diff --git a/.changeset/feat-query-cache-on-error-failure-count.md b/.changeset/feat-query-cache-on-error-failure-count.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cae36735d88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/feat-query-cache-on-error-failure-count.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+"@tanstack/query-core": minor
+---
+
+feat(query-core): pass `failureCount` to `QueryCache` `onError` callback
+
+The `onError` callback in `QueryCacheConfig` now receives a third argument `failureCount: number` indicating how many retry attempts occurred before the final failure (0 means no retries happened).
+
+This allows differentiated error handling based on the retry count:
+
+```ts
+new QueryCache({
+  onError: (error, query, failureCount) => {
+    if (failureCount === 0) {
+      toast.error('Request failed')
+    } else {
+      toast.error(`Request failed after ${failureCount} retries`)
+    }
+  },
+})
+```
diff --git a/packages/query-core/src/__tests__/queryCache.test.tsx b/packages/query-core/src/__tests__/queryCache.test.tsx
index 1238bcf44a9..bf094e78273 100644
--- a/packages/query-core/src/__tests__/queryCache.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/query-core/src/__tests__/queryCache.test.tsx
@@ -325,12 +325,32 @@ describe('queryCache', () => {
       })
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100)
       const query = testCache.find({ queryKey: key })
-      expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('error', query)
+      expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('error', query, 0)
       expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(onSuccess).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
       expect(onSettled).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(onSettled).toHaveBeenCalledWith(undefined, 'error', query)
     })
+
+    it('should pass the retry count to onError when retries are exhausted', async () => {
+      const key = queryKey()
+      const onError = vi.fn()
+      const testCache = new QueryCache({ onError })
+      const testClient = new QueryClient({ queryCache: testCache })
+      testClient.prefetchQuery({
+        queryKey: key,
+        queryFn: () => Promise.reject<unknown>('error'),
+        retry: 2,
+        retryDelay: 10,
+      })
+      // advance past initial attempt + 2 retry delays
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10)
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10)
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10)
+      const query = testCache.find({ queryKey: key })
+      expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('error', query, 2)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('QueryCacheConfig success callbacks', () => {
diff --git a/packages/query-core/src/query.ts b/packages/query-core/src/query.ts
index 62bc9a16082..349d91eb3fe 100644
--- a/packages/query-core/src/query.ts
+++ b/packages/query-core/src/query.ts
@@ -532,6 +532,8 @@ export class Query<
       this.#dispatch({ type: 'fetch', meta: context.fetchOptions?.meta })
     }
 
+    let retryCount = 0
+
     // Try to fetch the data
     this.#retryer = createRetryer({
       initialPromise: fetchOptions?.initialPromise as
@@ -548,6 +550,7 @@ export class Query<
         abortController.abort()
       },
       onFail: (failureCount, error) => {
+        retryCount = failureCount
         this.#dispatch({ type: 'failed', failureCount, error })
       },
       onPause: () => {
@@ -610,6 +613,7 @@ export class Query<
       this.#cache.config.onError?.(
         error as any,
         this as Query<any, any, any, any>,
+        retryCount,
       )
       this.#cache.config.onSettled?.(
         this.state.data,
diff --git a/packages/query-core/src/queryCache.ts b/packages/query-core/src/queryCache.ts
index dd7123eaac8..fc62de1712a 100644
--- a/packages/query-core/src/queryCache.ts
+++ b/packages/query-core/src/queryCache.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ interface QueryCacheConfig {
   onError?: (
     error: DefaultError,
     query: Query<unknown, unknown, unknown>,
+    failureCount: number,
   ) => void
   onSuccess?: (data: unknown, query: Query<unknown, unknown, unknown>) => void
   onSettled?: (