diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.5.1
+
+* Enable managerModifyRequest to modify redirectCount [#208](https://github.com/snoyberg/http-client/pull/208)
+
 ## 0.5.0.1
 
 * Doc fix
diff --git a/Network/HTTP/Client.hs b/Network/HTTP/Client.hs
--- a/Network/HTTP/Client.hs
+++ b/Network/HTTP/Client.hs
@@ -229,10 +229,11 @@
 --
 -- Since 0.4.1
 responseOpenHistory :: Request -> Manager -> IO (HistoriedResponse BodyReader)
-responseOpenHistory req0 man = handle (throwIO . toHttpException req0) $ do
+responseOpenHistory req0 man0 = handle (throwIO . toHttpException req0) $ do
     reqRef <- newIORef req0
     historyRef <- newIORef id
-    let go req = do
+    let go req0 = do
+            (man, req) <- getModifiedRequestManager man0 req0
             (req', res') <- httpRaw' req man
             let res = res'
                     { responseBody = handle (throwIO . toHttpException req0)
diff --git a/Network/HTTP/Client/Core.hs b/Network/HTTP/Client/Core.hs
--- a/Network/HTTP/Client/Core.hs
+++ b/Network/HTTP/Client/Core.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     , httpNoBody
     , httpRaw
     , httpRaw'
+    , getModifiedRequestManager
     , responseOpen
     , responseClose
     , httpRedirect
@@ -80,13 +81,13 @@
 
 -- | Get a 'Response' without any redirect following.
 --
--- This extended version of 'httpRaw' also returns the Request potentially modified by @managerModifyRequest@.
+-- This extended version of 'httpRaw' also returns the potentially modified Request.
 httpRaw'
      :: Request
      -> Manager
      -> IO (Request, Response BodyReader)
 httpRaw' req0 m = do
-    req' <- mModifyRequest m $ mSetProxy m req0
+    let req' = mSetProxy m req0
     (req, cookie_jar') <- case cookieJar req' of
         Just cj -> do
             now <- getCurrentTime
@@ -147,6 +148,19 @@
             ResponseTimeoutNone -> Nothing
             ResponseTimeoutMicro u -> Just u
 
+-- | The used Manager can be overridden (by requestManagerOverride) and the used
+-- Request can be modified (through managerModifyRequest). This function allows
+-- to retrieve the possibly overridden Manager and the possibly modified
+-- Request.
+--
+-- (In case the Manager is overridden by requestManagerOverride, the Request is
+-- being modified by managerModifyRequest of the new Manager, not the old one.)
+getModifiedRequestManager :: Manager -> Request -> IO (Manager, Request)
+getModifiedRequestManager manager0 req0 = do
+  let manager = fromMaybe manager0 (requestManagerOverride req0)
+  req <- mModifyRequest manager req0
+  return (manager, req)
+
 -- | The most low-level function for initiating an HTTP request.
 --
 -- The first argument to this function gives a full specification
@@ -177,24 +191,26 @@
 --
 -- Since 0.1.0
 responseOpen :: Request -> Manager -> IO (Response BodyReader)
-responseOpen req0 manager' = wrapExc $ mWrapException manager req0 $ do
-    (req, res) <-
-        if redirectCount req0 == 0
-            then httpRaw' req0 manager
-            else go (redirectCount req0) req0
+responseOpen inputReq manager' = do
+  (manager, req0) <- getModifiedRequestManager manager' inputReq
+  wrapExc req0 $ mWrapException manager req0 $ do
+    (req, res) <- go manager (redirectCount req0) req0
     checkResponse req req res
     return res
-        { responseBody = wrapExc (responseBody res)
+        { responseBody = wrapExc req0 (responseBody res)
         }
   where
-    wrapExc = handle $ throwIO . toHttpException req0
-    manager = fromMaybe manager' (requestManagerOverride req0)
+    wrapExc :: Request -> IO a -> IO a
+    wrapExc req0 = handle $ throwIO . toHttpException req0
 
-    go count req' = httpRedirect'
+    go manager0 count req' = httpRedirect'
       count
       (\req -> do
-        (req'', res) <- httpRaw' req manager
-        let mreq = getRedirectedRequest req'' (responseHeaders res) (responseCookieJar res) (statusCode (responseStatus res))
+        (manager, modReq) <- getModifiedRequestManager manager0 req
+        (req'', res) <- httpRaw' modReq manager
+        let mreq = if redirectCount modReq == 0
+              then Nothing
+              else getRedirectedRequest req'' (responseHeaders res) (responseCookieJar res) (statusCode (responseStatus res))
         return (res, fromMaybe req'' mreq, isJust mreq))
       req'
 
diff --git a/http-client.cabal b/http-client.cabal
--- a/http-client.cabal
+++ b/http-client.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                http-client
-version:             0.5.0.1
+version:             0.5.1
 synopsis:            An HTTP client engine
 description:         Hackage documentation generation is not reliable. For up to date documentation, please see: <http://www.stackage.org/package/http-client>.
 homepage:            https://github.com/snoyberg/http-client
diff --git a/test/Network/HTTP/ClientSpec.hs b/test/Network/HTTP/ClientSpec.hs
--- a/test/Network/HTTP/ClientSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Network/HTTP/ClientSpec.hs
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 
 import           Network                   (withSocketsDo)
 import           Network.HTTP.Client
-import           Network.HTTP.Types        (status200, status405)
+import           Network.HTTP.Types        (status200, found302, status405)
 import           Test.Hspec
+import           Control.Applicative       ((<$>))
 import           Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 () -- orphan instance
 
 main :: IO ()
@@ -31,15 +32,37 @@
             res <- httpLbs req man
             responseStatus res `shouldBe` status405
 
-    it "managerModifyRequest" $ do
-        let modify req = return req { port = 80 }
-            settings = defaultManagerSettings { managerModifyRequest = modify }
-        man <- newManager settings
-        res <- httpLbs "http://httpbin.org:1234" man
-        responseStatus res `shouldBe` status200
+    describe "redirects" $ do
+        it "follows redirects" $ do
+            req <- parseRequest "http://httpbin.org/redirect-to?url=http://httpbin.org"
+            man <- newManager defaultManagerSettings
+            res <- httpLbs req man
+            responseStatus res `shouldBe` status200
 
-    it "managerModifyRequestCheckStatus" $ do
-        let modify req = return req { checkResponse = \_ _ -> error "some exception" }
-            settings = defaultManagerSettings { managerModifyRequest = modify }
-        man <- newManager settings
-        httpLbs "http://httpbin.org" man `shouldThrow` anyException
+        it "allows to disable redirect following" $ do
+            req <- (\ r -> r{ redirectCount = 0 }) <$>
+              parseRequest "http://httpbin.org/redirect-to?url=http://httpbin.org"
+            man <- newManager defaultManagerSettings
+            res <- httpLbs req man
+            responseStatus res `shouldBe` found302
+
+    context "managerModifyRequest" $ do
+        it "port" $ do
+            let modify req = return req { port = 80 }
+                settings = defaultManagerSettings { managerModifyRequest = modify }
+            man <- newManager settings
+            res <- httpLbs "http://httpbin.org:1234" man
+            responseStatus res `shouldBe` status200
+
+        it "checkResponse" $ do
+            let modify req = return req { checkResponse = \_ _ -> error "some exception" }
+                settings = defaultManagerSettings { managerModifyRequest = modify }
+            man <- newManager settings
+            httpLbs "http://httpbin.org" man `shouldThrow` anyException
+
+        it "redirectCount" $ do
+            let modify req = return req { redirectCount = 0 }
+                settings = defaultManagerSettings { managerModifyRequest = modify }
+            man <- newManager settings
+            response <- httpLbs "http://httpbin.org/redirect-to?url=foo" man
+            responseStatus response `shouldBe` found302