diff --git a/sentry-python/8031/README.md b/sentry-python/8031/README.md
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+# Reproduction for sentry-python#8031
+
+**Issue:** https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-python/issues/8031
+
+## Description
+
+`tests/test_monitor.py::test_segment_uses_downsampled_rate` sometimes fails with `assert 0.25 == 0.5`.
+
+The test sets `monitor.interval = 0.1` and calls `monitor.run()` once by hand, then expects `downsample_factor == 1`. But the first `monitor.is_healthy()` call also starts the monitor's background thread, and that thread calls `run()` every `interval` seconds as well. On a slow runner, more than 0.1 s passes before the sampling decision, so the factor becomes 2 and the sample rate 0.25.
+
+`repro.py` runs the same sequence many times. Between the manual `run()` and the sampling decision it waits a random 0–`--delay-max` seconds, to stand in for a slow CI runner.
+
+## Steps to Reproduce
+
+No DSN is needed; the transport is a stub. To use a real project anyway, run `export SENTRY_DSN=`.
+
+1. Run the reproduction (uv installs `sentry-sdk` from the inline script metadata):
+   ```bash
+   uv run repro.py --iterations 100
+   ```
+2. Short gaps (below the 0.1 s interval) don't trigger it:
+   ```bash
+   uv run repro.py --iterations 100 --delay-max 0.05
+   ```
+3. Stopping the background thread first, so the health check runs only by hand as the test intends, makes it pass:
+   ```bash
+   uv run repro.py --iterations 100 --stop-thread
+   ```
+
+The script exits with code 1 if any iteration gets an unexpected rate.
+
+## Expected Behavior
+
+After one manual `run()`, the sample rate is `0.5` in every iteration.
+
+## Actual Behavior
+
+With gaps of up to 0.2 s, the rate is `0.25` in about half the iterations:
+
+```
+sentry-sdk 2.72.0
+unexpected sample rate (expected 0.5) in 55/100 iterations
+```
+
+With `--delay-max 0.05` the result was 0/100, and with `--stop-thread` it was 0/100.
+
+## Environment
+
+- Python: 3.12 (any version works)
+- sentry-sdk: 2.72.0
+- OS: Linux
diff --git a/sentry-python/8031/repro.py b/sentry-python/8031/repro.py
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+++ b/sentry-python/8031/repro.py
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+# /// script
+# requires-python = ">=3.9"
+# dependencies = ["sentry-sdk"]
+# ///
+"""Reproduction for getsentry/sentry-python#8031.
+
+Mirrors tests/test_monitor.py::test_segment_uses_downsampled_rate:
+an unhealthy transport, monitor.interval = 0.1, one manual monitor.run(),
+then a sampling decision. The test expects downsample_factor == 1 and a
+sample rate of 0.5.
+
+The monitor's own background thread (started by the first is_healthy() call)
+also calls run() every `interval` seconds. If the gap between the first
+is_healthy() and the sampling decision is longer than `interval` (a slow or
+busy CI runner), the factor is 2 and the sample rate 0.25.
+
+`--delay-max` sets the largest random gap (seconds) inserted between the
+manual run() and the sampling decision, to stand in for a slow runner.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import random
+import time
+from unittest import mock
+
+import sentry_sdk
+from sentry_sdk.transport import Transport
+
+
+class UnhealthyTransport(Transport):
+    def capture_envelope(self, envelope):
+        pass
+
+    def is_healthy(self):
+        return False
+
+
+def one_iteration(delay_max, stop_thread):
+    sentry_sdk.init(
+        dsn=os.environ.get("SENTRY_DSN") or "https://public@example.com/1",
+        traces_sample_rate=1.0,
+        transport=UnhealthyTransport(),
+    )
+    client = sentry_sdk.get_client()
+    monitor = client.monitor
+    if stop_thread:
+        # Drive health checks only by hand, as the test intends.
+        monitor.kill()
+    monitor.interval = 0.1
+
+    assert monitor.is_healthy() is True  # starts the background thread
+    monitor.run()
+    factor_after_run = monitor.downsample_factor
+
+    time.sleep(random.uniform(0, delay_max))  # slow runner
+
+    with mock.patch("sentry_sdk.tracing_utils.Random.randrange", return_value=750000):
+        with sentry_sdk.start_transaction(name="foobar") as transaction:
+            rate = transaction.sample_rate
+
+    client.close()
+    return factor_after_run, rate
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--iterations", type=int, default=100)
+    parser.add_argument("--delay-max", type=float, default=0.2)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--stop-thread",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="kill the monitor's background thread first (the proposed test fix)",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    print("sentry-sdk", sentry_sdk.VERSION)
+    bad = 0
+    for _ in range(args.iterations):
+        factor, rate = one_iteration(args.delay_max, args.stop_thread)
+        if factor != 1 or rate != 0.5:
+            bad += 1
+    print(
+        "unexpected sample rate (expected 0.5) in %d/%d iterations" % (bad, args.iterations)
+    )
+    raise SystemExit(1 if bad else 0)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()