diff --git a/packages/react-router/tests/issue-8128-descendant-lifecycle-context.test.tsx b/packages/react-router/tests/issue-8128-descendant-lifecycle-context.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a648c3326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router/tests/issue-8128-descendant-lifecycle-context.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { cleanup, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  RouterProvider,
+  createMemoryHistory,
+  createRootRoute,
+  createRoute,
+  createRouter,
+  notFound,
+} from '../src'
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup()
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+})
+
+test('a structural descendant below a not-found boundary does not run onEnter when its component cannot render', async () => {
+  const parentOnEnter = vi.fn()
+  const unavailableOnEnter = vi.fn()
+  const descendantOnEnter = vi.fn()
+
+  const rootRoute = createRootRoute()
+  const tenantRoute = createRoute({
+    onEnter: parentOnEnter,
+    getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
+    path: 'tenants/$tenantId',
+  })
+  const unavailableSettingsRoute = createRoute({
+    onEnter: unavailableOnEnter,
+    getParentRoute: () => tenantRoute,
+    path: 'settings',
+    beforeLoad: () => {
+      throw notFound()
+    },
+    notFoundComponent: () => <div>Tenant settings unavailable</div>,
+  })
+  const profileRoute = createRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => unavailableSettingsRoute,
+    path: 'profile',
+    onEnter: descendantOnEnter,
+    component: () => <div>Profile settings</div>,
+  })
+  const router = createRouter({
+    routeTree: rootRoute.addChildren([
+      tenantRoute.addChildren([
+        unavailableSettingsRoute.addChildren([profileRoute]),
+      ]),
+    ]),
+    history: createMemoryHistory({
+      initialEntries: ['/tenants/acme/settings/profile'],
+    }),
+  })
+
+  render(<RouterProvider router={router} />)
+
+  expect(
+    await screen.findByText('Tenant settings unavailable'),
+  ).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+  expect(screen.queryByText('Profile settings')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  expect(parentOnEnter).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(unavailableOnEnter).toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(descendantOnEnter).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+})
diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/router.ts b/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
index 900609098e..b156f8872a 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/router.ts
@@ -938,24 +938,49 @@ export function runRouteLifecycle(
     if (owner && router._tx !== owner) {
       return
     }
-    if (!matches.some((candidate) => candidate.routeId === match.routeId)) {
+    if (
+      matches.find(
+        (candidate) =>
+          candidate.routeId === match.routeId ||
+          candidate.status === 'error' ||
+          candidate.status === 'notFound' ||
+          candidate._notFound,
+      )?.routeId !== match.routeId
+    ) {
       ;(router.routesById as Record<string, AnyRoute>)[
         match.routeId
       ]!.options.onLeave?.(match)
     }
+    if (
+      match.status === 'error' ||
+      match.status === 'notFound' ||
+      match._notFound
+    ) {
+      break
+    }
   }
   for (const match of matches) {
     if (owner && router._tx !== owner) {
       return
     }
-    const route = (router.routesById as Record<string, AnyRoute>)[
-      match.routeId
-    ]!
-    route.options[
-      previous.some((candidate) => candidate.routeId === match.routeId)
+    ;(router.routesById as Record<string, AnyRoute>)[match.routeId]!.options[
+      previous.find(
+        (candidate) =>
+          candidate.routeId === match.routeId ||
+          candidate.status === 'error' ||
+          candidate.status === 'notFound' ||
+          candidate._notFound,
+      )?.routeId === match.routeId
         ? 'onStay'
         : 'onEnter'
     ]?.(match)
+    if (
+      match.status === 'error' ||
+      match.status === 'notFound' ||
+      match._notFound
+    ) {
+      break
+    }
   }
 }