diff --git a/middleware/rate_limiter.go b/middleware/rate_limiter.go
index e80c51df1..9756daf50 100644
--- a/middleware/rate_limiter.go
+++ b/middleware/rate_limiter.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"math"
 	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -14,11 +15,25 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
 )
 
+// Rate limit response headers set by stores that implement RateLimiterStoreContext.
+const (
+	HeaderXRateLimitLimit     = "X-RateLimit-Limit"
+	HeaderXRateLimitRemaining = "X-RateLimit-Remaining"
+)
+
 // RateLimiterStore is the interface to be implemented by custom stores.
 type RateLimiterStore interface {
 	Allow(identifier string) (bool, error)
 }
 
+// RateLimiterStoreContext is an optional interface a RateLimiterStore may implement.
+// When the configured store implements it, the rate limiter calls AllowContext
+// (with the request context) instead of Allow, allowing the store to set response
+// headers such as Retry-After or X-RateLimit-* on the allow/deny decision.
+type RateLimiterStoreContext interface {
+	AllowContext(c *echo.Context, identifier string) (bool, error)
+}
+
 // RateLimiterConfig defines the configuration for the rate limiter
 type RateLimiterConfig struct {
 	Skipper    Skipper
@@ -136,7 +151,14 @@ func (config RateLimiterConfig) ToMiddleware() (echo.MiddlewareFunc, error) {
 				return config.ErrorHandler(c, err)
 			}
 
-			if allow, allowErr := config.Store.Allow(identifier); !allow {
+			var allow bool
+			var allowErr error
+			if sc, ok := config.Store.(RateLimiterStoreContext); ok {
+				allow, allowErr = sc.AllowContext(c, identifier)
+			} else {
+				allow, allowErr = config.Store.Allow(identifier)
+			}
+			if !allow {
 				return config.DenyHandler(c, identifier, allowErr)
 			}
 			return next(c)
@@ -232,7 +254,22 @@ var DefaultRateLimiterMemoryStoreConfig = RateLimiterMemoryStoreConfig{
 
 // Allow implements RateLimiterStore.Allow
 func (store *RateLimiterMemoryStore) Allow(identifier string) (bool, error) {
+	_, allowed := store.allow(identifier)
+	return allowed, nil
+}
+
+// AllowContext implements RateLimiterStoreContext: it makes the allow/deny decision
+// and sets the X-RateLimit-* (and Retry-After when denied) response headers.
+func (store *RateLimiterMemoryStore) AllowContext(c *echo.Context, identifier string) (bool, error) {
+	limiter, allowed := store.allow(identifier)
+	store.setRateLimitHeaders(c, limiter, allowed)
+	return allowed, nil
+}
+
+func (store *RateLimiterMemoryStore) allow(identifier string) (*rate.Limiter, bool) {
 	store.mutex.Lock()
+	defer store.mutex.Unlock()
+
 	limiter, exists := store.visitors[identifier]
 	if !exists {
 		limiter = new(Visitor)
@@ -244,9 +281,26 @@ func (store *RateLimiterMemoryStore) Allow(identifier string) (bool, error) {
 	if now.Sub(store.lastCleanup) > store.expiresIn {
 		store.cleanupStaleVisitors(now)
 	}
-	allowed := limiter.AllowN(now, 1)
-	store.mutex.Unlock()
-	return allowed, nil
+	return limiter.Limiter, limiter.AllowN(now, 1)
+}
+
+func (store *RateLimiterMemoryStore) setRateLimitHeaders(c *echo.Context, limiter *rate.Limiter, allowed bool) {
+	header := c.Response().Header()
+	header.Set(HeaderXRateLimitLimit, strconv.Itoa(store.burst))
+
+	remaining := int(math.Floor(limiter.Tokens()))
+	if remaining < 0 {
+		remaining = 0
+	}
+	header.Set(HeaderXRateLimitRemaining, strconv.Itoa(remaining))
+
+	if !allowed {
+		reservation := limiter.ReserveN(store.timeNow(), 1)
+		if delay := reservation.Delay(); delay > 0 {
+			header.Set(echo.HeaderRetryAfter, strconv.Itoa(int(math.Ceil(delay.Seconds()))))
+		}
+		reservation.Cancel()
+	}
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/middleware/rate_limiter_context_test.go b/middleware/rate_limiter_context_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..629c01e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleware/rate_limiter_context_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: © 2015 LabStack LLC and Echo contributors
+
+package middleware
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+// ctxAwareStore implements both Allow and the optional AllowContext. AllowContext
+// gives the store the request context so it can set response headers (e.g.
+// Retry-After / X-RateLimit-*) — see #2961.
+type ctxAwareStore struct {
+	allowCalled    bool
+	ctxAllowCalled bool
+	allow          bool
+}
+
+func (s *ctxAwareStore) Allow(identifier string) (bool, error) {
+	s.allowCalled = true
+	return s.allow, nil
+}
+
+func (s *ctxAwareStore) AllowContext(c *echo.Context, identifier string) (bool, error) {
+	s.ctxAllowCalled = true
+	c.Response().Header().Set("Retry-After", "42")
+	return s.allow, nil
+}
+
+// When the store implements AllowContext, the middleware must call it instead of
+// Allow, so the store can set rate-limit headers on the response.
+func TestRateLimiter_storeAllowContextIsPreferred(t *testing.T) {
+	e := echo.New()
+	store := &ctxAwareStore{allow: true}
+	mw := RateLimiterWithConfig(RateLimiterConfig{
+		Store:               store,
+		IdentifierExtractor: func(c *echo.Context) (string, error) { return "id", nil },
+	})
+	handler := mw(func(c *echo.Context) error { return c.String(http.StatusOK, "ok") })
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	c := e.NewContext(req, rec)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, handler(c))
+	assert.True(t, store.ctxAllowCalled, "AllowContext should be called when implemented")
+	assert.False(t, store.allowCalled, "Allow should not be called when AllowContext is implemented")
+	assert.Equal(t, "42", rec.Header().Get("Retry-After"), "store should be able to set headers via the context")
+}
+
+// The built-in memory store implements AllowContext, so it sets X-RateLimit-Limit /
+// X-RateLimit-Remaining on every request and Retry-After when the limit is hit (#2961).
+func TestRateLimiterMemoryStore_AllowContextSetsHeaders(t *testing.T) {
+	store := NewRateLimiterMemoryStoreWithConfig(RateLimiterMemoryStoreConfig{Rate: 1, Burst: 3})
+	e := echo.New()
+	e.GET("/", func(c *echo.Context) error { return c.String(http.StatusOK, "ok") },
+		RateLimiterWithConfig(RateLimiterConfig{
+			Store:               store,
+			IdentifierExtractor: func(c *echo.Context) (string, error) { return "id", nil },
+		}))
+
+	do := func() *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
+		req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+		rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		e.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+		return rec
+	}
+
+	// Burst of 3: each allowed request advertises the limit and decreasing remaining.
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		rec := do()
+		assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
+		assert.Equal(t, "3", rec.Header().Get(HeaderXRateLimitLimit))
+		assert.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(2-i), rec.Header().Get(HeaderXRateLimitRemaining))
+		assert.Empty(t, rec.Header().Get(echo.HeaderRetryAfter))
+	}
+
+	// 4th request is denied: 429, remaining 0, and a Retry-After hint.
+	rec := do()
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusTooManyRequests, rec.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, "0", rec.Header().Get(HeaderXRateLimitRemaining))
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, rec.Header().Get(echo.HeaderRetryAfter))
+}