diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 48a1115f8ae..ca6a5b91ec7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Performance
+
+- Probe class availability without initializing the class during SDK init ([#5635](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5635))
+
 ## 8.45.0
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClass.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClass.java
index 1946ce8381f..c639f62b9c4 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClass.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClass.java
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ public class LoadClass {
    */
   public @Nullable Class<?> loadClass(final @NotNull String clazz, final @Nullable ILogger logger) {
     try {
-      return Class.forName(clazz);
+      // Don't initialize the class just to probe for availability; it gets initialized lazily on
+      // first use. This avoids running unrelated static initializers during SDK init.
+      return Class.forName(clazz, false, LoadClass.class.getClassLoader());
     } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
       if (logger != null) {
         logger.log(SentryLevel.INFO, "Class not available: " + clazz);
diff --git a/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClassTest.kt b/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClassTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0c8dacd1c54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/util/LoadClassTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package io.sentry.util
+
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertFalse
+import kotlin.test.assertNotNull
+import kotlin.test.assertNull
+
+class LoadClassTest {
+  @Test
+  fun `loadClass returns the class when it is available`() {
+    assertNotNull(LoadClass().loadClass("io.sentry.SentryEvent", null))
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `loadClass returns null when the class is not available`() {
+    assertNull(LoadClass().loadClass("io.sentry.ThisClassDoesNotExist", null))
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `isClassAvailable reflects whether the class is on the classpath`() {
+    val loadClass = LoadClass()
+    assertNotNull(loadClass.loadClass("io.sentry.SentryEvent", null))
+    assertFalse(
+      loadClass.isClassAvailable("io.sentry.ThisClassDoesNotExist", null as io.sentry.ILogger?)
+    )
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `loadClass does not run the static initializer of the probed class`() {
+    // Reading the flag initializes the flag holder, not the probe.
+    assertFalse(LoadClassNoInitFlag.initialized)
+
+    // Obtaining the name via ::class.java does not initialize the probe either.
+    LoadClass().loadClass(LoadClassNoInitProbe::class.java.name, null)
+
+    // Availability probing must not trigger the probe's static initializer.
+    assertFalse(LoadClassNoInitFlag.initialized)
+  }
+}
+
+private object LoadClassNoInitFlag {
+  @JvmField var initialized = false
+}
+
+private object LoadClassNoInitProbe {
+  init {
+    LoadClassNoInitFlag.initialized = true
+  }
+}