diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/knex/mysql2/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/knex/mysql2/test.ts
index ec3947f54f4a..2f216f3ab7ed 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/knex/mysql2/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/knex/mysql2/test.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('knex auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [__di
         await createRunner()
           .expect({
             span: container => {
-              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment)?.name).toBe('Test Transaction');
+              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment && span.name === 'Test Transaction')).toBeDefined();
               const knexSpans = container.items.filter(span => span.attributes[SENTRY_ORIGIN]?.value === ORIGIN);
               expect(knexSpans).toEqual(EXPECTED_SPANS);
             },
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/mysql2-tracing-channel/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/mysql2-tracing-channel/test.ts
index cffe56665a4c..6ea956038d06 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/mysql2-tracing-channel/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/mysql2-tracing-channel/test.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ describe('mysql2 tracing channel Test', () => {
         await createTestRunner()
           .expect({
             span: container => {
-              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment)?.name).toBe('Test Transaction');
+              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment && span.name === 'Test Transaction')).toBeDefined();
               const spans = container.items.filter(span => !span.is_segment);
               // The monkey-patch path (origin `auto.db.mysql2`) must be inactive on 3.20.0+.
               expect(spans.find(span => span.attributes[SENTRY_ORIGIN]?.value === 'auto.db.mysql2')).toBeUndefined();
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ describe('mysql2 tracing channel Test', () => {
         await createTestRunner()
           .expect({
             span: container => {
-              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment)?.name).toBe('Test Transaction');
+              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment && span.name === 'Test Transaction')).toBeDefined();
               const spans = container.items.filter(span => !span.is_segment);
               for (const span of spans) {
                 const queryText = span.attributes[DB_QUERY_TEXT]?.value;
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/scenario-no-parent.mjs b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/scenario-no-parent.mjs
index 9f872a69b694..5eed9f14064c 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/scenario-no-parent.mjs
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/scenario-no-parent.mjs
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ async function run() {
     await probe.end();
   });
 
-  // No active span here: `requireParentSpan` means the connect and this query
-  // must NOT produce spans.
+  // Connect can produce a root span; the query still requires a parent.
   await client.connect();
   await client.query('SELECT 1 AS unparented');
 
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/test.ts
index 4dd383254d1f..e9b55b95e7f1 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/postgres/test.ts
@@ -167,7 +167,9 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('postgres auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [
           .expect({
             span: container => {
               expect(container).toMatchObject(EXPECTED_SPANS);
-              const dbSpans = container.items.filter(span => span.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === DB);
+              const dbSpans = container.items.filter(
+                span => !span.is_segment && span.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === DB,
+              );
               expect(dbSpans.map(span => span.name)).toEqual([
                 'pg.connect',
                 'CREATE TABLE "User"',
@@ -375,16 +377,15 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('postgres auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [
 
   describe('requireParentSpan', () => {
     createEsmAndCjsTests(__dirname, 'scenario-no-parent.mjs', 'instrument.mjs', (createTestRunner, test) => {
-      test('does not instrument queries or connects without an active parent span', { timeout: 90_000 }, async () => {
+      test('does not instrument queries without an active parent span', { timeout: 90_000 }, async () => {
         await createTestRunner()
           .expect({
             span: container => {
-              const descriptions = container.items.map(span => span.name);
-              // The unparented connect + query must not have produced spans
+              // The unparented query must not have produced a span
               expect(container.items.map(span => span.attributes[DB_QUERY_TEXT]?.value)).not.toContain(
                 'SELECT ? AS unparented',
               );
-              expect(descriptions.find(name => name?.includes('connect'))).toBeUndefined();
+              expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment && span.name === 'pg.connect')).toBeDefined();
               // Only the parented query is instrumented
               expect(container).toMatchObject({
                 items: expect.arrayContaining([
@@ -521,7 +522,9 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('postgres auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [
             .expect({
               span: container => {
                 expect(container).toMatchObject(EXPECTED_SPANS);
-                const dbSpans = container.items.filter(span => span.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === DB);
+                const dbSpans = container.items.filter(
+                  span => !span.is_segment && span.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === DB,
+                );
                 expect(dbSpans.map(span => span.name)).toEqual([
                   'pg.connect',
                   'CREATE TABLE "NativeUser"',
@@ -679,17 +682,16 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('postgres auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [
         'instrument-orchestrion.mjs',
         (createTestRunner, test) => {
           test(
-            'does not instrument queries or connects without an active parent span',
+            'does not instrument queries without an active parent span (orchestrion)',
             { timeout: 90_000 },
             async () => {
               await createTestRunner()
                 .expect({
                   span: container => {
-                    const descriptions = container.items.map(span => span.name);
                     expect(container.items.map(span => span.attributes[DB_QUERY_TEXT]?.value)).not.toContain(
                       'SELECT ? AS unparented',
                     );
-                    expect(descriptions.find(name => name?.includes('connect'))).toBeUndefined();
+                    expect(container.items.find(span => span.is_segment && span.name === 'pg.connect')).toBeDefined();
                     expect(container).toMatchObject({
                       items: expect.arrayContaining([
                         expect.objectContaining({ name: 'Test Transaction', is_segment: true }),
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis-cache/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis-cache/test.ts
index a6f3271d2356..87f0913a2780 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis-cache/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis-cache/test.ts
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('redis cache auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory
 
     createEsmAndCjsTests(__dirname, 'scenario-ioredis.mjs', 'instrument-ioredis.mjs', (createTestRunner, test) => {
       test('should create cache spans for prefixed keys (ioredis)', { timeout: 60_000 }, async () => {
-        await createTestRunner().expect({ transaction: EXPECTED_TRANSACTION }).start().completed();
+        await createTestRunner().unordered().expect({ transaction: EXPECTED_TRANSACTION }).start().completed();
       });
     });
   });
@@ -238,9 +238,14 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('redis cache auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory
             .withEnv({ STREAMED: 'true' })
             .expect({
               span: container => {
-                expect(container.items.find(item => item.is_segment)?.name).toBe(segmentName);
+                expect(container.items.filter(item => item.is_segment).map(item => item.name)).toEqual([
+                  'connect',
+                  segmentName,
+                ]);
 
-                expect(childSpans(container)).toEqual([
+                expect(
+                  childSpans(container).filter(item => item.attributes[SENTRY_SEGMENT_NAME]?.value === segmentName),
+                ).toEqual([
                   span('set localhost:6383', redisSpanOp, {
                     [DB_OPERATION_NAME]: 'set',
                     [DB_QUERY_TEXT]: 'set test-key [1 other arguments]',
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis/test.ts
index 36decf4b6001..22111b91a006 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/tracing/redis/test.ts
@@ -92,10 +92,16 @@ describeWithDockerCompose('redis auto instrumentation', { workingDirectory: [__d
         await createTestRunner()
           .expect({
             span: container => {
-              const segmentSpan = container.items.find(item => item.is_segment);
-              expect(segmentSpan?.name).toBe('Test Span');
+              expect(container.items.filter(item => item.is_segment).map(item => item.name)).toEqual([
+                'connect',
+                'Test Span',
+              ]);
 
-              const dbSpans = container.items.filter(item => item.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === redisSpanOp);
+              const dbSpans = container.items.filter(
+                item =>
+                  item.attributes[SENTRY_OP]?.value === redisSpanOp &&
+                  item.attributes[SENTRY_SEGMENT_NAME]?.value === 'Test Span',
+              );
 
               expect(dbSpans).toEqual([
                 expectedDbSpan({ operation: 'set', statement: 'set test-key [1 other arguments]' }),
diff --git a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.ts b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.ts
index 2a5cc75fd56c..41f77b64c6e2 100644
--- a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.ts
+++ b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.ts
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ function setupConnectChannel(tracingChannel: MySQL2TracingChannelFactory, channe
   bindTracingChannelToSpan(tracingChannel<MySQL2ConnectData>(channelName), data => {
     return startInactiveSpan({
       name: spanName,
-      onlyIfParent: true,
       attributes: {
         [SENTRY_ORIGIN]: ORIGIN,
         [SENTRY_OP]: DB,
diff --git a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/postgres.ts b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/postgres.ts
index 3231e0e60a06..fd9ae4a656f4 100644
--- a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/postgres.ts
+++ b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/postgres.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ function subscribeQueryLikeChannel(
       const spanOptions = getSpanOptions(data);
       return startInactiveSpan({
         ...spanOptions,
-        onlyIfParent: true,
+        onlyIfParent: channelName !== CHANNELS.PG_CONNECT && channelName !== CHANNELS.PGPOOL_CONNECT,
         attributes: { ...spanOptions.attributes, [SENTRY_KIND]: 'client' },
       });
     },
diff --git a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/redis/ioredis-channel-subscriber.ts b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/redis/ioredis-channel-subscriber.ts
index 9426e26c6add..6cb894039143 100644
--- a/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/redis/ioredis-channel-subscriber.ts
+++ b/packages/server-utils/src/integrations/redis/ioredis-channel-subscriber.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ export function instrumentIoredis(options: RedisCacheOptions): void {
     const { host, port } = getConnectionOptions(data.self);
     return startInactiveSpan({
       name: 'connect',
-      onlyIfParent: true,
       attributes: {
         [SENTRY_KIND]: 'client',
         ...connectionAttributes(host, port),
diff --git a/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.test.ts b/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.test.ts
index dec09eb63d28..571f8b65a309 100644
--- a/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/mysql2/mysql2-dc-subscriber.test.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ function installTestAsyncContextStrategy(): void {
 
 /**
  * Drives a channel's `tracePromise` inside an enclosing span and captures the span bound by the
- * subscriber. The subscriber only creates a recording span when there is an enclosing active span, so the
- * helper always establishes one and returns its id for parenting assertions.
+ * subscriber, returning the enclosing span's id for parenting assertions.
  */
 async function traceOperation(
   channelName: string,
@@ -350,12 +349,17 @@ describe('subscribeMysql2DiagnosticChannels', () => {
 
   describe('connect channels', () => {
     it('creates a connect span without db.query.text', async () => {
-      const { span } = await traceOperation(
-        MYSQL2_DC_CHANNEL_CONNECT,
+      let span: Span | undefined;
+      await tracingChannel(MYSQL2_DC_CHANNEL_CONNECT).tracePromise(
+        async () => {
+          span = getActiveSpan();
+          expect(span?.isRecording()).toBe(true);
+        },
         { database: 'test', serverAddress: '127.0.0.1', serverPort: 3306, user: 'root' },
-        { result: undefined },
       );
 
+      expect(spanToJSON(span!).parent_span_id).toBeUndefined();
+
       const json = spanToJSON(span!);
       expect(json.name).toBe('mysql2.connect');
       expect(json.attributes['sentry.op']).toBe('db');
@@ -368,12 +372,17 @@ describe('subscribeMysql2DiagnosticChannels', () => {
     });
 
     it('names the pool connect span distinctly', async () => {
-      const { span } = await traceOperation(
-        MYSQL2_DC_CHANNEL_POOL_CONNECT,
+      let span: Span | undefined;
+      await tracingChannel(MYSQL2_DC_CHANNEL_POOL_CONNECT).tracePromise(
+        async () => {
+          span = getActiveSpan();
+          expect(span?.isRecording()).toBe(true);
+        },
         { database: 'test', serverAddress: '127.0.0.1', serverPort: 3306 },
-        { result: undefined },
       );
 
+      expect(spanToJSON(span!).parent_span_id).toBeUndefined();
+
       expect(spanToJSON(span!).name).toBe('mysql2.pool.connect');
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/postgres/postgres.test.ts b/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/postgres/postgres.test.ts
index 9af1c1a5c851..78556a41884f 100644
--- a/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/postgres/postgres.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server-utils/test/integrations/postgres/postgres.test.ts
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ describe('postgresIntegration', () => {
     expect(startInactiveSpanSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         name: 'pg.connect',
+        onlyIfParent: false,
         attributes: expect.objectContaining({
           'sentry.op': 'db',
           'db.system.name': 'postgresql',
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ describe('postgresIntegration', () => {
     expect(startInactiveSpanSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         name: 'pg-pool.connect',
+        onlyIfParent: false,
         attributes: expect.objectContaining({
           'sentry.op': 'db',
           'db.system.name': 'postgresql',