diff --git a/.changeset/flat-exception-summary-properties.md b/.changeset/flat-exception-summary-properties.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3168739
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/flat-exception-summary-properties.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"posthog-php": patch
+---
+
+Add flat `$exception_type` and `$exception_message` properties to captured exception events, mirroring the outermost entry of `$exception_list`.
diff --git a/api/public-api.json b/api/public-api.json
index d164eae..b9dff58 100644
--- a/api/public-api.json
+++ b/api/public-api.json
@@ -2031,6 +2031,24 @@
                         }
                     ]
                 },
+                "getPrimarySummaryProperties": {
+                    "static": true,
+                    "abstract": false,
+                    "final": false,
+                    "returnType": "array",
+                    "parameters": [
+                        {
+                            "name": "exceptionList",
+                            "type": "array",
+                            "byReference": false,
+                            "variadic": false,
+                            "optional": false,
+                            "default": null,
+                            "defaultConstant": null,
+                            "hasDefault": false
+                        }
+                    ]
+                },
                 "overridePrimaryMechanism": {
                     "static": true,
                     "abstract": false,
diff --git a/lib/Client.php b/lib/Client.php
index 84c6b6b..f4cff0a 100644
--- a/lib/Client.php
+++ b/lib/Client.php
@@ -580,7 +580,8 @@ public function captureException(
             [
                 '$exception_list' => $exceptionList,
                 '$exception_handled' => ExceptionPayloadBuilder::getPrimaryHandled($exceptionList),
-            ]
+            ],
+            ExceptionPayloadBuilder::getPrimarySummaryProperties($exceptionList)
         );
 
         $message = [
diff --git a/lib/ExceptionCapture.php b/lib/ExceptionCapture.php
index 32c18c6..d54fb10 100644
--- a/lib/ExceptionCapture.php
+++ b/lib/ExceptionCapture.php
@@ -419,11 +419,14 @@ private static function sendExceptionEvent(
                 'line' => $exception->getLine(),
             ]);
 
-            $properties = [
-                '$exception_list' => $exceptionList,
-                '$exception_handled' => ExceptionPayloadBuilder::getPrimaryHandled($exceptionList),
-                '$exception_source' => $eventSource,
-            ];
+            $properties = array_merge(
+                [
+                    '$exception_list' => $exceptionList,
+                    '$exception_handled' => ExceptionPayloadBuilder::getPrimaryHandled($exceptionList),
+                    '$exception_source' => $eventSource,
+                ],
+                ExceptionPayloadBuilder::getPrimarySummaryProperties($exceptionList)
+            );
 
             if ($severity !== null) {
                 $properties['$php_error_severity'] = $severity;
diff --git a/lib/ExceptionPayloadBuilder.php b/lib/ExceptionPayloadBuilder.php
index a0aa4af..4840300 100644
--- a/lib/ExceptionPayloadBuilder.php
+++ b/lib/ExceptionPayloadBuilder.php
@@ -123,6 +123,31 @@ public static function getPrimaryHandled(array $exceptionList): bool
         return (bool) (($exceptionList[0]['mechanism']['handled'] ?? false) === true);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Flat `$exception_type`/`$exception_message` properties mirrored from the primary
+     * (first, outermost) exception. Keys are omitted when the primary entry has no string
+     * type/value, so a malformed list never emits empty summary properties.
+     *
+     * @param array[] $exceptionList Exception entries.
+     * @return array<string, string>
+     */
+    public static function getPrimarySummaryProperties(array $exceptionList): array
+    {
+        $properties = [];
+
+        $type = $exceptionList[0]['type'] ?? null;
+        if (is_string($type)) {
+            $properties['$exception_type'] = $type;
+        }
+
+        $message = $exceptionList[0]['value'] ?? null;
+        if (is_string($message)) {
+            $properties['$exception_message'] = $message;
+        }
+
+        return $properties;
+    }
+
     private static function buildThrowableException(\Throwable $exception, int $maxFrames): array
     {
         return self::buildSingleException(
diff --git a/test/ExceptionCaptureTest.php b/test/ExceptionCaptureTest.php
index 2d4dec0..e5fb0c3 100644
--- a/test/ExceptionCaptureTest.php
+++ b/test/ExceptionCaptureTest.php
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ public function testExceptionHandlerCapturesFlushesAndChainsPreviousHandler(): v
                 $event['properties']['$exception_list'][0]['mechanism']
             );
             $this->assertSame('RuntimeException', $event['properties']['$exception_list'][0]['type']);
+            $this->assertSame('RuntimeException', $event['properties']['$exception_type']);
+            $this->assertSame('uncaught boom', $event['properties']['$exception_message']);
             $this->assertFalse($event['properties']['$process_person_profile']);
             $this->assertMatchesRegularExpression(
                 '/^[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-4[0-9a-f]{3}-[89ab][0-9a-f]{3}-[0-9a-f]{12}$/',
diff --git a/test/ExceptionPayloadBuilderTest.php b/test/ExceptionPayloadBuilderTest.php
index 5e5b705..caea542 100644
--- a/test/ExceptionPayloadBuilderTest.php
+++ b/test/ExceptionPayloadBuilderTest.php
@@ -429,6 +429,43 @@ public function testCaptureExceptionSendsExceptionEvent(): void
         });
     }
 
+    public function testCaptureExceptionSetsFlatTypeAndMessageProperties(): void
+    {
+        $this->client->captureException(new \TypeError('boom'), 'user-flat');
+        PostHog::flush();
+
+        $batchCall = $this->findBatchCall();
+        $props = json_decode($batchCall['payload'], true)['batch'][0]['properties'];
+
+        $this->assertSame('TypeError', $props['$exception_type']);
+        $this->assertSame('boom', $props['$exception_message']);
+    }
+
+    public function testCaptureExceptionFlatPropertiesMirrorOutermostExceptionOfAChain(): void
+    {
+        $cause = new \InvalidArgumentException('root cause');
+        $this->client->captureException(new \RuntimeException('wrapped', 0, $cause), 'user-flat-chain');
+        PostHog::flush();
+
+        $batchCall = $this->findBatchCall();
+        $props = json_decode($batchCall['payload'], true)['batch'][0]['properties'];
+
+        $this->assertSame('RuntimeException', $props['$exception_type']);
+        $this->assertSame('wrapped', $props['$exception_message']);
+    }
+
+    public function testCaptureExceptionFromStringSetsFlatTypeAndMessageProperties(): void
+    {
+        $this->client->captureException('something broke', 'user-flat-string');
+        PostHog::flush();
+
+        $batchCall = $this->findBatchCall();
+        $props = json_decode($batchCall['payload'], true)['batch'][0]['properties'];
+
+        $this->assertSame('Error', $props['$exception_type']);
+        $this->assertSame('something broke', $props['$exception_message']);
+    }
+
     public function testCaptureExceptionUsesOuterExceptionAsPrimaryForChains(): void
     {
         $cause = new \InvalidArgumentException('root cause');