diff --git a/packages/core/RNSentryAndroidTester/app/src/test/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDKTest.kt b/packages/core/RNSentryAndroidTester/app/src/test/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDKTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..722d4e95cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/RNSentryAndroidTester/app/src/test/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDKTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+package io.sentry.react
+
+import android.content.Context
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.JavaOnlyMap
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReadableMap
+import io.sentry.ILogger
+import io.sentry.Sentry.OptionsConfiguration
+import io.sentry.SentryLevel
+import io.sentry.android.core.SentryAndroidOptions
+import org.json.JSONObject
+import org.junit.After
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertThrows
+import org.junit.Before
+import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.junit.runners.JUnit4
+import org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.contains
+import org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq
+import org.mockito.MockedStatic
+import org.mockito.Mockito.mock
+import org.mockito.Mockito.mockStatic
+import org.mockito.Mockito.verify
+import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations
+
+@RunWith(JUnit4::class)
+class RNSentrySDKTest {
+    private val configurationFile = "sentry.options.json"
+
+    private lateinit var mockLogger: ILogger
+    private lateinit var mockContext: Context
+    private lateinit var mockConfiguration: OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions>
+    private lateinit var mockedRNSentryStart: MockedStatic<RNSentryStart>
+    private lateinit var mockedRNSentryJsonUtils: MockedStatic<RNSentryJsonUtils>
+
+    @Before
+    fun setUp() {
+        MockitoAnnotations.openMocks(this)
+        mockLogger = mock(ILogger::class.java)
+        mockContext = mock(Context::class.java)
+        mockConfiguration = mock(OptionsConfiguration::class.java) as OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions>
+        mockedRNSentryStart = mockStatic(RNSentryStart::class.java)
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils = mockStatic(RNSentryJsonUtils::class.java)
+    }
+
+    @After
+    fun tearDown() {
+        mockedRNSentryStart.close()
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils.close()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `init with passed configuration callback when no valid json file is provided`() {
+        val mockJsonObject = null
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<JSONObject> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.getOptionsFromConfigurationFile(mockContext, configurationFile, mockLogger)
+            }.thenReturn(mockJsonObject)
+        RNSentrySDK.init(mockContext, mockConfiguration, mockLogger)
+
+        verify(mockLogger).log(
+            eq(SentryLevel.WARNING),
+            contains("Failed to load configuration file(sentry.options.json), starting with configuration callback."),
+        )
+
+        mockedRNSentryStart.verify {
+            RNSentryStart.startWithConfiguration(mockContext, mockConfiguration)
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `init with passed configuration callback when no valid readable map is created`() {
+        val mockJsonObject = JSONObject()
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<JSONObject> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.getOptionsFromConfigurationFile(mockContext, configurationFile, mockLogger)
+            }.thenReturn(mockJsonObject)
+        val mockReadableMap = null
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<ReadableMap> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.jsonObjectToReadableMap(
+                    mockJsonObject,
+                )
+            }.thenReturn(mockReadableMap)
+
+        RNSentrySDK.init(mockContext, mockConfiguration, mockLogger)
+
+        verify(mockLogger).log(
+            eq(SentryLevel.WARNING),
+            contains("Failed to load configuration file(sentry.options.json), starting with configuration callback."),
+        )
+        mockedRNSentryStart.verify {
+            RNSentryStart.startWithConfiguration(mockContext, mockConfiguration)
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `init with the json file and the passed configuration when a valid json is provided`() {
+        val mockJsonObject = JSONObject()
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<JSONObject> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.getOptionsFromConfigurationFile(mockContext, configurationFile, mockLogger)
+            }.thenReturn(mockJsonObject)
+        val mockReadableMap =
+            JavaOnlyMap.of(
+                "dsn",
+                "https://abc@def.ingest.sentry.io/1234567",
+            )
+
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<ReadableMap> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.jsonObjectToReadableMap(
+                    mockJsonObject,
+                )
+            }.thenReturn(mockReadableMap)
+
+        RNSentrySDK.init(mockContext, mockConfiguration, mockLogger)
+
+        mockedRNSentryStart.verify {
+            RNSentryStart.startWithOptions(mockContext, mockReadableMap, mockConfiguration, null, mockLogger)
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `fails with an error when there is an unhandled exception in initialisation`() {
+        mockedRNSentryJsonUtils
+            .`when`<JSONObject> {
+                RNSentryJsonUtils.getOptionsFromConfigurationFile(mockContext, configurationFile, mockLogger)
+            }.thenThrow(RuntimeException("Test exception"))
+
+        val exception =
+            assertThrows(RuntimeException::class.java) {
+                RNSentrySDK.init(mockContext, mockConfiguration, mockLogger)
+            }
+
+        assertEquals("Failed to initialize Sentry's React Native SDK", exception.message)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDK.java b/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDK.java
index 5949b85c5f..f7218a39c6 100644
--- a/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDK.java
+++ b/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentrySDK.java
@@ -25,28 +25,51 @@ private RNSentrySDK() {
    *
    * @param context Android Context
    * @param configuration configuration options
+   * @param logger logger
    */
   public static void init(
       @NotNull final Context context,
-      @NotNull Sentry.OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions> configuration) {
+      @NotNull Sentry.OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions> configuration,
+      @NotNull ILogger logger) {
     try {
       JSONObject jsonObject =
           RNSentryJsonUtils.getOptionsFromConfigurationFile(context, CONFIGURATION_FILE, logger);
       ReadableMap rnOptions = RNSentryJsonUtils.jsonObjectToReadableMap(jsonObject);
+      if (rnOptions == null) {
+        logger.log(
+            SentryLevel.WARNING,
+            "Failed to load configuration file("
+                + CONFIGURATION_FILE
+                + "), starting with configuration callback.");
+        RNSentryStart.startWithConfiguration(context, configuration);
+        return;
+      }
       RNSentryStart.startWithOptions(context, rnOptions, configuration, null, logger);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       logger.log(
           SentryLevel.ERROR, "Failed to start Sentry with options from configuration file.", e);
-      throw new RuntimeException(e);
+      throw new RuntimeException("Failed to initialize Sentry's React Native SDK", e);
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Start the Native Android SDK with the provided options
+   *
+   * @param context Android Context
+   * @param configuration configuration options
+   */
+  public static void init(
+      @NotNull final Context context,
+      @NotNull Sentry.OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions> configuration) {
+    init(context, configuration, logger);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Start the Native Android SDK with options from `sentry.options.json` configuration file
    *
    * @param context Android Context
    */
   public static void init(@NotNull final Context context) {
-    init(context, options -> {});
+    init(context, options -> {}, logger);
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentryStart.java b/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentryStart.java
index 6af6b44a7f..ae3468d6ef 100644
--- a/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentryStart.java
+++ b/packages/core/android/src/main/java/io/sentry/react/RNSentryStart.java
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ private RNSentryStart() {
     throw new AssertionError("Utility class should not be instantiated");
   }
 
+  public static void startWithConfiguration(
+      @NotNull final Context context,
+      @NotNull Sentry.OptionsConfiguration<SentryAndroidOptions> configuration) {
+    SentryAndroid.init(context, configuration);
+  }
+
   public static void startWithOptions(
       @NotNull final Context context,
       @NotNull final ReadableMap rnOptions,