diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0e9db2e82d2..86d91f82834 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   - When generating `sentry-trace` header from `PropagationContext` we now copy the `sampled` flag.
   - In `TransactionContext.fromPropagationContext` when there is no parent sampling decision, keep the decision `null` so a new sampling decision is made instead of defaulting to `false`
 - Defer sampling decision by setting `sampled` to `null` in `PropagationContext` when using OpenTelemetry in case of an incoming defer sampling `sentry-trace` header. ([#3945](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3945))
+- Build `PropagationContext` from `SamplingDecision` made by `SentrySampler` instead of parsing headers and potentially ignoring a sampling decision in case a `sentry-trace` header comes in with deferred sampling decision. ([#3947](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3947))
 
 ## 8.0.0-rc.1
 
diff --git a/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/OtelSentrySpanProcessor.java b/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/OtelSentrySpanProcessor.java
index 27149d821f3..521bc9020c0 100644
--- a/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/OtelSentrySpanProcessor.java
+++ b/sentry-opentelemetry/sentry-opentelemetry-core/src/main/java/io/sentry/opentelemetry/OtelSentrySpanProcessor.java
@@ -84,10 +84,8 @@ public void onStart(final @NotNull Context parentContext, final @NotNull ReadWri
       final @Nullable Boolean sampled = isSampled(otelSpan, samplingDecision);
 
       final @NotNull PropagationContext propagationContext =
-          sentryTraceHeader == null
-              ? new PropagationContext(
-                  new SentryId(traceId), sentrySpanId, sentryParentSpanId, baggage, sampled)
-              : PropagationContext.fromHeaders(sentryTraceHeader, baggage, sentrySpanId);
+          new PropagationContext(
+              new SentryId(traceId), sentrySpanId, sentryParentSpanId, baggage, sampled);
 
       updatePropagationContext(scopes, propagationContext);
     }