diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0966c51b..f05417fc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# 7.3.1 - 2025-12-06
+
+fix: remove unused $exception_message and $exception_type
+
 # 7.3.0 - 2025-12-05
 
 feat: improve code variables capture masking
diff --git a/posthog/client.py b/posthog/client.py
index 188cbf67..890f8a55 100644
--- a/posthog/client.py
+++ b/posthog/client.py
@@ -1001,10 +1001,6 @@ def capture_exception(
             all_exceptions_with_trace_and_in_app = event["exception"]["values"]
 
             properties = {
-                "$exception_type": all_exceptions_with_trace_and_in_app[0].get("type"),
-                "$exception_message": all_exceptions_with_trace_and_in_app[0].get(
-                    "value"
-                ),
                 "$exception_list": all_exceptions_with_trace_and_in_app,
                 **properties,
             }
diff --git a/posthog/test/test_client.py b/posthog/test/test_client.py
index 045c068a..a2932946 100644
--- a/posthog/test/test_client.py
+++ b/posthog/test/test_client.py
@@ -198,12 +198,6 @@ def test_basic_capture_exception_with_no_exception_given(self):
             print(capture_call)
             self.assertEqual(capture_call[1]["distinct_id"], "distinct_id")
             self.assertEqual(capture_call[0][0], "$exception")
-            self.assertEqual(
-                capture_call[1]["properties"]["$exception_type"], "Exception"
-            )
-            self.assertEqual(
-                capture_call[1]["properties"]["$exception_message"], "test exception"
-            )
             self.assertEqual(
                 capture_call[1]["properties"]["$exception_list"][0]["mechanism"][
                     "type"
diff --git a/posthog/version.py b/posthog/version.py
index cbf2e318..492e6667 100644
--- a/posthog/version.py
+++ b/posthog/version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-VERSION = "7.3.0"
+VERSION = "7.3.1"
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     print(VERSION, end="")  # noqa: T201