diff --git a/sentry_sdk/integrations/django/__init__.py b/sentry_sdk/integrations/django/__init__.py
index 5a808a53cb..41aaecc71a 100644
--- a/sentry_sdk/integrations/django/__init__.py
+++ b/sentry_sdk/integrations/django/__init__.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class DjangoIntegration(Integration):
     def __init__(
         self,
         transaction_style="url",  # type: str
-        middleware_spans=True,  # type: bool
+        middleware_spans=False,  # type: bool
         signals_spans=True,  # type: bool
         cache_spans=False,  # type: bool
         db_transaction_spans=False,  # type: bool
diff --git a/tests/integrations/django/test_basic.py b/tests/integrations/django/test_basic.py
index bbe29c7238..1c6bb141bd 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/django/test_basic.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/django/test_basic.py
@@ -1023,7 +1023,7 @@ def test_render_spans_queryset_in_data(sentry_init, client, capture_events):
 def test_middleware_spans(sentry_init, client, capture_events, render_span_tree):
     sentry_init(
         integrations=[
-            DjangoIntegration(signals_spans=False),
+            DjangoIntegration(middleware_spans=True, signals_spans=False),
         ],
         traces_sample_rate=1.0,
     )
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ def test_middleware_spans(sentry_init, client, capture_events, render_span_tree)
 def test_middleware_spans_disabled(sentry_init, client, capture_events):
     sentry_init(
         integrations=[
-            DjangoIntegration(middleware_spans=False, signals_spans=False),
+            DjangoIntegration(signals_spans=False),
         ],
         traces_sample_rate=1.0,
     )
@@ -1180,8 +1180,9 @@ def test_csrf(sentry_init, client):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(DJANGO_VERSION < (2, 0), reason="Requires Django > 2.0")
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("middleware_spans", [False, True])
 def test_custom_urlconf_middleware(
-    settings, sentry_init, client, capture_events, render_span_tree
+    settings, sentry_init, client, capture_events, render_span_tree, middleware_spans
 ):
     """
     Some middlewares (for instance in django-tenants) overwrite request.urlconf.
@@ -1192,7 +1193,10 @@ def test_custom_urlconf_middleware(
     settings.MIDDLEWARE.insert(0, urlconf)
     client.application.load_middleware()
 
-    sentry_init(integrations=[DjangoIntegration()], traces_sample_rate=1.0)
+    sentry_init(
+        integrations=[DjangoIntegration(middleware_spans=middleware_spans)],
+        traces_sample_rate=1.0,
+    )
     events = capture_events()
 
     content, status, _headers = unpack_werkzeug_response(client.get("/custom/ok"))
@@ -1201,7 +1205,8 @@ def test_custom_urlconf_middleware(
 
     event = events.pop(0)
     assert event["transaction"] == "/custom/ok"
-    assert "custom_urlconf_middleware" in render_span_tree(event)
+    if middleware_spans:
+        assert "custom_urlconf_middleware" in render_span_tree(event)
 
     _content, status, _headers = unpack_werkzeug_response(client.get("/custom/exc"))
     assert status.lower() == "500 internal server error"
@@ -1210,7 +1215,8 @@ def test_custom_urlconf_middleware(
     assert error_event["transaction"] == "/custom/exc"
     assert error_event["exception"]["values"][-1]["mechanism"]["type"] == "django"
     assert transaction_event["transaction"] == "/custom/exc"
-    assert "custom_urlconf_middleware" in render_span_tree(transaction_event)
+    if middleware_spans:
+        assert "custom_urlconf_middleware" in render_span_tree(transaction_event)
 
     settings.MIDDLEWARE.pop(0)