diff --git a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
index 74cca4a4f..47448f925 100644
--- a/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
+++ b/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile/httptype.go
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ func (ServerType) extractNamedRoutes(
 	replacer ShorthandReplacer,
 ) ([]serverBlock, error) {
 	namedRoutes := map[string]*caddyhttp.Route{}
+	namedRouteInvokes := map[string][]string{}
 
 	gc := counter{new(int)}
 	state := make(map[string]any)
@@ -528,8 +529,19 @@ func (ServerType) extractNamedRoutes(
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot have duplicate named_routes: %s", key)
 		}
 		namedRoutes[key] = &route
+
+		// remember which named routes this named route invokes,
+		// so they can also be attached to any server that invokes
+		// this one
+		if state[namedRouteKey] != nil {
+			for name := range state[namedRouteKey].(map[string]struct{}) {
+				namedRouteInvokes[key] = append(namedRouteInvokes[key], name)
+			}
+			state[namedRouteKey] = nil
+		}
 	}
 	options["named_routes"] = namedRoutes
+	options["named_route_invokes"] = namedRouteInvokes
 
 	return filtered, nil
 }
@@ -721,6 +733,7 @@ func (st *ServerType) serversFromPairings(
 
 		// add named routes to the server if 'invoke' was used inside of it
 		configuredNamedRoutes := options["named_routes"].(map[string]*caddyhttp.Route)
+		namedRouteInvokes := options["named_route_invokes"].(map[string][]string)
 		for _, sblock := range p.serverBlocks {
 			if len(sblock.pile[namedRouteKey]) == 0 {
 				continue
@@ -729,11 +742,21 @@ func (st *ServerType) serversFromPairings(
 				if srv.NamedRoutes == nil {
 					srv.NamedRoutes = map[string]*caddyhttp.Route{}
 				}
-				name := value.Value.(string)
-				if configuredNamedRoutes[name] == nil {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot invoke named route '%s', which was not defined", name)
+				// named routes may invoke other named routes, so
+				// resolve the set of invoked names transitively
+				names := []string{value.Value.(string)}
+				for len(names) > 0 {
+					name := names[0]
+					names = names[1:]
+					if _, ok := srv.NamedRoutes[name]; ok {
+						continue
+					}
+					if configuredNamedRoutes[name] == nil {
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot invoke named route '%s', which was not defined", name)
+					}
+					srv.NamedRoutes[name] = configuredNamedRoutes[name]
+					names = append(names, namedRouteInvokes[name]...)
 				}
-				srv.NamedRoutes[name] = configuredNamedRoutes[name]
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_named_routes.caddyfiletest b/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_named_routes.caddyfiletest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..937723d3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_named_routes.caddyfiletest
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+&(a) {
+	invoke b
+	respond "a"
+}
+
+&(b) {
+	invoke c
+	respond "b"
+}
+
+&(c) {
+	respond "c"
+}
+
+&(loop1) {
+	invoke loop2
+	respond "loop1"
+}
+
+&(loop2) {
+	invoke loop1
+	respond "loop2"
+}
+
+:8080 {
+	invoke a
+}
+
+:8081 {
+	invoke loop1
+}
+----------
+{
+	"apps": {
+		"http": {
+			"servers": {
+				"srv0": {
+					"listen": [
+						":8080"
+					],
+					"routes": [
+						{
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "a"
+								}
+							]
+						}
+					],
+					"named_routes": {
+						"a": {
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "b"
+								}
+							]
+						},
+						"b": {
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "c"
+								}
+							]
+						},
+						"c": {
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"body": "c",
+									"handler": "static_response"
+								}
+							]
+						}
+					}
+				},
+				"srv1": {
+					"listen": [
+						":8081"
+					],
+					"routes": [
+						{
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "loop1"
+								}
+							]
+						}
+					],
+					"named_routes": {
+						"loop1": {
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "loop2"
+								}
+							]
+						},
+						"loop2": {
+							"handle": [
+								{
+									"handler": "invoke",
+									"name": "loop1"
+								}
+							]
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_undefined_named_route.caddyfiletest b/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_undefined_named_route.caddyfiletest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3feca7f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/caddytest/integration/caddyfile_adapt/invoke_nested_undefined_named_route.caddyfiletest
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+&(outer) {
+	invoke missing
+	respond "outer"
+}
+
+example.com {
+	invoke outer
+}
+----------
+cannot invoke named route 'missing', which was not defined