diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d56be095db6..c768770511c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@
 
 - Fix javadoc on TransportResult ([#4528](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/4528))
 
+### Dependencies
+
+- Bump OpenTelemetry ([#4532](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/4532))
+  - `opentelemetry-sdk` to `1.51.0`
+  - `opentelemetry-instrumentation` to `2.17.0`
+  - `opentelemetry-javaagent` to `2.17.0`
+  - `opentelemetry-semconv` to `1.34.0`
+  - We are now configuring OpenTelemetry to still behave the same way it did before for span names it generates in GraphQL auto instrumentation ([#4537](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/4537))
+
 ## 8.16.0
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-agentcustomization/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider.java b/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-agentcustomization/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider.java
index e1902f1bed7..59801643678 100644
--- a/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-agentcustomization/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider.java
+++ b/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-agentcustomization/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider.java
@@ -14,17 +14,23 @@
 import io.sentry.protocol.SentryPackage;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 public final class SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider
     implements AutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider {
 
+  private static final Logger logger =
+      Logger.getLogger(SentryAutoConfigurationCustomizerProvider.class.getName());
+
   public static volatile boolean skipInit = false;
 
   @Override
   public void customize(AutoConfigurationCustomizer autoConfiguration) {
     ensureSentryOtelStorageIsInitialized();
+    customizeOpenTelemetryDefaults();
     final @Nullable ManifestVersionReader.VersionInfoHolder versionInfoHolder =
         ManifestVersionReader.getInstance().readOpenTelemetryVersion();
 
@@ -63,6 +69,18 @@ private static void ensureSentryOtelStorageIsInitialized() {
     Sentry.getGlobalScope();
   }
 
+  private void customizeOpenTelemetryDefaults() {
+    try {
+      if (System.getProperty("otel.instrumentation.graphql.add-operation-name-to-span-name.enabled")
+          == null) {
+        System.setProperty(
+            "otel.instrumentation.graphql.add-operation-name-to-span-name.enabled", "true");
+      }
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Unable to change OpenTelemetry defaults for use with Sentry.", e);
+    }
+  }
+
   private boolean isSentryAutoInitEnabled() {
     if (skipInit) {
       return false;