diff --git a/sentry_sdk/consts.py b/sentry_sdk/consts.py
index 93fca6ba3e..4b61a317fb 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/consts.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/consts.py
@@ -542,6 +542,12 @@ class SPANDATA:
     Example: 2048
     """
 
+    GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS = "gen_ai.system_instructions"
+    """
+    The system instructions passed to the model.
+    Example: [{"type": "text", "text": "You are a helpful assistant."},{"type": "text", "text": "Be concise and clear."}]
+    """
+
     GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES = "gen_ai.request.messages"
     """
     The messages passed to the model. The "content" can be a string or an array of objects.
diff --git a/sentry_sdk/integrations/anthropic.py b/sentry_sdk/integrations/anthropic.py
index 2bc48e54e3..c20d3cd7cd 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/integrations/anthropic.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/integrations/anthropic.py
@@ -192,29 +192,12 @@ def _set_input_data(
         and should_send_default_pii()
         and integration.include_prompts
     ):
-        normalized_messages = []
         if system_prompt:
-            system_prompt_content: "Optional[Union[str, List[dict[str, Any]]]]" = None
-            if isinstance(system_prompt, str):
-                system_prompt_content = system_prompt
-            elif isinstance(system_prompt, Iterable):
-                system_prompt_content = []
-                for item in system_prompt:
-                    if (
-                        isinstance(item, dict)
-                        and item.get("type") == "text"
-                        and item.get("text")
-                    ):
-                        system_prompt_content.append(item.copy())
-
-            if system_prompt_content:
-                normalized_messages.append(
-                    {
-                        "role": GEN_AI_ALLOWED_MESSAGE_ROLES.SYSTEM,
-                        "content": system_prompt_content,
-                    }
-                )
+            set_data_normalized(
+                span, SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS, system_prompt, unpack=False
+            )
 
+        normalized_messages = []
         for message in messages:
             if (
                 message.get("role") == GEN_AI_ALLOWED_MESSAGE_ROLES.USER
diff --git a/tests/integrations/anthropic/test_anthropic.py b/tests/integrations/anthropic/test_anthropic.py
index e8bc4648b6..460995e108 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/anthropic/test_anthropic.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/anthropic/test_anthropic.py
@@ -1074,17 +1074,18 @@ def test_nonstreaming_create_message_with_system_prompt(
     assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MODEL] == "model"
 
     if send_default_pii and include_prompts:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS in span["data"]
+        system_instructions = span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS]
+        assert system_instructions == "You are a helpful assistant."
+
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES in span["data"]
         stored_messages = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES])
-        assert len(stored_messages) == 2
-        # System message should be first
-        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "system"
-        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
-        # User message should be second
-        assert stored_messages[1]["role"] == "user"
-        assert stored_messages[1]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
+        assert len(stored_messages) == 1
+        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "user"
+        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
         assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT] == "Hi, I'm Claude."
     else:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT not in span["data"]
 
@@ -1153,17 +1154,18 @@ async def test_nonstreaming_create_message_with_system_prompt_async(
     assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MODEL] == "model"
 
     if send_default_pii and include_prompts:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS in span["data"]
+        system_instructions = span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS]
+        assert system_instructions == "You are a helpful assistant."
+
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES in span["data"]
         stored_messages = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES])
-        assert len(stored_messages) == 2
-        # System message should be first
-        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "system"
-        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
-        # User message should be second
-        assert stored_messages[1]["role"] == "user"
-        assert stored_messages[1]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
+        assert len(stored_messages) == 1
+        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "user"
+        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
         assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT] == "Hi, I'm Claude."
     else:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT not in span["data"]
 
@@ -1264,18 +1266,19 @@ def test_streaming_create_message_with_system_prompt(
     assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MODEL] == "model"
 
     if send_default_pii and include_prompts:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS in span["data"]
+        system_instructions = span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS]
+        assert system_instructions == "You are a helpful assistant."
+
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES in span["data"]
         stored_messages = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES])
-        assert len(stored_messages) == 2
-        # System message should be first
-        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "system"
-        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
-        # User message should be second
-        assert stored_messages[1]["role"] == "user"
-        assert stored_messages[1]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
+        assert len(stored_messages) == 1
+        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "user"
+        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
         assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT] == "Hi! I'm Claude!"
 
     else:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT not in span["data"]
 
@@ -1379,18 +1382,19 @@ async def test_streaming_create_message_with_system_prompt_async(
     assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MODEL] == "model"
 
     if send_default_pii and include_prompts:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS in span["data"]
+        system_instructions = span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS]
+        assert system_instructions == "You are a helpful assistant."
+
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES in span["data"]
         stored_messages = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES])
-        assert len(stored_messages) == 2
-        # System message should be first
-        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "system"
-        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
-        # User message should be second
-        assert stored_messages[1]["role"] == "user"
-        assert stored_messages[1]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
+        assert len(stored_messages) == 1
+        assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "user"
+        assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "Hello, Claude"
         assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT] == "Hi! I'm Claude!"
 
     else:
+        assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES not in span["data"]
         assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_RESPONSE_TEXT not in span["data"]
 
@@ -1437,21 +1441,23 @@ def test_system_prompt_with_complex_structure(sentry_init, capture_events):
     (span,) = event["spans"]
 
     assert span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_OPERATION_NAME] == "chat"
+
+    assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS in span["data"]
+    system_instructions = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS])
+
+    # System content should be a list of text blocks
+    assert isinstance(system_instructions, list)
+    assert system_instructions[0]["type"] == "text"
+    assert system_instructions[0]["text"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
+    assert system_instructions[1]["type"] == "text"
+    assert system_instructions[1]["text"] == "Be concise and clear."
+
     assert SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES in span["data"]
     stored_messages = json.loads(span["data"][SPANDATA.GEN_AI_REQUEST_MESSAGES])
 
-    # Should have system message first, then user message
-    assert len(stored_messages) == 2
-    assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "system"
-    # System content should be a list of text blocks
-    assert isinstance(stored_messages[0]["content"], list)
-    assert len(stored_messages[0]["content"]) == 2
-    assert stored_messages[0]["content"][0]["type"] == "text"
-    assert stored_messages[0]["content"][0]["text"] == "You are a helpful assistant."
-    assert stored_messages[0]["content"][1]["type"] == "text"
-    assert stored_messages[0]["content"][1]["text"] == "Be concise and clear."
-    assert stored_messages[1]["role"] == "user"
-    assert stored_messages[1]["content"] == "Hello"
+    assert len(stored_messages) == 1
+    assert stored_messages[0]["role"] == "user"
+    assert stored_messages[0]["content"] == "Hello"
 
 
 # Tests for transform_content_part (shared) and _transform_anthropic_content_block helper functions