diff --git a/lerna.json b/lerna.json
index 8ffd3492f7..afff15b22a 100644
--- a/lerna.json
+++ b/lerna.json
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@
     "performance-tests/*"
   ],
   "npmClient": "yarn"
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/samples/react-native/package.json b/samples/react-native/package.json
index 32ba09aebf..f1fb8e9cde 100644
--- a/samples/react-native/package.json
+++ b/samples/react-native/package.json
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
     "build-android-release-legacy": "scripts/build-android-release-legacy.sh",
     "build-android-debug": "scripts/build-android-debug.sh",
     "build-android-debug-legacy": "scripts/build-android-debug-legacy.sh",
-    "build-android-debug-auto": "scripts/build-android-debug-auto.sh",
-    "build-android-debug-manual": "scripts/build-android-debug-manual.sh",
+    "build-android-debug-auto": "SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=true scripts/build-android-debug-init.sh",
+    "build-android-debug-manual": "SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=false scripts/build-android-debug-init.sh",
     "build-ios-release": "scripts/build-ios-release.sh",
     "build-ios-debug": "scripts/build-ios-debug.sh",
     "test": "jest",
diff --git a/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-auto.sh b/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-auto.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index a4e50a4d1f..0000000000
--- a/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-auto.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Exit on error
-set -e
-
-thisFilePath=$(dirname "$0")
-
-export RN_ARCHITECTURE="new"
-export CONFIG="debug"
-export SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START="true"
-
-echo "Building Android with SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}"
-echo "This build will initialize Sentry from JavaScript (auto init)"
-
-"${thisFilePath}/build-android.sh"
-
-# Rename the output APK to distinguish it from manual build
-cd "${thisFilePath}/.."
-if [ -f "app.apk" ]; then
-  mv app.apk app-auto.apk
-  echo "Build complete: app-auto.apk"
-fi
diff --git a/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-init.sh b/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-init.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..17f5e00f2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Exit on error
+set -e
+
+thisFilePath=$(dirname "$0")
+
+# Validate SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START is set
+if [ -z "${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}" ]; then
+  echo "Error: SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START environment variable is not set."
+  echo "Usage: SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=true|false $0"
+  echo ""
+  echo "  true  - Build for auto init from JS (native SDK disabled)"
+  echo "  false - Build for manual native init (native SDK enabled)"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Export so Gradle daemon can access it
+export SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START
+
+# Map SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START to build mode
+if [ "${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}" = "true" ]; then
+  BUILD_MODE="auto"
+  INIT_DESCRIPTION="initialize Sentry from JavaScript (auto init)"
+elif [ "${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}" = "false" ]; then
+  BUILD_MODE="manual"
+  INIT_DESCRIPTION="initialize Sentry natively before JS (manual init)"
+else
+  echo "Error: Invalid value for SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START: '${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}'"
+  echo "Expected 'true' or 'false'"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+export RN_ARCHITECTURE="new"
+export CONFIG="debug"
+
+echo "Building Android with SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}"
+echo "This build will ${INIT_DESCRIPTION}"
+
+"${thisFilePath}/build-android.sh"
+
+# Rename the output APK based on build mode
+cd "${thisFilePath}/.."
+if [ -f "app.apk" ]; then
+  mv app.apk "app-${BUILD_MODE}.apk"
+  echo "Build complete: app-${BUILD_MODE}.apk"
+else
+  echo "Error: Expected output file 'app.apk' not found"
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-manual.sh b/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-manual.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 7bb4754496..0000000000
--- a/samples/react-native/scripts/build-android-debug-manual.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Exit on error
-set -e
-
-thisFilePath=$(dirname "$0")
-
-export RN_ARCHITECTURE="new"
-export CONFIG="debug"
-export SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START="false"
-
-echo "Building Android with SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START=${SENTRY_DISABLE_NATIVE_START}"
-echo "This build will initialize Sentry natively before JS (manual init)"
-
-"${thisFilePath}/build-android.sh"
-
-# Rename the output APK to distinguish it from auto build
-cd "${thisFilePath}/.."
-if [ -f "app.apk" ]; then
-  mv app.apk app-manual.apk
-  echo "Build complete: app-manual.apk"
-fi