diff --git a/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 26128e9ff7bb..eb2c2dda026c 100644
--- a/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ tasks {
   withType<Test>().configureEach {
     usesService(gradle.sharedServices.registrations["testcontainersBuildService"].service)
     systemProperty("collectMetadata", findProperty("collectMetadata"))
-    jvmArgs("-Dotel.instrumentation.messaging.experimental.receive-telemetry.enabled=true")
   }
 
   val testExperimental by registering(Test::class) {
@@ -99,11 +98,19 @@ tasks {
     systemProperty("hasConsumerGroup", testLatestDeps)
   }
 
+  val testReceiveSpansDisabled by registering(Test::class) {
+    testClassesDirs = sourceSets.test.get().output.classesDirs
+    classpath = sourceSets.test.get().runtimeClasspath
+
+    systemProperty("hasConsumerGroup", testLatestDeps)
+  }
+
   test {
     systemProperty("hasConsumerGroup", testLatestDeps)
+    jvmArgs("-Dotel.instrumentation.messaging.experimental.receive-telemetry.enabled=true")
   }
 
   check {
-    dependsOn(testing.suites, testExperimental)
+    dependsOn(testing.suites, testExperimental, testReceiveSpansDisabled)
   }
 }
diff --git a/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/reactor/kafka/v1_0/AbstractReactorKafkaTest.java b/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/reactor/kafka/v1_0/AbstractReactorKafkaTest.java
index 22392e309d21..3c6036e962a5 100644
--- a/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/reactor/kafka/v1_0/AbstractReactorKafkaTest.java
+++ b/instrumentation/reactor/reactor-kafka-1.0/testing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/reactor/kafka/v1_0/AbstractReactorKafkaTest.java
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractReactorKafkaTest {
 
   private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AbstractReactorKafkaTest.class);
 
+  private static final boolean receiveTelemetryEnabled =
+      Boolean.getBoolean("otel.instrumentation.messaging.experimental.receive-telemetry.enabled");
+
   @RegisterExtension
   protected static final InstrumentationExtension testing = AgentInstrumentationExtension.create();
 
@@ -153,6 +156,14 @@ protected void testSingleRecordProcess(
     Flux<?> producer = sender.send(Flux.just(record));
     testing.runWithSpan("producer", () -> producer.blockLast(Duration.ofSeconds(30)));
 
+    if (receiveTelemetryEnabled) {
+      assertWithReceiveTelemetry(record);
+    } else {
+      assertWithoutReceiveTelemetry(record);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private static void assertWithReceiveTelemetry(SenderRecord<String, String, Object> record) {
     AtomicReference<SpanData> producerSpan = new AtomicReference<>();
 
     testing.waitAndAssertSortedTraces(
@@ -184,6 +195,24 @@ protected void testSingleRecordProcess(
                 span -> span.hasName("consumer").hasParent(trace.getSpan(1))));
   }
 
+  private static void assertWithoutReceiveTelemetry(SenderRecord<String, String, Object> record) {
+    testing.waitAndAssertTraces(
+        trace ->
+            trace.hasSpansSatisfyingExactly(
+                span -> span.hasName("producer"),
+                span ->
+                    span.hasName("testTopic publish")
+                        .hasKind(SpanKind.PRODUCER)
+                        .hasParent(trace.getSpan(0))
+                        .hasAttributesSatisfyingExactly(sendAttributes(record)),
+                span ->
+                    span.hasName("testTopic process")
+                        .hasKind(SpanKind.CONSUMER)
+                        .hasParent(trace.getSpan(1))
+                        .hasAttributesSatisfyingExactly(processAttributes(record)),
+                span -> span.hasName("consumer").hasParent(trace.getSpan(2))));
+  }
+
   @SuppressWarnings("deprecation") // using deprecated semconv
   protected static List<AttributeAssertion> sendAttributes(ProducerRecord<String, String> record) {
     List<AttributeAssertion> assertions =