diff --git a/packages/node/src/integrations/http/index.ts b/packages/node/src/integrations/http/index.ts
index 72326e21e6f1..5ef5c8bed007 100644
--- a/packages/node/src/integrations/http/index.ts
+++ b/packages/node/src/integrations/http/index.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { diag } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import type { HttpInstrumentationConfig } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-http';
 import { HttpInstrumentation } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-http';
 import type { Span } from '@sentry/core';
-import { defineIntegration, getClient } from '@sentry/core';
+import { defineIntegration, getClient, hasSpansEnabled } from '@sentry/core';
+import { NODE_VERSION } from '../../nodeVersion';
 import { generateInstrumentOnce } from '../../otel/instrument';
 import type { NodeClient } from '../../sdk/client';
 import type { HTTPModuleRequestIncomingMessage } from '../../transports/http-module';
@@ -159,8 +160,22 @@ export const instrumentOtelHttp = generateInstrumentOnce<HttpInstrumentationConf
 /** Exported only for tests. */
 export function _shouldInstrumentSpans(options: HttpOptions, clientOptions: Partial<NodeClientOptions> = {}): boolean {
   // If `spans` is passed in, it takes precedence
-  // Else, we by default emit spans, unless `skipOpenTelemetrySetup` is set to `true`
-  return typeof options.spans === 'boolean' ? options.spans : !clientOptions.skipOpenTelemetrySetup;
+  // Else, we by default emit spans, unless `skipOpenTelemetrySetup` is set to `true` or spans are not enabled
+  if (typeof options.spans === 'boolean') {
+    return options.spans;
+  }
+
+  if (clientOptions.skipOpenTelemetrySetup) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // IMPORTANT: We only disable span instrumentation when spans are not enabled _and_ we are on Node 22+,
+  // as otherwise the necessary diagnostics channel is not available yet
+  if (!hasSpansEnabled(clientOptions) && NODE_VERSION.major >= 22) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/node/src/integrations/node-fetch/index.ts b/packages/node/src/integrations/node-fetch/index.ts
index d62d1e7c88c2..e85ce34dfb35 100644
--- a/packages/node/src/integrations/node-fetch/index.ts
+++ b/packages/node/src/integrations/node-fetch/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { UndiciInstrumentationConfig } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-undici';
 import { UndiciInstrumentation } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-undici';
 import type { IntegrationFn } from '@sentry/core';
-import { defineIntegration, getClient, SEMANTIC_ATTRIBUTE_SENTRY_ORIGIN } from '@sentry/core';
+import { defineIntegration, getClient, hasSpansEnabled, SEMANTIC_ATTRIBUTE_SENTRY_ORIGIN } from '@sentry/core';
 import { generateInstrumentOnce } from '../../otel/instrument';
 import type { NodeClient } from '../../sdk/client';
 import type { NodeClientOptions } from '../../types';
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ function getAbsoluteUrl(origin: string, path: string = '/'): string {
 
 function _shouldInstrumentSpans(options: NodeFetchOptions, clientOptions: Partial<NodeClientOptions> = {}): boolean {
   // If `spans` is passed in, it takes precedence
-  // Else, we by default emit spans, unless `skipOpenTelemetrySetup` is set to `true`
-  return typeof options.spans === 'boolean' ? options.spans : !clientOptions.skipOpenTelemetrySetup;
+  // Else, we by default emit spans, unless `skipOpenTelemetrySetup` is set to `true` or spans are not enabled
+  return typeof options.spans === 'boolean'
+    ? options.spans
+    : !clientOptions.skipOpenTelemetrySetup && hasSpansEnabled(clientOptions);
 }
 
 function getConfigWithDefaults(options: Partial<NodeFetchOptions> = {}): UndiciInstrumentationConfig {
diff --git a/packages/node/test/integrations/http.test.ts b/packages/node/test/integrations/http.test.ts
index 6d4bea24661f..89052a348ea4 100644
--- a/packages/node/test/integrations/http.test.ts
+++ b/packages/node/test/integrations/http.test.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,30 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import { _shouldInstrumentSpans } from '../../src/integrations/http';
+import { conditionalTest } from '../helpers/conditional';
 
 describe('httpIntegration', () => {
   describe('_shouldInstrumentSpans', () => {
     it.each([
-      [{}, {}, true],
       [{ spans: true }, {}, true],
       [{ spans: false }, {}, false],
       [{ spans: true }, { skipOpenTelemetrySetup: true }, true],
       [{ spans: false }, { skipOpenTelemetrySetup: true }, false],
       [{}, { skipOpenTelemetrySetup: true }, false],
-      [{}, { skipOpenTelemetrySetup: false }, true],
+      [{}, { tracesSampleRate: 0, skipOpenTelemetrySetup: true }, false],
+      [{}, { tracesSampleRate: 0 }, true],
     ])('returns the correct value for options=%j and clientOptions=%j', (options, clientOptions, expected) => {
       const actual = _shouldInstrumentSpans(options, clientOptions);
       expect(actual).toBe(expected);
     });
+
+    conditionalTest({ min: 22 })('returns false without tracesSampleRate on Node >=22', () => {
+      const actual = _shouldInstrumentSpans({}, {});
+      expect(actual).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    conditionalTest({ max: 21 })('returns true without tracesSampleRate on Node <22', () => {
+      const actual = _shouldInstrumentSpans({}, {});
+      expect(actual).toBe(true);
+    });
   });
 });