diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f51bfd5c11f..184a2653ad6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## Unreleased
+## 8.23.1-alpha.1
 
 ### Fixes
 
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 5637a2f35c0..787d75c7221 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ org.jetbrains.dokka.experimental.gradle.pluginMode=V2Enabled
 android.useAndroidX=true
 
 # Release information
-versionName=8.23.0
+versionName=8.23.1-alpha.1
 
 # Override the SDK name on native crashes on Android
 sentryAndroidSdkName=sentry.native.android
diff --git a/sentry-reactor/src/main/java/io/sentry/reactor/SentryReactorThreadLocalAccessor.java b/sentry-reactor/src/main/java/io/sentry/reactor/SentryReactorThreadLocalAccessor.java
index 7ef4bb9bd1e..2dfb33f318d 100644
--- a/sentry-reactor/src/main/java/io/sentry/reactor/SentryReactorThreadLocalAccessor.java
+++ b/sentry-reactor/src/main/java/io/sentry/reactor/SentryReactorThreadLocalAccessor.java
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ public Object key() {
 
   @Override
   public IScopes getValue() {
-    return Sentry.getCurrentScopes();
+    if (Sentry.hasScopes()) {
+      return Sentry.getCurrentScopes();
+    } else {
+      return NoOpScopes.getInstance();
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/sentry/api/sentry.api b/sentry/api/sentry.api
index 4bfa96f1207..e6889ff1c53 100644
--- a/sentry/api/sentry.api
+++ b/sentry/api/sentry.api
@@ -2599,6 +2599,7 @@ public final class io/sentry/Sentry {
 	public static fun getLastEventId ()Lio/sentry/protocol/SentryId;
 	public static fun getSpan ()Lio/sentry/ISpan;
 	public static fun getTraceparent ()Lio/sentry/SentryTraceHeader;
+	public static fun hasScopes ()Z
 	public static fun init ()V
 	public static fun init (Lio/sentry/OptionsContainer;Lio/sentry/Sentry$OptionsConfiguration;)V
 	public static fun init (Lio/sentry/OptionsContainer;Lio/sentry/Sentry$OptionsConfiguration;Z)V
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/Sentry.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/Sentry.java
index 4aee71715d7..582b75b97a9 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/Sentry.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/Sentry.java
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ private Sentry() {}
     return scopes;
   }
 
+  @ApiStatus.Internal
+  public static boolean hasScopes() {
+    final @Nullable IScopes scopes = getScopesStorage().get();
+    return scopes != null && !scopes.isNoOp();
+  }
+
   private static @NotNull IScopesStorage getScopesStorage() {
     return scopesStorage;
   }