diff --git a/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.cpp b/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.cpp
index b27ed5998..dd6fdd0d1 100644
--- a/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -803,6 +803,7 @@ ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, breakdownMetrics )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, captureErrors )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( stringValue, devInternal )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, devInternalBackendCommLogVerbose )
+ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( stringValue, disableInstrumentations )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, disableSend )
 ELASTIC_APM_DEFINE_FIELD_ACCESS_FUNCS( boolValue, enabled )
@@ -1020,6 +1021,12 @@ static void initOptionsMetadata( OptionMetadata* optsMeta )
             ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_BACKEND_COMM_LOG_VERBOSE,
             /* defaultValue: */ false );
 
+    ELASTIC_APM_INIT_METADATA(
+            buildBoolOptionMetadata,
+            devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan,
+            ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN,
+            /* defaultValue: */ true );
+
     ELASTIC_APM_INIT_METADATA(
             buildStringOptionMetadata,
             disableInstrumentations,
diff --git a/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.h b/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.h
index fc27fde09..9855d446e 100644
--- a/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.h
+++ b/agent/native/ext/ConfigManager.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ enum OptionId
     optionId_captureErrors,
     optionId_devInternal,
     optionId_devInternalBackendCommLogVerbose,
+    optionId_devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan,
     optionId_disableInstrumentations,
     optionId_disableSend,
     optionId_enabled,
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ const ConfigSnapshot* getGlobalCurrentConfigSnapshot();
  */
 #define ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL "dev_internal"
 #define ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_BACKEND_COMM_LOG_VERBOSE "dev_internal_backend_comm_log_verbose"
+#define ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN "dev_internal_curl_instrum_create_span"
 
 #define ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS "disable_instrumentations"
 #define ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DISABLE_SEND "disable_send"
diff --git a/agent/native/ext/ConfigSnapshot.h b/agent/native/ext/ConfigSnapshot.h
index 9c96a58fd..ee97ec687 100644
--- a/agent/native/ext/ConfigSnapshot.h
+++ b/agent/native/ext/ConfigSnapshot.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct ConfigSnapshot
     bool captureErrors = false;
     String devInternal = nullptr;
     bool devInternalBackendCommLogVerbose = false;
+    bool devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan = true;
     String disableInstrumentations = nullptr;
     bool disableSend = false;
     bool enabled = false;
diff --git a/agent/native/ext/elastic_apm.cpp b/agent/native/ext/elastic_apm.cpp
index 66c03feaa..fb5ba5d4b 100644
--- a/agent/native/ext/elastic_apm.cpp
+++ b/agent/native/ext/elastic_apm.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ PHP_INI_BEGIN()
     ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_CAPTURE_ERRORS )
     ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL )
     ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_BACKEND_COMM_LOG_VERBOSE )
+    ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN )
     ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS )
     ELASTIC_APM_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_DISABLE_SEND )
     ELASTIC_APM_NOT_RELOADABLE_INI_ENTRY( ELASTIC_APM_CFG_OPT_NAME_ENABLED )
diff --git a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/AutoInstrument/CurlHandleTracker.php b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/AutoInstrument/CurlHandleTracker.php
index a4c6fbbe2..a33304b53 100644
--- a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/AutoInstrument/CurlHandleTracker.php
+++ b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/AutoInstrument/CurlHandleTracker.php
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Log\LoggableInterface;
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Log\LoggableTrait;
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Log\Logger;
+use Elastic\Apm\Impl\NoopSpan;
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Tracer;
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Util\ArrayUtil;
 use Elastic\Apm\Impl\Util\Assert;
@@ -424,13 +425,20 @@ private function curlExecPreHook(): void
         $spanName = $httpMethod . ' ' . $host;
 
         $isHttp = ($this->url !== null) && UrlUtil::isHttp($this->url);
-        $this->span = AutoInstrumentationUtil::beginCurrentSpan($spanName, Constants::SPAN_TYPE_EXTERNAL, /* subtype: */ $isHttp ? Constants::SPAN_SUBTYPE_HTTP : null);
+        if ($this->tracer->getConfig()->devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan()) {
+            $this->span = AutoInstrumentationUtil::beginCurrentSpan($spanName, Constants::SPAN_TYPE_EXTERNAL, /* subtype: */ $isHttp ? Constants::SPAN_SUBTYPE_HTTP : null);
+        } else {
+            ($loggerProxy = $this->logger->ifDebugLevelEnabled(__LINE__, __FUNCTION__))
+            && $loggerProxy->log('dev_internal_curl_instrum_create_span (devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan) is set to false - creating no-op span');
+            $this->span = NoopSpan::singletonInstance();
+        }
 
         $this->setContextPreHook();
 
         if ($isHttp) {
             $headersToInjectFormattedLines = [];
-            $this->span->injectDistributedTracingHeaders(
+            $execSeg = $this->span->isNoop() ? $this->tracer->getCurrentTransaction() : $this->span;
+            $execSeg->injectDistributedTracingHeaders(
                 function (string $headerName, string $headerValue) use (&$headersToInjectFormattedLines): void {
                     $headersToInjectFormattedLines[] = $headerName . ': ' . $headerValue;
                 }
diff --git a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/AllOptionsMetadata.php b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/AllOptionsMetadata.php
index e3bd9ecd3..2d1a26d31 100644
--- a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/AllOptionsMetadata.php
+++ b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/AllOptionsMetadata.php
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ public static function get(): array
             OptionNames::BREAKDOWN_METRICS                          => new BoolOptionMetadata(/* default */ true),
             OptionNames::CAPTURE_ERRORS                             => new BoolOptionMetadata(/* default */ true),
             OptionNames::DEV_INTERNAL                               => new NullableWildcardListOptionMetadata(),
+            OptionNames::DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN      => new BoolOptionMetadata(/* default */ true),
             OptionNames::DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS                   => new NullableWildcardListOptionMetadata(),
             OptionNames::DISABLE_SEND                               => new BoolOptionMetadata(/* default */ false),
             OptionNames::ENABLED                                    => new BoolOptionMetadata(/* default */ true),
diff --git a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/OptionNames.php b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/OptionNames.php
index 7c9ca7be6..24f7f2636 100644
--- a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/OptionNames.php
+++ b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/OptionNames.php
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ final class OptionNames
     public const BREAKDOWN_METRICS = 'breakdown_metrics';
     public const CAPTURE_ERRORS = 'capture_errors';
     public const DEV_INTERNAL = 'dev_internal';
+    public const DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN = 'dev_internal_curl_instrum_create_span';
     public const DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS = 'disable_instrumentations';
     public const DISABLE_SEND = 'disable_send';
     public const ENABLED = 'enabled';
diff --git a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/Snapshot.php b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/Snapshot.php
index a6aab762b..6623f4d1a 100644
--- a/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/Snapshot.php
+++ b/agent/php/ElasticApm/Impl/Config/Snapshot.php
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ final class Snapshot implements LoggableInterface
     /** @var SnapshotDevInternal */
     private $devInternalParsed;
 
+    /** @var bool */
+    private $devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan;
+
     /** @var ?WildcardListMatcher */
     private $disableInstrumentations;
 
@@ -287,6 +290,11 @@ public function devInternal(): SnapshotDevInternal
         return $this->devInternalParsed;
     }
 
+    public function devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan(): bool
+    {
+        return $this->devInternalCurlInstrumCreateSpan;
+    }
+
     public function disableInstrumentations(): ?WildcardListMatcher
     {
         return $this->disableInstrumentations;
diff --git a/tests/ElasticApmTests/ComponentTests/ConfigSettingTest.php b/tests/ElasticApmTests/ComponentTests/ConfigSettingTest.php
index a7b553b45..cf84fd55c 100644
--- a/tests/ElasticApmTests/ComponentTests/ConfigSettingTest.php
+++ b/tests/ElasticApmTests/ComponentTests/ConfigSettingTest.php
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@ private static function buildOptionNameToRawToValue(): array
             OptionNames::CAPTURE_ERRORS                 => $boolRawToParsedValues(),
             OptionNames::ENABLED                        => $boolRawToParsedValues(/* valueToExclude: */ false),
             OptionNames::DEV_INTERNAL                   => $wildcardListRawToParsedValues,
+            OptionNames::DEV_INTERNAL_CURL_INSTRUM_CREATE_SPAN
+                                                        => $boolRawToParsedValues(),
             OptionNames::DISABLE_INSTRUMENTATIONS       => $wildcardListRawToParsedValues,
             OptionNames::DISABLE_SEND                   => $boolRawToParsedValues(/* valueToExclude: */ true),
             OptionNames::ENVIRONMENT                    => $stringRawToParsedValues([" my_environment \t "]),