diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fc054e0be18..95f947f594d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Fixes
+
+- Drop Apollo 5 spans when `beforeSpan` throws without disrupting the GraphQL request ([#6238](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/6238))
+
 ### Features
 
 - Add support for Android Navigation 3 through the new `sentry-android-navigation3` library ([#6233](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/6233))
diff --git a/sentry-apollo-5/src/main/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor.kt b/sentry-apollo-5/src/main/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor.kt
index 7240f2d87a4..f74d0fec111 100644
--- a/sentry-apollo-5/src/main/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor.kt
+++ b/sentry-apollo-5/src/main/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.apollographql.apollo.network.http.HttpInterceptor
 import com.apollographql.apollo.network.http.HttpInterceptorChain
 import io.sentry.BaggageHeader
 import io.sentry.Breadcrumb
+import io.sentry.DataCategory
 import io.sentry.Hint
 import io.sentry.IScopes
 import io.sentry.ISpan
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import io.sentry.SpanDataConvention.HTTP_METHOD_KEY
 import io.sentry.SpanStatus
 import io.sentry.TypeCheckHint.APOLLO_REQUEST
 import io.sentry.TypeCheckHint.APOLLO_RESPONSE
+import io.sentry.clientreport.DiscardReason
 import io.sentry.exception.ExceptionMechanismException
 import io.sentry.protocol.Mechanism
 import io.sentry.protocol.Request
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ constructor(
         span.setData(SpanDataConvention.HTTP_RESPONSE_CONTENT_LENGTH_KEY, it)
       }
       if (beforeSpan != null) {
+        val wasSampled = span.isSampled == true
         try {
           val result = beforeSpan.execute(span, request, response)
           if (result == null) {
@@ -207,6 +210,13 @@ constructor(
           }
         } catch (e: Throwable) {
           ExceptionUtils.rethrowIfFatal(e)
+          span.spanContext.sampled = false
+          if (wasSampled) {
+            scopes.options.clientReportRecorder.recordLostEvent(
+              DiscardReason.CALLBACK_ERROR,
+              DataCategory.Span,
+            )
+          }
           scopes.options.logger.log(
             SentryLevel.ERROR,
             "An error occurred while executing beforeSpan in ApolloInterceptor",
diff --git a/sentry-apollo-5/src/test/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTest.kt b/sentry-apollo-5/src/test/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTest.kt
index ce0df3a55a0..399667a7647 100644
--- a/sentry-apollo-5/src/test/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTest.kt
+++ b/sentry-apollo-5/src/test/java/io/sentry/apollo5/SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTest.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.apollographql.apollo.network.http.HttpInterceptorChain
 import com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat
 import io.sentry.BaggageHeader
 import io.sentry.Breadcrumb
+import io.sentry.DataCategory
 import io.sentry.Hint
 import io.sentry.IScopes
 import io.sentry.ITransaction
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import io.sentry.TransactionContext
 import io.sentry.W3CTraceparentHeader
 import io.sentry.apollo5.SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor.BeforeSpanCallback
 import io.sentry.apollo5.generated.LaunchDetailsQuery
+import io.sentry.clientreport.DiscardReason
 import io.sentry.mockServerRequestTimeoutMillis
 import io.sentry.protocol.SdkVersion
 import io.sentry.protocol.SentryTransaction
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import kotlin.reflect.KSuspendFunction1
 import kotlin.test.Test
 import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlin.test.assertFailsWith
 import kotlin.test.assertNotNull
 import kotlin.test.assertNull
 import kotlin.test.assertTrue
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ import org.mockito.kotlin.doAnswer
 import org.mockito.kotlin.mock
 import org.mockito.kotlin.never
 import org.mockito.kotlin.verify
+import org.mockito.kotlin.verifyNoMoreInteractions
 import org.mockito.kotlin.whenever
 
 class SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTestWithV5Implementation :
@@ -421,16 +425,83 @@ abstract class SentryApollo5HttpInterceptorTest(
   }
 
   @Test
-  fun `when customizer throws, exception is handled`() {
-    executeQuery(fixture.getSut(beforeSpan = { _, _, _ -> throw RuntimeException() }))
+  fun `reports callback errors only for sampled spans`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+    for (sampled in listOf(true, false, null)) {
+      val onDiscard = mock<SentryOptions.OnDiscardCallback>()
+      fixture.options.onDiscard = onDiscard
+      val tx = SentryTracer(TransactionContext("op", "desc"), fixture.scopes)
+      tx.spanContext.sampled = sampled
+      whenever(fixture.scopes.span).thenReturn(tx)
+      val sut =
+        fixture.getSut(
+          beforeSpan = { span, _, _ ->
+            span.spanContext.sampled = false
+            throw IllegalStateException("callback failed")
+          }
+        )
+
+      assertThat(executeQueryImplementation(sut.query(LaunchDetailsQuery("83"))).data).isNotNull()
+      tx.finish()
+
+      if (sampled == true) {
+        verify(onDiscard).execute(DiscardReason.CALLBACK_ERROR, DataCategory.Span, 1)
+      }
+      verifyNoMoreInteractions(onDiscard)
+    }
+  }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `when beforeSpan throws, drops span and preserves response`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+    val failure = IllegalStateException("callback failed")
+    val tx =
+      SentryTracer(TransactionContext("op", "desc", TracesSamplingDecision(true)), fixture.scopes)
+    whenever(fixture.scopes.span).thenReturn(tx)
+    val sut =
+      fixture.getSut(
+        beforeSpan = { span, _, _ ->
+          span.description = "partially modified"
+          throw failure
+        }
+      )
+
+    val response = executeQueryImplementation(sut.query(LaunchDetailsQuery("83")))
+    assertThat(response.data).isNotNull()
+    val span = tx.children.single()
+    assertThat(span.isSampled).isFalse()
+    assertThat(span.isFinished).isTrue()
+    tx.finish()
     verify(fixture.scopes)
       .captureTransaction(
-        check { assertEquals(1, it.spans.size) },
+        check { assertThat(it.spans).isEmpty() },
         anyOrNull<TraceContext>(),
         anyOrNull(),
         anyOrNull(),
       )
+    verify(fixture.scopes).addBreadcrumb(any<Breadcrumb>(), anyOrNull())
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `fatal error from beforeSpan is not swallowed`(): Unit = runBlocking {
+    val failure = OutOfMemoryError("callback failed")
+    val tx =
+      SentryTracer(TransactionContext("op", "desc", TracesSamplingDecision(true)), fixture.scopes)
+    whenever(fixture.scopes.span).thenReturn(tx)
+    val request = HttpRequest.Builder(HttpMethod.Post, "https://example.com/graphql").build()
+    val response = HttpResponse.Builder(200).build()
+    val chain =
+      object : HttpInterceptorChain {
+        override suspend fun proceed(request: HttpRequest): HttpResponse = response
+      }
+    val interceptor =
+      SentryApollo5HttpInterceptor(
+        fixture.scopes,
+        beforeSpan = { _, _, _ -> throw failure },
+        captureFailedRequests = false,
+      )
+
+    val thrown = assertFailsWith<OutOfMemoryError> { interceptor.intercept(request, chain) }
+
+    assertThat(thrown).isSameInstanceAs(failure)
   }
 
   @Test