diff --git a/docs/articles/migrate-to-v2.md b/docs/articles/migrate-to-v2.md
index 5413dc4..3d7f5b1 100644
--- a/docs/articles/migrate-to-v2.md
+++ b/docs/articles/migrate-to-v2.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ step; see [Version compatibility](version-compatibility.md) for that.
 | [HX-Location](#replace-ajaxcontext-with-htmxlocationoptions)        | `AjaxContext` becomes `HtmxLocationOptions`                                         | Build             |
 | [Client events](#update-client-events)                              | Event names and detail dictionary keys keep their case; repeated names are kept     | Build, **silent** |
 | [Typed response headers](#update-typed-response-headers)            | `HtmxResponseHeaders` is a struct; event properties are read-only                   | Build             |
-| [`[HtmxResponse]`](#update-htmxresponse)                            | Restricted to classes and methods, one per target, inherited                        | Build, **silent** |
+| [`[HtmxResponse]`](#update-htmxresponse)                            | Restricted to classes and methods, one per target, inherited; code overrides it     | Build, **silent** |
 
 ## Update the package
 
@@ -459,6 +459,9 @@ Other changes:
 - Merge several `[HtmxResponse]` attributes on one target into one. Duplicates and other targets are now build errors.
 - An attribute on a base controller or page model now applies to derived classes. In 1.x, it was ignored there.
   An attribute on a derived class replaces the inherited one.
+- The attribute sets its headers before the action or page handler runs, so values set in code take precedence.
+  In 1.x, it set them before the result executed and replaced the values that the action had set,
+  for example with `Response.Htmx(htmx => htmx.Retarget(...))`. Review actions that rely on the attribute winning.
 - `StopPolling` was removed; see [Replace StopPolling](#replace-stoppolling).
 
 ## Other changes
diff --git a/docs/articles/responses.md b/docs/articles/responses.md
index d227f4d..bbb184d 100644
--- a/docs/articles/responses.md
+++ b/docs/articles/responses.md
@@ -312,6 +312,10 @@ When a controller and its action specify the same header, the action's value tak
 A derived class inherits the attribute from its base class; an attribute declared on the derived class
 replaces the inherited one entirely.
 
+The attribute sets its headers before the action or page handler runs, so it works as a default.
+The code can replace a header with `Response.Htmx(...)` or remove it through `Response.GetHtmxHeaders()`,
+for example to retarget validation errors.
+
 ## Access headers directly
 
 Use `Response.GetHtmxHeaders()` when middleware or shared infrastructure needs property access instead of fluent chaining:
diff --git a/src/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit/HtmxResponseAttribute.cs b/src/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit/HtmxResponseAttribute.cs
index 2d8c48e..1d5479e 100644
--- a/src/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit/HtmxResponseAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit/HtmxResponseAttribute.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Filters;
 
 using Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Internal;
@@ -8,13 +9,16 @@
 namespace Ramstack.HtmxToolkit;
 
 /// <summary>
-/// Specifies HTMX response headers to apply when an action result is executed for an HTMX request.
+/// Specifies HTMX response headers to apply to the response to an HTMX request
+/// before the action or page handler runs.
 /// </summary>
 /// <remarks>
 /// <para>
 ///   A property that is not set, or is set to <see langword="false" />, <see langword="null" />,
-///   or an empty string, adds no header. The specified headers replace any values that the action
-///   has already set for them.
+///   or an empty string, adds no header. Because the headers are set before the action or page handler runs,
+///   the code can replace or remove them, for example with
+///   <see cref="HttpResponseExtensions.Htmx(HttpResponse, Action{HtmxResponse})" />.
+///   If another filter short-circuits the action or page handler, the headers are not set.
 /// </para>
 /// <para>
 ///   The attribute can be applied to an action, a controller, or a Razor Pages page model.
@@ -28,7 +32,7 @@ namespace Ramstack.HtmxToolkit;
 /// </para>
 /// </remarks>
 [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class | AttributeTargets.Method, Inherited = true, AllowMultiple = false)]
-public sealed class HtmxResponseAttribute : Attribute, IResultFilter
+public sealed class HtmxResponseAttribute : Attribute, IActionFilter, IPageFilter
 {
     private readonly List<(string Key, string Value)> _headers = [];
 
@@ -94,22 +98,42 @@ public string Reselect
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public void OnResultExecuting(ResultExecutingContext context)
+    public void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext context) =>
+        ApplyHeaders(context.HttpContext);
+
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public void OnActionExecuted(ActionExecutedContext context)
     {
-        if (context.HttpContext.Request.IsHtmxRequest())
-        {
-            var response = context.HttpContext.Response;
-            var headers = response.Headers;
-            foreach (ref var kvp in CollectionsMarshal.AsSpan(_headers))
-                headers[kvp.Key] = kvp.Value;
-        }
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public void OnResultExecuted(ResultExecutedContext context)
+    public void OnPageHandlerSelected(PageHandlerSelectedContext context)
     {
     }
 
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public void OnPageHandlerExecuting(PageHandlerExecutingContext context) =>
+        ApplyHeaders(context.HttpContext);
+
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public void OnPageHandlerExecuted(PageHandlerExecutedContext context)
+    {
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Sets the specified headers if the request is an HTMX request.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="context">The HTTP context of the request.</param>
+    private void ApplyHeaders(HttpContext context)
+    {
+        if (context.Request.IsHtmxRequest())
+        {
+            var headers = context.Response.Headers;
+            foreach (ref var kvp in CollectionsMarshal.AsSpan(_headers))
+                headers[kvp.Key] = kvp.Value;
+        }
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets the pending value of the specified response header.
     /// </summary>
diff --git a/tests/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests/HtmxResponseAttributeTests.cs b/tests/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests/HtmxResponseAttributeTests.cs
index 46de7d6..e886cf8 100644
--- a/tests/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests/HtmxResponseAttributeTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests/HtmxResponseAttributeTests.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Abstractions;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Filters;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Routing;
 
 namespace Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests;
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ namespace Ramstack.HtmxToolkit.Tests;
 public class HtmxResponseAttributeTests
 {
     [Test]
-    public void OnResultExecuting_SetsHeaders_ForHtmxRequest()
+    public void OnActionExecuting_SetsHeaders_ForHtmxRequest()
     {
         var ctx = TestHelper.CreateHtmxRequestContext();
         var res = new HtmxResponseAttribute
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ public void OnResultExecuting_SetsHeaders_ForHtmxRequest()
             Reselect = "#list"
         };
 
-        res.OnResultExecuting(CreateContext(ctx));
+        res.OnActionExecuting(CreateActionContext(ctx));
 
         Assert.That(ctx.Response.Headers[HtmxResponseHeaderNames.Refresh], Is.EqualTo("true"));
         Assert.That(ctx.Response.Headers[HtmxResponseHeaderNames.Reswap], Is.EqualTo("outerHTML"));
@@ -30,25 +31,36 @@ public void OnResultExecuting_SetsHeaders_ForHtmxRequest()
     }
 
     [Test]
-    public void OnResultExecuting_SetsNoHeaders_ForNonHtmxRequest()
+    public void OnPageHandlerExecuting_SetsHeaders_ForHtmxRequest()
+    {
+        var ctx = TestHelper.CreateHtmxRequestContext();
+        var res = new HtmxResponseAttribute { Retarget = "#content" };
+
+        res.OnPageHandlerExecuting(CreatePageHandlerContext(ctx));
+
+        Assert.That(ctx.Response.Headers[HtmxResponseHeaderNames.Retarget], Is.EqualTo("#content"));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public void OnActionExecuting_SetsNoHeaders_ForNonHtmxRequest()
     {
         var ctx = TestHelper.CreateHttpContext();
         var res = new HtmxResponseAttribute { Retarget = "#content" };
 
-        res.OnResultExecuting(CreateContext(ctx));
+        res.OnActionExecuting(CreateActionContext(ctx));
 
         Assert.That(ctx.Response.Headers.ContainsKey(HtmxResponseHeaderNames.Retarget), Is.False);
     }
 
     [Test]
-    public void OnResultExecuting_SetsNoHeaders_ForHistoryRestoreRequest()
+    public void OnActionExecuting_SetsNoHeaders_ForHistoryRestoreRequest()
     {
         var ctx = TestHelper.CreateHttpContext(
             (HtmxRequestHeaderNames.Request, "true"),
             (HtmxRequestHeaderNames.HistoryRestoreRequest, "true"));
         var res = new HtmxResponseAttribute { Retarget = "#content" };
 
-        res.OnResultExecuting(CreateContext(ctx));
+        res.OnActionExecuting(CreateActionContext(ctx));
 
         Assert.That(ctx.Response.Headers.ContainsKey(HtmxResponseHeaderNames.Retarget), Is.False);
     }
@@ -79,12 +91,22 @@ public void ReswapExpression_RoundTrips()
         Assert.That(res.ReswapExpression, Is.EqualTo("outerHTML ignoreTitle:true"));
     }
 
-    private static ResultExecutingContext CreateContext(HttpContext context)
+    private static ActionExecutingContext CreateActionContext(HttpContext context)
     {
-        return new ResultExecutingContext(
+        return new ActionExecutingContext(
             new ActionContext(context, new RouteData(), new ActionDescriptor()),
             new List<IFilterMetadata>(),
-            new EmptyResult(),
+            new Dictionary<string, object?>(),
+            new object());
+    }
+
+    private static PageHandlerExecutingContext CreatePageHandlerContext(HttpContext context)
+    {
+        return new PageHandlerExecutingContext(
+            new PageContext(new ActionContext(context, new RouteData(), new CompiledPageActionDescriptor())),
+            new List<IFilterMetadata>(),
+            handlerMethod: null,
+            new Dictionary<string, object?>(),
             new object());
     }
 }