diff --git a/scripts/init_serverless_sdk.py b/scripts/init_serverless_sdk.py
index d27036af48..2207997192 100644
--- a/scripts/init_serverless_sdk.py
+++ b/scripts/init_serverless_sdk.py
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@
 'sentry_sdk.integrations.init_serverless_sdk.sentry_lambda_handler'
 """
 
+import importlib
 import os
-import re
-import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import sentry_sdk
@@ -27,8 +26,6 @@
 
 
 class AWSLambdaModuleLoader:
-    DIR_PATH_REGEX = r"^(.+)\/([^\/]+)$"
-
     def __init__(self, sentry_initial_handler):
         try:
             module_path, self.handler_name = sentry_initial_handler.rsplit(".", 1)
@@ -41,35 +38,18 @@ def extract_and_load_lambda_function_module(self, module_path):
         """
         Method that extracts and loads lambda function module from module_path
         """
-        py_version = sys.version_info
-
-        if re.match(self.DIR_PATH_REGEX, module_path):
-            # With a path like -> `scheduler/scheduler/event`
-            # `module_name` is `event`, and `module_file_path` is `scheduler/scheduler/event.py`
-            module_name = module_path.split(os.path.sep)[-1]
-            module_file_path = module_path + ".py"
-
-            # Supported python versions are 3.6, 3.7, 3.8
-            if py_version >= (3, 6):
-                import importlib.util
-
-                spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(
-                    module_name, module_file_path
-                )
-                self.lambda_function_module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
-                spec.loader.exec_module(self.lambda_function_module)
-            else:
-                raise ValueError("Python version %s is not supported." % py_version)
-        else:
-            import importlib
-
-            self.lambda_function_module = importlib.import_module(module_path)
+        # like the Lambda runtime: `dir/file` is the module `dir.file`, which `sys.modules`
+        # keeps, so its code only runs on the first invocation.
+        # https://github.com/aws/aws-lambda-python-runtime-interface-client/blob/fa2462d93d11da632aad8f8bfb07a3e060438150/awslambdaric/bootstrap.py#L53
+        self.lambda_function_module = importlib.import_module(
+            module_path.replace("/", ".")
+        )
 
     def get_lambda_handler(self):
         return getattr(self.lambda_function_module, self.handler_name)
 
 
-def sentry_lambda_handler(event: "Any", context: "Any") -> None:
+def sentry_lambda_handler(event: "Any", context: "Any") -> "Any":
     """
     Handler function that invokes a lambda handler which path is defined in
     environment variables as "SENTRY_INITIAL_HANDLER"
diff --git a/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/lambda_functions/PathHandler/app/index.py b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/lambda_functions/PathHandler/app/index.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c589df7c4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/lambda_functions/PathHandler/app/index.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# counts the invocations since this module was loaded; gets reset on cold start or
+# when the module is reloaded.
+num_invocations = 0
+
+
+def handler(event, context):
+    global num_invocations
+    num_invocations += 1
+    return {"num_invocations": num_invocations}
diff --git a/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/test_aws_lambda.py b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/test_aws_lambda.py
index 0bf1cd3670..ad402d347c 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/test_aws_lambda.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/test_aws_lambda.py
@@ -201,6 +201,20 @@ def test_init_error(lambda_client, test_environment):
     assert transaction_event["transaction"] == "InitError"
 
 
+def test_path_handler_loaded_once(lambda_client, test_environment):
+    num_invocations = [
+        json.loads(
+            lambda_client.invoke(FunctionName="PathHandler", Payload=json.dumps({}))[
+                "Payload"
+            ].read()
+        )["num_invocations"]
+        for _ in range(2)
+    ]
+    # Sentry layer should load the function's module once (on cold start or whenever
+    # the module is reloaded), not on every warm invocation.
+    assert num_invocations == [1, 2]
+
+
 def test_timeout_error_scope_modified(lambda_client, test_environment):
     lambda_client.invoke(
         FunctionName="TimeoutErrorScopeModified",
diff --git a/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/utils.py b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/utils.py
index 8933d856ed..2d3e3c7fa5 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/utils.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/aws_lambda/utils.py
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 LAMBDA_FUNCTION_TIMEOUT = 10
 SAM_PORT = 3001
 
+# functions whose handler is a path instead of `index.handler`.
+INITIAL_HANDLERS = {"PathHandler": "app/index.handler"}
+
 PYTHON_VERSION = f"python{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}"
 
 # Match the host CPU architecture so local runs on ARM machines (e.g. macOS)
@@ -117,7 +120,9 @@ def __init__(self, scope: Construct, construct_id: str, **kwargs) -> None:
                     "Environment": {
                         "Variables": {
                             "SENTRY_DSN": dsn,
-                            "SENTRY_INITIAL_HANDLER": "index.handler",
+                            "SENTRY_INITIAL_HANDLER": INITIAL_HANDLERS.get(
+                                lambda_dir, "index.handler"
+                            ),
                             "SENTRY_TRACES_SAMPLE_RATE": "1.0",
                         }
                     },