diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 86b9a70fab2..2a2b74a3203 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   ([#4444](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/4444))
 - Updated `tracecontext-integration-test` gitref to `d782773b2cf2fa4afd6a80a93b289d8a74ca894d`
   ([#4448](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/4448))
+- Make `trace_api.use_span()` record `BaseException` as well as `Exception`
+  ([#4406](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/4406))
 
 ## Version 1.30.0/0.51b0 (2025-02-03)
 
diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/__init__.py
index d38a7bc8df4..19b728ec15a 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/__init__.py
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ def use_span(
         finally:
             context_api.detach(token)
 
-    except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-exception-caught
+    except BaseException as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-exception-caught
         if isinstance(span, Span) and span.is_recording():
             # Record the exception as an event
             if record_exception:
diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/tests/trace/test_globals.py b/opentelemetry-api/tests/trace/test_globals.py
index f5475cb8eba..31358226b6a 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-api/tests/trace/test_globals.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/tests/trace/test_globals.py
@@ -133,6 +133,18 @@ class TestUseSpanException(Exception):
 
         self.assertEqual(test_span.recorded_exception, exception)
 
+    def test_use_span_base_exception(self):
+        class TestUseSpanBaseException(BaseException):
+            pass
+
+        test_span = SpanTest(trace.INVALID_SPAN_CONTEXT)
+        exception = TestUseSpanBaseException("test exception")
+        with self.assertRaises(TestUseSpanBaseException):
+            with trace.use_span(test_span):
+                raise exception
+
+        self.assertEqual(test_span.recorded_exception, exception)
+
     def test_use_span_set_status(self):
         class TestUseSpanException(Exception):
             pass