupTempDirs, tempDir } from "../helpers/cli.ts";
 
 after(cleanupTempDirs);
@@ -106,6 +106,17 @@ describe("keys", () => {
     assert.notEqual(shotId(route!, 1440), shotId(hooked, 1440));
     const shotHooked = parseRoutes(["/a"], undefined, undefined, async () => {})[0]!;
     assert.notEqual(shotId(route!, 1440), shotId(shotHooked, 1440));
+    const own = async () => {};
+    const withTop = (top: Hook) =>
+      shotId(parseRoutes([{ left: "/a", before: own }], undefined, top)[0]!, 1440);
+    const reload: Hook = async (page) => {
+      await page.reload();
+    };
+    assert.notEqual(
+      withTop(async () => {}),
+      withTop(reload),
+      "the top-level hook it calls",
+    );
     assert.notEqual(shotId(route!, 1440), shotId(route!, 375));
     assert.equal(shotId(route!, 1440), shotId(paired, 1440), "the left path doesn't matter");
   });
diff --git a/tests/visual/guardrails.test.ts b/tests/visual/guardrails.test.ts
index ec5ff90..6a0c450 100644
--- a/tests/visual/guardrails.test.ts
+++ b/tests/visual/guardrails.test.ts
@@ -910,6 +910,16 @@ describe("before hooks", () => {
     assert.equal(result(results(run.outDir), "/menu", 1440).diffPixels, 0, context(run));
   });
 
+  test("a route's own hook can run the top-level one as ctx.topLevel", async () => {
+    const run = await hooked(
+      '{ before: async (page, { side }) => { await page.locator("h1").evaluate((h, t) => (h.textContent = t), side); }, ' +
+        'routes: [{ left: "/menu", before: async (page, { topLevel }) => { await topLevel?.(); } }] }',
+    );
+    assert.equal(run.code, 1, context(run));
+    const r = result(results(run.outDir), "/menu", 1440);
+    assert.deepEqual([r.text.added, r.text.removed], [["left"], ["right"]], context(run));
+  });
+
   test("a hook that throws is a route error naming the hook, and is not retried", async () => {
     const before = site.hits("/menu");
     // A message the transient-error retry would otherwise match.