diff --git a/packages/table-core/src/core/rows/coreRowsFeature.utils.ts b/packages/table-core/src/core/rows/coreRowsFeature.utils.ts
index cf41cf7d67..6891f48f7c 100644
--- a/packages/table-core/src/core/rows/coreRowsFeature.utils.ts
+++ b/packages/table-core/src/core/rows/coreRowsFeature.utils.ts
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ export function table_getMaxSubRowDepth<
 /**
  * Looks up this row's direct parent, if it has one.
  *
- * Parent lookup searches the pre-pagination row model so parent relationships
- * are available even when the parent is not on the current page.
+ * Parent lookup prefers the core row model for structural parents, then falls
+ * back to the pre-pagination row model for generated parent rows.
  *
  * @example
  * ```ts
@@ -200,7 +200,14 @@ export function row_getParentRow<
   TFeatures extends TableFeatures,
   TData extends RowData,
 >(row: Row<TFeatures, TData>) {
-  return row.parentId ? row.table.getRow(row.parentId, true) : undefined
+  if (!row.parentId) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  return (
+    row.table.getCoreRowModel().rowsById[row.parentId] ??
+    row.table.getRow(row.parentId, true)
+  )
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/table-core/tests/implementation/features/column-filtering/createFilteredRowModel.test.ts b/packages/table-core/tests/implementation/features/column-filtering/createFilteredRowModel.test.ts
index 455a34f509..a6b3d1427d 100644
--- a/packages/table-core/tests/implementation/features/column-filtering/createFilteredRowModel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/table-core/tests/implementation/features/column-filtering/createFilteredRowModel.test.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,55 @@ const rowNames = (rows: Array<{ original: { name: string } }>) =>
   rows.map((row) => row.original.name)
 
 describe('createFilteredRowModel', () => {
+  it('allows a filter function to inspect structural parent rows', () => {
+    const parentAwareFilter: FilterFn<typeof features, NestedRow> = (
+      row,
+      columnId,
+      filterValue,
+    ) => {
+      const parent = row.getParentRow()
+      return [row, parent]
+        .filter((candidate) => candidate !== undefined)
+        .some((candidate) =>
+          String(candidate.getValue(columnId))
+            .toLowerCase()
+            .includes(String(filterValue).toLowerCase()),
+        )
+    }
+    const table = constructTable<typeof features, NestedRow>({
+      features,
+      columns: [
+        {
+          accessorKey: 'name',
+          id: 'name',
+          filterFn: parentAwareFilter,
+        },
+      ],
+      data: [
+        { name: 'parent', subRows: [{ name: 'child' }] },
+        { name: 'other', subRows: [{ name: 'nested' }] },
+      ],
+      getSubRows: (row) => row.subRows,
+      initialState: {
+        columnFilters: [{ id: 'name', value: 'parent' }],
+      },
+    })
+
+    expect(() => table.getFilteredRowModel()).not.toThrow()
+    expect(rowNames(table.getFilteredRowModel().flatRows).sort()).toEqual([
+      'child',
+      'parent',
+    ])
+
+    table.setColumnFilters([{ id: 'name', value: 'other' }])
+
+    expect(() => table.getFilteredRowModel()).not.toThrow()
+    expect(rowNames(table.getFilteredRowModel().flatRows).sort()).toEqual([
+      'nested',
+      'other',
+    ])
+  })
+
   it('should assign display indexes in filtered row order', () => {
     const table = constructTable<typeof features, TestRow>({
       features,