diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e1b09cb..cbfc3da 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -241,6 +241,12 @@ const otel = new FastifyOtelInstrumentation({
 })
 ```
 
+#### `FastifyOtelInstrumentationOptions#recordExceptions: boolean`
+
+Control whether the instrumentation automatically calls `span.recordException` when a handler or hook throws.
+Defaults to `true`, recording every exception. Set it to `false` if you prefer to record only the
+exceptions that you consider actionable (for example to avoid noisy `4xx` entries in Datadog Error Tracking).
+
 ## License
 
 Licensed under [MIT](./LICENSE).
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 2ace6c7..3f9f939 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ const kRequestContext = Symbol('fastify otel request context')
 const kAddHookOriginal = Symbol('fastify otel addhook original')
 const kSetNotFoundOriginal = Symbol('fastify otel setnotfound original')
 const kIgnorePaths = Symbol('fastify otel ignore path')
+const kRecordExceptions = Symbol('fastify otel record exceptions')
 
 class FastifyOtelInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase {
   logger = null
@@ -57,6 +58,15 @@ class FastifyOtelInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase {
     super(PACKAGE_NAME, PACKAGE_VERSION, config)
     this.logger = diag.createComponentLogger({ namespace: PACKAGE_NAME })
     this[kIgnorePaths] = null
+    this[kRecordExceptions] = true
+
+    if (config?.recordExceptions != null) {
+      if (typeof config.recordExceptions !== 'boolean') {
+        throw new TypeError('recordExceptions must be a boolean')
+      }
+
+      this[kRecordExceptions] = config.recordExceptions
+    }
     if (typeof config?.requestHook === 'function') {
       this._requestHook = config.requestHook
     }
@@ -362,7 +372,9 @@ class FastifyOtelInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase {
             code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
             message: error.message
           })
-          span.recordException(error)
+          if (instrumentation[kRecordExceptions] !== false) {
+            span.recordException(error)
+          }
         }
 
         hookDone()
@@ -502,7 +514,9 @@ class FastifyOtelInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase {
                         code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
                         message: error.message
                       })
-                      span.recordException(error)
+                      if (instrumentation[kRecordExceptions] !== false) {
+                        span.recordException(error)
+                      }
                       span.end()
                       return Promise.reject(error)
                     }
@@ -516,7 +530,9 @@ class FastifyOtelInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase {
                   code: SpanStatusCode.ERROR,
                   message: error.message
                 })
-                span.recordException(error)
+                if (instrumentation[kRecordExceptions] !== false) {
+                  span.recordException(error)
+                }
                 span.end()
                 throw error
               }
diff --git a/test/api.test.js b/test/api.test.js
index 927b8e4..4e7ffe1 100644
--- a/test/api.test.js
+++ b/test/api.test.js
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ describe('Interface', () => {
     assert.doesNotThrow(() => new FastifyInstrumentation({ ignorePaths: '/foo' }))
   })
 
+  test('FastifyOtelInstrumentationOpts#recordExceptions - should be a boolean when provided', async t => {
+    assert.throws(() => new FastifyInstrumentation({ recordExceptions: 'nope' }), /boolean/)
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => new FastifyInstrumentation({ recordExceptions: true }))
+    assert.doesNotThrow(() => new FastifyInstrumentation({ recordExceptions: false }))
+  })
+
   test('NamedFastifyInstrumentation#plugin should return a valid Fastify Plugin', async t => {
     const app = Fastify()
     const instrumentation = new FastifyOtelInstrumentation()
@@ -340,4 +346,81 @@ describe('Interface', () => {
     assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200)
     assert.equal(res.payload, 'ok')
   })
+
+  test('FastifyInstrumentationOptions#recordExceptions defaults to true', async () => {
+    const exporter = new InMemorySpanExporter()
+    const provider = new NodeTracerProvider({
+      spanProcessors: [new SimpleSpanProcessor(exporter)]
+    })
+    provider.register()
+
+    const instrumentation = new FastifyInstrumentation()
+    instrumentation.setTracerProvider(provider)
+
+    /** @type {import('fastify').FastifyInstance} */
+    const app = Fastify()
+    await app.register(instrumentation.plugin())
+
+    app.get('/', async function badRequest () {
+      const error = new Error('book not found')
+      error.statusCode = 404
+      throw error
+    })
+
+    const res = await app.inject({
+      method: 'GET',
+      url: '/'
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 404)
+
+    const spans = exporter.getFinishedSpans()
+    const handlerSpan = spans.find((span) => span.name.startsWith('handler'))
+
+    assert.ok(handlerSpan)
+    assert.equal(handlerSpan.events.length, 1)
+    assert.equal(handlerSpan.events[0].name, 'exception')
+
+    await app.close()
+    instrumentation.disable()
+  })
+
+  test('FastifyInstrumentationOptions#recordExceptions can be disabled', async () => {
+    const exporter = new InMemorySpanExporter()
+    const provider = new NodeTracerProvider({
+      spanProcessors: [new SimpleSpanProcessor(exporter)]
+    })
+    provider.register()
+
+    const instrumentation = new FastifyInstrumentation({
+      recordExceptions: false
+    })
+    instrumentation.setTracerProvider(provider)
+
+    /** @type {import('fastify').FastifyInstance} */
+    const app = Fastify()
+    await app.register(instrumentation.plugin())
+
+    app.get('/', async function badRequest () {
+      const error = new Error('book not found')
+      error.statusCode = 404
+      throw error
+    })
+
+    const res = await app.inject({
+      method: 'GET',
+      url: '/'
+    })
+
+    assert.equal(res.statusCode, 404)
+
+    const spans = exporter.getFinishedSpans()
+    const handlerSpan = spans.find((span) => span.name.startsWith('handler'))
+
+    assert.ok(handlerSpan)
+    assert.equal(handlerSpan.events.length, 0)
+
+    await app.close()
+    instrumentation.disable()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/types/index.test-d.ts b/types/index.test-d.ts
index e85561e..5b416ef 100644
--- a/types/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/types/index.test-d.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ expectAssignable<InstrumentationConfig>({
     expectAssignable<string>(info.hookName)
     expectAssignable<FastifyRequest>(info.request)
     expectAssignable<string | undefined>(info.handler)
-  }
+  },
+  recordExceptions: false
 } as FastifyOtelInstrumentationOpts)
 expectAssignable<InstrumentationConfig>({} as FastifyOtelInstrumentationOpts)
 
diff --git a/types/types.d.ts b/types/types.d.ts
index 2d365b5..f4f1cd5 100644
--- a/types/types.d.ts
+++ b/types/types.d.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export interface FastifyOtelInstrumentationOpts extends InstrumentationConfig {
   ignorePaths?: string | ((routeOpts: { url: string, method: HTTPMethods }) => boolean);
   requestHook?: (span: import('@opentelemetry/api').Span, request: import('fastify').FastifyRequest) => void
   lifecycleHook?: (span: import('@opentelemetry/api').Span, info: FastifyOtelLifecycleHookInfo) => void
+  recordExceptions?: boolean
 }
 
 export interface FastifyOtelLifecycleHookInfo {