Eoin Cody rode to Kilkenny's rescue with a dramatic late goal to get the Cats back on track in the Leinster SHC, securing their return to the summit of the provincial table.
Level eight times in a terrific second-half in front of 7,028 at Parnell Park, it looked like the holders might ultimately be held to a draw for the second weekend in a row.
But they dug remarkably deep when it truly counted and fashioned a 70th minute move down the right that ended with Cody shortening the hurl and batting to the net for what proved the winning goal.
Cody finished with 1-03 but his heroics were outdone by John Donnelly who turned in perhaps his best game yet for Kilkenny, scoring seven points from play and hauling them to a hugely significant win.
TJ Reid top scored for the Noresiders with eight points but only one of those came from play and he was surprisingly errant with a series of frees in the final quarter when the game hung in the balance.
David Blanchfield's three long-range scores proved vital for Kilkenny who will carry momentum into their Round 5 clash with Wexford, at home, next weekend.
As for Dublin, they will wonder just how victory eluded them in a game that was level nine times overall. Donal Burke scored 0-14 for the hosts while Conor Burke and Brian Hayes struck the goals that brought them within a whisker of a huge win.
Dublin will travel to play Galway in Round 5 next weekend knowing that a win will secure their place in the All-Ireland series.
Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng was desperate for a strong response from his team following the surprising stalemate in Carlow.
He was able to call upon Cody and Mikey Carey for the first time since the Round 1 win over Antrim following injuries.
Captain Paddy Deegan shook off a knock to return to the lineup too, lining out in his customary centre-back slot while Tommy Walsh was recalled at corner-back.
The return of Ronan Hayes was the solitary change to the Dublin team, the Kilmacud Crokes rewarded for his thrilling cameo as a sub against Antrim last Saturday.
Hayes contributed directly to 2-3 in that 20-point win for the Sky Blues and would have netted in the 18th minute here but for a terrific flying save from Eoin Murphy.
Conor Burke was the unlikely goalscorer for Dublin and it was the only three-pointer of the opening half.
The midfielder burst onto a pass from Chris Crummey, played a neat one-two with Sean Currie and blasted beyond Murphy at the clubhouse end of the ground.
That 35th minute goal left Dublin just a point behind and it remained that way at half-time with Kilkenny leading 0-16 to 1-12.
The Cats were four clear at one stage and led from Reid's fifth minute point until the 39th minute.
Reid finished the first-half with five points and forward colleague Donnelly sniped four beauties from play.
Crummey was terrific for Dublin in the half-back line while Donal Burke and Danny Sutcliffe were the chief threats up front for the Sky Blues.
The thrill-a-minute ride continued in the second-half with the sides level four times in a high-paced back and forth.
Kilkenny may have presumed their superior stickwork would prevail if it came down to a battle in the tight confines of Parnell Park but Dublin matched them stride for stride, blow for blow.
And when Eoghan O'Donnell burst forward and fed Brian Hayes for a 55th minute goal, moving Dublin 2-20 to 0-23 clear, the home fans almost lost their mind.
Kilkenny were rattled and Reid blasted two wides from frees that he'd normally convert.
Dublin couldn't hold out though and were slowly but surely reeled in, Kilkenny levelling up the game on three more occasions before Cody blasted that all important goal.
Dublin: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Eoghan O'Donnell, Paddy Smyth; Chris Crummey (0-03), Conor Donohoe, Paddy Doyle; Brian Hayes (1-00), Conor Burke (1-01); Danny Sutcliffe (0-03), Donal Burke (0-14, 0-10f, 0-01 65), Fergal Whitely; Sean Currie, Cian O'Sullivan (0-02), Ronan Hayes.
Subs: Paul Crummey for O'Sullivan 44, Darragh Power for Whitely 49, Daire Gray for Doyle 63, Jake Malone for Currie 65, Dara Purcell for R Hayes 69.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Tommy Walsh, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler; David Blanchfield (0-03), Paddy Deegan, Mikey Carey (0-01); Shane Murphy, Cian Kenny (0-02); Tom Phelan, TJ Reid (0-08, 0-07f); John Donnelly (0-07); Martin Keoghan (0-03), Eoin Cody (1-03), Owen Wall.
Subs: Billy Ryan (0-01) for Wall h/t, Richie Reid for S Murphy 42, Conor Fogarty for Phelan 59, Cillian Buckley for Carey 69,
Ref: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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