diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3ccd4cb1245..da3585d1077 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Features
+
+- Send debug meta for app start transactions (#3543)
+
 ## 8.18.0
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/Sources/Sentry/SentryTracer.m b/Sources/Sentry/SentryTracer.m
index aea8a1d8a53..716737946fb 100644
--- a/Sources/Sentry/SentryTracer.m
+++ b/Sources/Sentry/SentryTracer.m
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 @property (nonatomic, nullable, strong) NSTimer *deadlineTimer;
 @property (nonnull, strong) SentryTracerConfiguration *configuration;
 @property (nonatomic, strong) SentryDispatchQueueWrapper *dispatchQueue;
+@property (nonatomic, strong) SentryDebugImageProvider *debugImageProvider;
 
 #if SENTRY_TARGET_PROFILING_SUPPORTED
 @property (nonatomic) BOOL isProfiling;
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ - (instancetype)initWithTransactionContext:(SentryTransactionContext *)transacti
     _startSystemTime = SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance.dateProvider.systemTime;
     _configuration = configuration;
     _dispatchQueue = SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance.dispatchQueueWrapper;
+    _debugImageProvider = SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance.debugImageProvider;
 
     self.transactionContext = transactionContext;
     _children = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
@@ -751,6 +753,10 @@ - (void)addAppStartMeasurements:(SentryTransaction *)transaction
             NSDictionary *appContext = @{ @"app" : @ { @"start_type" : appStartType } };
             [context mergeEntriesFromDictionary:appContext];
             [transaction setContext:context];
+
+            // The backend calculates statistics on the number and size of debug images for app
+            // start transactions. Therefore, we add all debug images here.
+            transaction.debugMeta = [self.debugImageProvider getDebugImagesCrashed:NO];
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/SentryTests/Transaction/SentryTracerTests.swift b/Tests/SentryTests/Transaction/SentryTracerTests.swift
index b9d2dbfd456..f556d8047f0 100644
--- a/Tests/SentryTests/Transaction/SentryTracerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/SentryTests/Transaction/SentryTracerTests.swift
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class SentryTracerTests: XCTestCase {
         let hub: TestHub
         let scope: Scope
         let dispatchQueue = TestSentryDispatchQueueWrapper()
+        let debugImageProvider = TestDebugImageProvider()
         let timerFactory = TestSentryNSTimerFactory()
         
         let transactionName = "Some Transaction"
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ class SentryTracerTests: XCTestCase {
 
             SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance().dateProvider = currentDateProvider
             SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance().dispatchQueueWrapper = dispatchQueue
+            
+            debugImageProvider.debugImages = [TestData.debugImage]
+            SentryDependencyContainer.sharedInstance().debugImageProvider = debugImageProvider
             appStart = currentDateProvider.date()
             appStartEnd = appStart.addingTimeInterval(appStartDuration)
             
@@ -865,6 +869,28 @@ class SentryTracerTests: XCTestCase {
         
         assertAppStartMeasurementNotPutOnTransaction()
     }
+    
+    func testAppStartTransaction_AddsDebugMeta() {
+        let appStartMeasurement = fixture.getAppStartMeasurement(type: .cold)
+        SentrySDK.setAppStartMeasurement(appStartMeasurement)
+
+        whenFinishingAutoUITransaction(startTimestamp: 5)
+        
+        expect(self.fixture.hub.capturedEventsWithScopes.count) == 1
+        let serializedTransaction = fixture.hub.capturedEventsWithScopes.first?.event.serialize()
+        
+        let debugMeta = serializedTransaction?["debug_meta"] as? [String: Any]
+        expect(debugMeta?.count) == fixture.debugImageProvider.getDebugImagesCrashed(false).count
+    }
+    
+    func testNoAppStartTransaction_AddsNoDebugMeta() {
+        whenFinishingAutoUITransaction(startTimestamp: 5)
+        
+        expect(self.fixture.hub.capturedEventsWithScopes.count) == 1
+        let serializedTransaction = fixture.hub.capturedEventsWithScopes.first?.event.serialize()
+        
+        expect(serializedTransaction?["debug_meta"]) == nil
+    }
 
 #endif // os(iOS) || os(tvOS) || targetEnvironment(macCatalyst)