diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ce17cd42b0..88ac3aff11 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # dplyr (development version)
 
+* `join_by()` now allows its helper functions to be namespaced with `dplyr::`,
+  like `join_by(dplyr::between(x, lower, upper))` (#6838).
+
 * `dplyr_reconstruct()`'s default method has been rewritten to avoid
   materializing duckplyr queries too early (#6947).
 
diff --git a/R/join-by.R b/R/join-by.R
index d4a1c395ee..d02ff7035f 100644
--- a/R/join-by.R
+++ b/R/join-by.R
@@ -431,7 +431,22 @@ parse_join_by_expr <- function(expr, i, error_call) {
     abort(message, call = error_call)
   }
 
-  op <- as_string(expr[[1]])
+  if (is_call(expr, ns = "dplyr")) {
+    # Normalize by removing the `dplyr::`
+    expr[[1]] <- sym(call_name(expr))
+  }
+
+  op <- expr[[1]]
+
+  if (!is_symbol(op)) {
+    if (is_call(op, name = "::")) {
+      stop_invalid_namespaced_expression(expr, i, error_call)
+    } else {
+      stop_invalid_top_expression(expr, i, error_call)
+    }
+  }
+
+  op <- as_string(op)
 
   switch(
     op,
@@ -476,6 +491,15 @@ stop_invalid_top_expression <- function(expr, i, call) {
   abort(message, call = call)
 }
 
+stop_invalid_namespaced_expression <- function(expr, i, call) {
+  message <- c(
+    glue("Expressions can only be namespace prefixed with `dplyr::`."),
+    i = glue("Expression {i} is {err_expr(expr)}.")
+  )
+
+  abort(message, call = call)
+}
+
 parse_join_by_name <- function(expr,
                                i,
                                default_side,
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/join-by.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/join-by.md
index 5e8e5a5fed..0ae8873aad 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/join-by.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/join-by.md
@@ -16,6 +16,38 @@
       ! Expressions using `==` can't contain missing arguments.
       x Argument `y` is missing.
 
+# allows for namespaced helpers (#6838)
+
+    Code
+      join_by(dplyr::between(x, left, right))
+    Output
+      Join By:
+      - dplyr::between(x, left, right)
+
+---
+
+    Code
+      join_by(dplyr::within(xl, xu, yl, yu))
+    Output
+      Join By:
+      - dplyr::within(xl, xu, yl, yu)
+
+---
+
+    Code
+      join_by(dplyr::overlaps(xl, xu, yl, yu))
+    Output
+      Join By:
+      - dplyr::overlaps(xl, xu, yl, yu)
+
+---
+
+    Code
+      join_by(dplyr::closest(x < y))
+    Output
+      Join By:
+      - dplyr::closest(x < y)
+
 # has an informative print method
 
     Code
@@ -125,6 +157,24 @@
       ! Each element of `...` must be a single column name or a join by expression.
       x Element 1 is not a name and not an expression.
 
+---
+
+    Code
+      join_by(1())
+    Condition
+      Error in `join_by()`:
+      ! Expressions must use one of: `==`, `>=`, `>`, `<=`, `<`, `closest()`, `between()`, `overlaps()`, or `within()`.
+      i Expression 1 is `1()`.
+
+---
+
+    Code
+      join_by(dplyrr::between(x, left, right))
+    Condition
+      Error in `join_by()`:
+      ! Expressions can only be namespace prefixed with `dplyr::`.
+      i Expression 1 is `dplyrr::between(x, left, right)`.
+
 ---
 
     Code
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-join-by.R b/tests/testthat/test-join-by.R
index afbcfacf8f..8ddb875661 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-join-by.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-join-by.R
@@ -236,6 +236,23 @@ test_that("nicely catches required missing arguments when wrapped", {
   expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, fn(a))
 })
 
+test_that("allows for namespaced helpers (#6838)", {
+  # Captures namespaced expression for printing
+  expect_snapshot(join_by(dplyr::between(x, left, right)))
+  expect_snapshot(join_by(dplyr::within(xl, xu, yl, yu)))
+  expect_snapshot(join_by(dplyr::overlaps(xl, xu, yl, yu)))
+  expect_snapshot(join_by(dplyr::closest(x < y)))
+
+  # Underlying values are otherwise the same as non-namespaced version
+  by <- join_by(dplyr::between(x, left, right))
+  reference <- join_by(between(x, left, right))
+
+  expect_identical(by$condition, reference$condition)
+  expect_identical(by$filter, reference$filter)
+  expect_identical(by$x, reference$x)
+  expect_identical(by$y, reference$y)
+})
+
 test_that("has an informative print method", {
   expect_snapshot(join_by(a, b))
   expect_snapshot(join_by("a", "b"))
@@ -266,6 +283,13 @@ test_that("has informative error messages", {
   # Garbage input
   expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, join_by(1))
 
+  # Call with non-symbol first element
+  expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, join_by(1()))
+
+  # Namespace prefixed helper with non-dplyr namespace
+  # (typo or re-export, which currently isn't allowed)
+  expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, join_by(dplyrr::between(x, left, right)))
+
   # Top level usage of `$`
   expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, join_by(x$a))