diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cb3942983f4..2ee5e782434 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 - Support multiple debug-metadata.properties ([#3024](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3024))
 
+### Fixes
+
+- Send breadcrumbs and client error even without transactions ([#3087](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3087))
+
 ### Dependencies
 
 - Bump Gradle from v8.4.0 to v8.5.0 ([#3070](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3070))
diff --git a/sentry-okhttp/src/main/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEvent.kt b/sentry-okhttp/src/main/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEvent.kt
index 4870c8bb64b..8be7c4b8cec 100644
--- a/sentry-okhttp/src/main/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEvent.kt
+++ b/sentry-okhttp/src/main/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEvent.kt
@@ -139,7 +139,22 @@ internal class SentryOkHttpEvent(private val hub: IHub, private val request: Req
 
     /** Finishes the call root span, and runs [beforeFinish] on it. Then a breadcrumb is sent. */
     fun finishEvent(finishDate: SentryDate? = null, beforeFinish: ((span: ISpan) -> Unit)? = null) {
-        callRootSpan ?: return
+        // We put data in the hint and send a breadcrumb
+        val hint = Hint()
+        hint.set(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_REQUEST, request)
+        response?.let { hint.set(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_RESPONSE, it) }
+
+        // We send the breadcrumb even without spans.
+        hub.addBreadcrumb(breadcrumb, hint)
+        // No span is created (e.g. no transaction is running)
+        if (callRootSpan == null) {
+
+            // We report the client error even without spans.
+            clientErrorResponse?.let {
+                SentryOkHttpUtils.captureClientError(hub, it.request, it)
+            }
+            return
+        }
 
         // We forcefully finish all spans, even if they should already have been finished through finishSpan()
         eventSpans.values.filter { !it.isFinished }.forEach {
@@ -159,13 +174,6 @@ internal class SentryOkHttpEvent(private val hub: IHub, private val request: Req
         } else {
             callRootSpan.finish()
         }
-
-        // We put data in the hint and send a breadcrumb
-        val hint = Hint()
-        hint.set(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_REQUEST, request)
-        response?.let { hint.set(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_RESPONSE, it) }
-
-        hub.addBreadcrumb(breadcrumb, hint)
         return
     }
 
diff --git a/sentry-okhttp/src/test/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEventTest.kt b/sentry-okhttp/src/test/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEventTest.kt
index 1363c237850..308a7bbf26e 100644
--- a/sentry-okhttp/src/test/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEventTest.kt
+++ b/sentry-okhttp/src/test/java/io/sentry/okhttp/SentryOkHttpEventTest.kt
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@ class SentryOkHttpEventTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    fun `when root span is null, no breadcrumb is created`() {
+    fun `when root span is null, breadcrumb is created anyway`() {
         val sut = fixture.getSut(currentSpan = null)
         assertNull(sut.callRootSpan)
         sut.finishEvent()
-        verify(fixture.hub, never()).addBreadcrumb(any<Breadcrumb>(), anyOrNull())
+        verify(fixture.hub).addBreadcrumb(any<Breadcrumb>(), anyOrNull())
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -572,6 +572,28 @@ class SentryOkHttpEventTest {
         sut.setClientErrorResponse(clientErrorResponse)
         verify(fixture.hub, never()).captureEvent(any(), any<Hint>())
         sut.finishEvent()
+        assertNotNull(sut.callRootSpan)
+        verify(fixture.hub).captureEvent(
+            argThat {
+                throwable is SentryHttpClientException &&
+                    throwable!!.message!!.startsWith("HTTP Client Error with status code: ")
+            },
+            argThat<Hint> {
+                get(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_REQUEST) != null &&
+                    get(TypeCheckHint.OKHTTP_RESPONSE) != null
+            }
+        )
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `setClientErrorResponse will capture the client error on finishEvent even when no span is running`() {
+        val sut = fixture.getSut(currentSpan = null)
+        val clientErrorResponse = mock<Response>()
+        whenever(clientErrorResponse.request).thenReturn(fixture.mockRequest)
+        sut.setClientErrorResponse(clientErrorResponse)
+        verify(fixture.hub, never()).captureEvent(any(), any<Hint>())
+        sut.finishEvent()
+        assertNull(sut.callRootSpan)
         verify(fixture.hub).captureEvent(
             argThat {
                 throwable is SentryHttpClientException &&