diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 41b74388723..6fe0884a820 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Skip encoding and capturing buffered session replay segments while rate-limited, so we don't waste resources on envelopes the transport will drop ([#5813](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5813))
+  - These skipped replays are now reported as `ratelimit_backoff` discarded events in client reports, so they no longer disappear from drop statistics. One event is recorded per buffer flush rather than per segment.
+  - Buffer mode is also kept while rate-limited instead of switching to session mode, so the rolling buffer stays warm and the next error after the rate limit expires can send a complete replay.
 - Reduce main-thread work during `Sentry.init` by resolving the shake-detector accelerometer off the main thread (~1.75ms on a Pixel 10) ([#5784](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5784))
 - Backfill release, environment, distribution, tags, and app version/build—and use the matching replay-on-error sample rate—for `ApplicationExitInfo` ANR and native crash events captured before SDK initialization, without reusing options cached by a later app update ([#5762](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5762))
 - `SentryTagModifierNode.isImportantForBounds` now matches the default behavior and returns `true` ([#5789](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/5789))
diff --git a/sentry-android-replay/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategy.kt b/sentry-android-replay/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategy.kt
index f6c6f3997ae..1d7bd1c1126 100644
--- a/sentry-android-replay/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategy.kt
+++ b/sentry-android-replay/src/main/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategy.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import android.annotation.SuppressLint
 import android.annotation.TargetApi
 import android.graphics.Bitmap
 import android.view.MotionEvent
+import io.sentry.DataCategory.All
+import io.sentry.DataCategory.Replay
 import io.sentry.DateUtils
 import io.sentry.IScopes
 import io.sentry.SentryLevel.DEBUG
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ import io.sentry.android.replay.capture.CaptureStrategy.Companion.rotateEvents
 import io.sentry.android.replay.capture.CaptureStrategy.ReplaySegment
 import io.sentry.android.replay.util.ReplayRunnable
 import io.sentry.android.replay.util.sample
+import io.sentry.clientreport.DiscardReason.RATELIMIT_BACKOFF
 import io.sentry.protocol.SentryId
 import io.sentry.transport.ICurrentDateProvider
 import io.sentry.util.FileUtils
@@ -100,6 +103,18 @@ internal class BufferCaptureStrategy(
       return
     }
 
+    if (isReplayRateLimited()) {
+      // the segment envelopes would be dropped by the transport anyway, so don't waste resources
+      // encoding videos that will only be discarded
+      options.logger.log(INFO, "Replay is rate-limited, not capturing for event")
+      // one lost event per flush, not per segment: the transport would have counted the current
+      // segment plus every buffered one, but a flush only ever loses a single replay from the
+      // user's perspective. Under-reporting here is preferable to making replay look like it
+      // dropped data it never held.
+      options.clientReportRecorder.recordLostEvent(RATELIMIT_BACKOFF, Replay)
+      return
+    }
+
     createCurrentSegment("capture_replay") { segment ->
       bufferedSegments.capture()
 
@@ -151,6 +166,13 @@ internal class BufferCaptureStrategy(
       )
       return this
     }
+    if (isReplayRateLimited()) {
+      // captureReplay skipped the flush, so there is nothing to continue in session mode. Staying
+      // in buffer mode keeps the rolling buffer warm, so the next error after the rate limit
+      // expires can send a complete replay starting at segment 0.
+      options.logger.log(DEBUG, "Not converting to session mode, because replay is rate-limited")
+      return this
+    }
     // we hand over replayExecutor and persistingExecutor to the new strategy to preserve order of
     // execution
     val captureStrategy =
@@ -170,6 +192,11 @@ internal class BufferCaptureStrategy(
     rotateEvents(currentEvents, bufferLimit)
   }
 
+  private fun isReplayRateLimited(): Boolean =
+    scopes?.rateLimiter?.let {
+      it.isActiveForCategory(All) || it.isActiveForCategory(Replay)
+    } == true
+
   private fun deleteFile(file: File?) {
     if (file == null) {
       return
diff --git a/sentry-android-replay/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategyTest.kt b/sentry-android-replay/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategyTest.kt
index b5048e856ff..fc1981a84b1 100644
--- a/sentry-android-replay/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategyTest.kt
+++ b/sentry-android-replay/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/replay/capture/BufferCaptureStrategyTest.kt
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ package io.sentry.android.replay.capture
 
 import android.graphics.Bitmap
 import android.view.MotionEvent
+import io.sentry.DataCategory
 import io.sentry.IScopes
 import io.sentry.Scope
 import io.sentry.ScopeCallback
+import io.sentry.SentryEnvelope
+import io.sentry.SentryEnvelopeHeader
 import io.sentry.SentryOptions
 import io.sentry.SentryReplayEvent.ReplayType
 import io.sentry.android.replay.DefaultReplayBreadcrumbConverter
@@ -17,9 +20,12 @@ import io.sentry.android.replay.ReplayCache.Companion.SEGMENT_KEY_TIMESTAMP
 import io.sentry.android.replay.ReplayFrame
 import io.sentry.android.replay.ScreenshotRecorderConfig
 import io.sentry.android.replay.capture.BufferCaptureStrategyTest.Fixture.Companion.VIDEO_DURATION
+import io.sentry.clientreport.DiscardReason
+import io.sentry.clientreport.DiscardedEvent
 import io.sentry.protocol.SentryId
 import io.sentry.transport.CurrentDateProvider
 import io.sentry.transport.ICurrentDateProvider
+import io.sentry.transport.RateLimiter
 import io.sentry.util.Random
 import java.io.File
 import kotlin.test.Test
@@ -93,6 +99,16 @@ class BufferCaptureStrategyTest {
         bitRate = 20_000,
       )
 
+    // client report counts are only readable by draining them onto an envelope
+    fun discardedEvents(): List<DiscardedEvent> =
+      options.clientReportRecorder
+        .attachReportToEnvelope(SentryEnvelope(SentryEnvelopeHeader(), emptyList()))
+        .items
+        .firstOrNull()
+        ?.getClientReport(options.serializer)
+        ?.discardedEvents
+        .orEmpty()
+
     fun getSut(
       onErrorSampleRate: Double = 1.0,
       dateProvider: ICurrentDateProvider = CurrentDateProvider.getInstance(),
@@ -239,6 +255,19 @@ class BufferCaptureStrategyTest {
     assertTrue(converted is BufferCaptureStrategy)
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `convert stays in buffer mode when rate-limited`() {
+    val rateLimiter = mock<RateLimiter> { on { isActiveForCategory(any()) }.thenReturn(true) }
+    whenever(fixture.scopes.rateLimiter).thenReturn(rateLimiter)
+    val strategy = fixture.getSut()
+    strategy.start()
+
+    strategy.captureReplay(false) {}
+
+    val converted = strategy.convert()
+    assertTrue(converted is BufferCaptureStrategy)
+  }
+
   @Test
   fun `convert converts to session strategy and sets replayId to scope`() {
     val strategy = fixture.getSut()
@@ -336,6 +365,52 @@ class BufferCaptureStrategyTest {
     assertEquals(SentryId.EMPTY_ID, fixture.scope.replayId)
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `captureReplay does not capture segments when rate-limited`() {
+    val rateLimiter = mock<RateLimiter> { on { isActiveForCategory(any()) }.thenReturn(true) }
+    whenever(fixture.scopes.rateLimiter).thenReturn(rateLimiter)
+    val strategy = fixture.getSut()
+    strategy.start()
+    strategy.onConfigurationChanged(fixture.recorderConfig)
+    strategy.pause()
+
+    strategy.captureReplay(false) {}
+
+    // neither the current nor the buffered segment should be sent while rate-limited
+    verify(fixture.scopes, never()).captureReplay(any(), any())
+    // the replayId is still set on the scope so the error that flushed the buffer stays linked to
+    // the replay that gets recorded once the rate limit lifts
+    assertEquals(strategy.currentReplayId, fixture.scope.replayId)
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `captureReplay records a lost replay event when rate-limited`() {
+    val rateLimiter = mock<RateLimiter> { on { isActiveForCategory(any()) }.thenReturn(true) }
+    whenever(fixture.scopes.rateLimiter).thenReturn(rateLimiter)
+    val strategy = fixture.getSut()
+    strategy.start()
+    strategy.onConfigurationChanged(fixture.recorderConfig)
+    strategy.pause()
+
+    strategy.captureReplay(false) {}
+
+    val discarded = fixture.discardedEvents()
+    assertEquals(1, discarded.size)
+    assertEquals(DiscardReason.RATELIMIT_BACKOFF.reason, discarded.first().reason)
+    assertEquals(DataCategory.Replay.category, discarded.first().category)
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `captureReplay does not record a lost replay event when not rate-limited`() {
+    val strategy = fixture.getSut()
+    strategy.start()
+    strategy.onConfigurationChanged(fixture.recorderConfig)
+
+    strategy.captureReplay(false) {}
+
+    assertTrue(fixture.discardedEvents().none { it.category == DataCategory.Replay.category })
+  }
+
   @Test
   fun `captureReplay sets replayId to scope and captures buffered segments`() {
     var called = false