diff --git a/lib/Mojolicious/Controller.pm b/lib/Mojolicious/Controller.pm
index 7e2d13981b..fc2e2254ea 100644
--- a/lib/Mojolicious/Controller.pm
+++ b/lib/Mojolicious/Controller.pm
@@ -133,13 +133,14 @@ sub render {
 
   # Localize "extends" and "layout" to allow argument overrides
   my ($maybe, $ts) = @{$args}{'mojo.maybe', 'mojo.string'};
-  my $stash = $self->stash;
+  my $stash  = $self->stash;
+  my $inline = exists $args->{inline} || exists $stash->{inline};
   local $stash->{layout}  = $stash->{layout}  if exists $stash->{layout};
   local $stash->{extends} = $stash->{extends} if exists $stash->{extends};
 
-  # Rendering to string
+  # Rendering to string or using inline templates
   local @{$stash}{keys %$args}         if $ts || $maybe;
-  delete @{$stash}{qw(layout extends)} if $ts;
+  delete @{$stash}{qw(layout extends)} if $ts || $inline;
 
   # All other arguments just become part of the stash
   @$stash{keys %$args} = values %$args;
diff --git a/lib/Mojolicious/Guides/Rendering.pod b/lib/Mojolicious/Guides/Rendering.pod
index b173277028..a4ed30fbe7 100644
--- a/lib/Mojolicious/Guides/Rendering.pod
+++ b/lib/Mojolicious/Guides/Rendering.pod
@@ -525,8 +525,9 @@ To set a C<layout> stash value application-wide you can use L<Mojolicious/"defau
 
   $app->defaults(layout => 'mylayout');
 
-Layouts can also be used with L<Mojolicious::Controller/"render_to_string">, but the C<layout> value needs to be passed
-as a render argument (not a stash value).
+Layouts can also be used with L<Mojolicious::Controller/"render_to_string">, or when rendering
+L<inline templates|/"Rendering inline templates">, but the C<layout> value needs to be passed as a render argument
+(not a stash value).
 
   my $html = $c->render_to_string('reminder', layout => 'mail');
 
diff --git a/lib/Mojolicious/Renderer.pm b/lib/Mojolicious/Renderer.pm
index 1e7dd70d1f..ed811336f9 100644
--- a/lib/Mojolicious/Renderer.pm
+++ b/lib/Mojolicious/Renderer.pm
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ sub render {
   # Inheritance
   my $content = $stash->{'mojo.content'} //= {};
   local $content->{content} = $output =~ /\S/ ? $output : undef if $stash->{extends} || $stash->{layout};
-  while ((my $next = _next($stash)) && !defined $inline) {
+  delete $options->{inline};
+  while ((my $next = _next($stash))) {
     @$options{qw(handler template)} = ($stash->{handler}, $next);
     $options->{format} = $stash->{format} || $self->default_format;
     if ($self->_render_template($c, \my $tmp, $options)) { $output = $tmp }
diff --git a/t/mojolicious/layouted_lite_app.t b/t/mojolicious/layouted_lite_app.t
index 8756f96587..8976b5e6e7 100644
--- a/t/mojolicious/layouted_lite_app.t
+++ b/t/mojolicious/layouted_lite_app.t
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ get '/content_with';
 
 get '/inline' => {inline => '<%= "inline!" %>'};
 
+get '/inline/explicit_layout' => sub {
+  my $c = shift;
+  $c->render(inline => '<%= "inline!" %>', layout => 'layout');
+};
+
 get '/inline/again' => {inline => 0};
 
 get '/data' => {data => 0};
@@ -254,6 +259,11 @@ subtest 'Inline template' => sub {
   $t->get_ok('/inline')->status_is(200)->header_is(Server => 'Mojolicious (Perl)')->content_is("inline!\n");
 };
 
+subtest 'Inline with layout' => sub {
+  $t->get_ok('/inline/explicit_layout')->status_is(200)->header_is(Server => 'Mojolicious (Perl)')
+    ->content_is("layouted inline!\n\n");
+};
+
 subtest '"0" inline template' => sub {
   $t->get_ok('/inline/again')->status_is(200)->header_is(Server => 'Mojolicious (Perl)')->content_is("0\n");
 };