diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/kong/request-aware-table.yml b/changelog/unreleased/kong/request-aware-table.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..96cf070b5d0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/kong/request-aware-table.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+message: Add a request-aware table able to detect accesses from different requests.
+type: feature
+scope: Core
diff --git a/kong-3.5.0-0.rockspec b/kong-3.5.0-0.rockspec
index cf357401cf6b..c02b73864a35 100644
--- a/kong-3.5.0-0.rockspec
+++ b/kong-3.5.0-0.rockspec
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ build = {
     ["kong.tools.kong-lua-sandbox"] = "kong/tools/kong-lua-sandbox.lua",
     ["kong.tools.protobuf"] = "kong/tools/protobuf.lua",
     ["kong.tools.mime_type"] = "kong/tools/mime_type.lua",
+    ["kong.tools.request_aware_table"] = "kong/tools/request_aware_table.lua",
 
     ["kong.runloop.handler"] = "kong/runloop/handler.lua",
     ["kong.runloop.events"] = "kong/runloop/events.lua",
diff --git a/kong/plugins/rate-limiting/policies/init.lua b/kong/plugins/rate-limiting/policies/init.lua
index 12f9f32983e8..80731cb0648b 100644
--- a/kong/plugins/rate-limiting/policies/init.lua
+++ b/kong/plugins/rate-limiting/policies/init.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ local policy_cluster = require "kong.plugins.rate-limiting.policies.cluster"
 local timestamp = require "kong.tools.timestamp"
 local reports = require "kong.reports"
 local redis = require "resty.redis"
-local table_clear = require "table.clear"
+local request_aware_table = require "kong.tools.request_aware_table"
 
 local kong = kong
 local pairs = pairs
@@ -18,23 +18,26 @@ local EMPTY_UUID = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
 -- for `conf.sync_rate > 0`
 local auto_sync_timer
 
-local cur_usage = {
-  --[[
-    [cache_key] = <integer>
-  --]]
-}
+local cur_usage = request_aware_table.new()
+-- {
+--     [[
+--     [cache_key] = <integer>
+--     ]]
+-- }
 
-local cur_usage_expire_at = {
-  --[[
-    [cache_key] = <integer>
-  --]]
-}
+local cur_usage_expire_at = request_aware_table.new()
+-- {
+--     [[
+--     [cache_key] = <integer>
+--     ]]
+-- }
 
-local cur_delta = {
-  --[[
-    [cache_key] = <integer>
-  --]]
-}
+local cur_delta = request_aware_table.new()
+-- {
+--     [[
+--     [cache_key] = <integer>
+--     ]]
+-- }
 
 
 local function is_present(str)
@@ -138,9 +141,9 @@ local function get_redis_connection(conf)
 end
 
 local function clear_local_counter()
-  table_clear(cur_usage)
-  table_clear(cur_usage_expire_at)
-  table_clear(cur_delta)
+  cur_usage:clear()
+  cur_usage_expire_at:clear()
+  cur_delta:clear()
 end
 
 local function sync_to_redis(premature, conf)
diff --git a/kong/templates/nginx_kong.lua b/kong/templates/nginx_kong.lua
index 2da98f9213d6..efa41d2b8239 100644
--- a/kong/templates/nginx_kong.lua
+++ b/kong/templates/nginx_kong.lua
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ log_format kong_log_format '$remote_addr - $remote_user [$time_local] '
 
 # Load variable indexes
 lua_kong_load_var_index default;
+lua_kong_load_var_index $request_id;
 
 upstream kong_upstream {
     server 0.0.0.1;
diff --git a/kong/tools/request_aware_table.lua b/kong/tools/request_aware_table.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fd9f2ad90356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kong/tools/request_aware_table.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+--- NOTE: tool is designed to assist with **detecting** request contamination
+-- issues on CI, during test runs. It does not offer security safeguards.
+
+local table_new = require "table.new"
+local table_clear = require "table.clear"
+
+local debug_mode   = (kong.configuration.log_level == "debug")
+local error        = error
+local rawset       = rawset
+local setmetatable = setmetatable
+local get_phase    = ngx.get_phase
+local var          = ngx.var
+
+
+local NGX_VAR_PHASES = {
+  set           = true,
+  rewrite       = true,
+  access        = true,
+  content       = true,
+  header_filter = true,
+  body_filter   = true,
+  log           = true,
+  balancer      = true,
+}
+local ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K = "__allowed_request_id"
+
+
+-- Check if access is allowed for table, based on the request ID
+local function enforce_sequential_access(table)
+  if not NGX_VAR_PHASES[get_phase()] then
+    -- allow access and reset allowed request ID
+    rawset(table, ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K, nil)
+    return
+  end
+
+  local curr_request_id = var.request_id
+  local allowed_request_id = rawget(table, ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K)
+  if not allowed_request_id then
+    -- first access. Set allowed request ID and allow access
+    rawset(table, ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K, curr_request_id)
+    return
+  end
+
+  if curr_request_id ~= table[ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K] then
+    error("concurrent access from different request to shared table detected", 2)
+  end
+end
+
+
+local function clear_table(self)
+  if not debug_mode then
+    table_clear(self)
+    return
+  end
+
+  table_clear(self.__data)
+  rawset(self, ALLOWED_REQUEST_ID_K, nil)
+end
+
+
+local __proxy_mt = {
+  __index = function(t, k)
+    if k == "clear" then
+      return clear_table
+    end
+
+    enforce_sequential_access(t)
+    return t.__data[k]
+  end,
+
+  __newindex = function(t, k, v)
+    if k == "clear" then
+      error("cannot set the 'clear' method of request aware table", 2)
+    end
+
+    enforce_sequential_access(t)
+    t.__data[k] = v
+  end,
+}
+
+
+local __direct_mt = {
+  __index = { clear = clear_table },
+
+  __newindex = function(t, k, v)
+    if k == "clear" then
+      error("cannot set the 'clear' method of request aware table", 2)
+    end
+
+    rawset(t, k, v)
+  end,
+}
+
+
+-- Request aware table constructor
+--
+-- Creates a new table with request-aware access logic to protect the
+-- underlying data from race conditions.
+-- The table includes a :clear() method to delete all elements.
+--
+-- The request-aware access logic is turned off when `debug_mode` is disabled.
+--
+-- @param narr (optional) pre allocated array elements
+-- @param nrec (optional) pre allocated hash elements
+-- @return The newly created table with request-aware access
+local function new(narr, nrec)
+  if not narr then narr = 0 end
+  if not nrec then nrec = 0 end
+
+  local data = table_new(narr, nrec)
+
+  -- return table without proxy when debug_mode is disabled
+  if not debug_mode then
+    return setmetatable(data, __direct_mt)
+  end
+
+  -- wrap table in proxy (for access checks) when debug_mode is enabled
+  return setmetatable({ __data = data }, __proxy_mt)
+end
+
+return {
+  new = new,
+}
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/33-request-aware-table_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/33-request-aware-table_spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bbce6e3079ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/33-request-aware-table_spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+local helpers = require "spec.helpers"
+
+local LOG_LEVELS = {
+  "debug",
+  "info",
+  -- any other log level behaves the same as "info"
+}
+
+
+local function trigger_plugin_new_table()
+  local client = helpers.proxy_client()
+  local res = client:get("/", {
+    query = {
+      new_tab = true,
+    }
+  })
+  assert.response(res).has.status(200)
+  assert.logfile().has.no.line("[error]", true)
+  client:close()
+end
+
+local function trigger_plugin_clear_table()
+  local client = helpers.proxy_client()
+  local res = client:get("/", {
+    query = {
+      clear = true,
+    }
+  })
+  assert.response(res).has.status(200)
+  assert.logfile().has.no.line("[error]", true)
+  client:close()
+end
+
+for _, log_level in ipairs(LOG_LEVELS) do
+  local concurrency_checks = log_level == "debug"
+
+  for _, strategy in helpers.each_strategy() do
+    describe("request aware table tests [#" .. strategy .. "] concurrency checks: " .. tostring(concurrency_checks), function()
+      local client
+      lazy_setup(function()
+        local bp = helpers.get_db_utils(strategy, {
+          "plugins",
+          "routes",
+          "services",
+        }, {
+          "request-aware-table"
+        })
+
+        local service = assert(bp.services:insert({
+          url = helpers.mock_upstream_url
+        }))
+
+        local route = bp.routes:insert({
+          service = service,
+          paths = { "/" }
+        })
+
+        bp.plugins:insert({
+          name = "request-aware-table",
+          route = { id = route.id },
+        })
+
+        helpers.start_kong({
+          database = strategy,
+          plugins = "bundled, request-aware-table",
+          nginx_conf = "spec/fixtures/custom_nginx.template",
+          log_level = log_level,
+        })
+      end)
+
+      lazy_teardown(function()
+        helpers.stop_kong()
+      end)
+
+      before_each(function()
+        helpers.clean_logfile()
+        trigger_plugin_new_table()
+        client = helpers.proxy_client()
+      end)
+
+      after_each(function()
+        if client then
+          client:close()
+        end
+      end)
+
+      it("allows access when there are no race conditions", function()
+        local res = client:get("/")
+        assert.response(res).has.status(200)
+        assert.logfile().has.no.line("[error]", true)
+      end)
+
+      it("denies access when there are race conditions and checks are enabled (else allows)", function()
+        -- access from request 1 (don't clear)
+        local r = client:get("/")
+        assert.response(r).has.status(200)
+
+        -- access from request 2
+        r = client:get("/")
+        if concurrency_checks then
+          assert.logfile().has.line("concurrent access from different request to shared table detected", true)
+        else
+          assert.response(r).has.status(200)
+        end
+      end)
+
+      it("allows access when table is cleared between requests", function()
+        -- access from request 1 (clear)
+        local r = client:get("/")
+        assert.response(r).has.status(200)
+        trigger_plugin_clear_table()
+
+        -- access from request 2 (clear)
+        r = client:get("/")
+        assert.response(r).has.status(200)
+        trigger_plugin_clear_table()
+
+        -- access from request 3
+        r = client:get("/")
+        assert.response(r).has.status(200)
+        assert.logfile().has.no.line("[error]", true)
+      end)
+    end)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/handler.lua b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/handler.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a3c640cfeca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/handler.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+local RAT = require "kong.tools.request_aware_table"
+
+local kong = kong
+local tab
+
+local _M = {
+  PRIORITY = 1001,
+  VERSION = "1.0",
+}
+
+local function access_table()
+  -- write access
+  tab.foo = "bar"
+  tab.bar = "baz"
+  -- read/write access
+  tab.baz = tab.foo .. tab.bar
+end
+
+
+function _M:access(conf)
+  local query = kong.request.get_query()
+  if query.new_tab == "true" then
+    -- new table
+    tab = RAT.new()
+    ngx.exit(200)
+  end
+
+  if query.clear == "true" then
+    -- clear table
+    tab:clear()
+    ngx.exit(200)
+  end
+
+  -- access multiple times during same request
+  for _ = 1, 3 do
+    access_table()
+  end
+end
+
+
+return _M
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/schema.lua b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/schema.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2881307755a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/custom_plugins/kong/plugins/request-aware-table/schema.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+return {
+  name = "request-aware-table",
+  fields = {
+    {
+      config = {
+        type = "record",
+        fields = { }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}