diff --git a/packages/core/src/types/datacategory.ts b/packages/core/src/types/datacategory.ts
index ad1e61732816..f778efd2f348 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/types/datacategory.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/types/datacategory.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ export type DataCategory =
   // Log bytes stored (unused for rate limiting)
   | 'log_byte'
   // Metric event
-  | 'metric'
+  | 'trace_metric'
   // Unknown data category
   | 'unknown';
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/envelope.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/envelope.ts
index bcb34359f23c..1e216717e978 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/envelope.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/envelope.ts
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ export function createAttachmentEnvelopeItem(attachment: Attachment): Attachment
 type OverriddenItemType = Exclude<EnvelopeItemType, DataCategory>;
 
 // Map of envelope item types to data categories where the category differs from the type.
-// Types that map to themselves (session, attachment, transaction, profile, feedback, span, metric) fall through.
+// Types that map to themselves (session, attachment, transaction, profile, feedback, span, trace_metric) fall through.
 const DATA_CATEGORY_OVERRIDES: Record<OverriddenItemType, DataCategory> = {
   sessions: 'session',
   event: 'error',
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ const DATA_CATEGORY_OVERRIDES: Record<OverriddenItemType, DataCategory> = {
   check_in: 'monitor',
   raw_security: 'security',
   log: 'log_item',
-  trace_metric: 'metric',
+  metric: 'trace_metric',
 };
 
 function _isOverriddenType(type: EnvelopeItemType): type is OverriddenItemType {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/lib/transports/base.test.ts b/packages/core/test/lib/transports/base.test.ts
index 0b761d5d6708..e659ee8e24e6 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/lib/transports/base.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/lib/transports/base.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { createTransport } from '../../../src/transports/base';
 import type { ClientReport } from '../../../src/types/clientreport';
-import type { AttachmentItem, EventEnvelope, EventItem } from '../../../src/types/envelope';
+import type { AttachmentItem, Envelope, EventEnvelope, EventItem } from '../../../src/types/envelope';
 import type { TransportMakeRequestResponse } from '../../../src/types/transport';
 import { createClientReportEnvelope } from '../../../src/utils/clientreport';
 import { createEnvelope, serializeEnvelope } from '../../../src/utils/envelope';
@@ -324,6 +324,34 @@ describe('createTransport', () => {
         expect(requestExecutor).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
         expect(recordDroppedEventCallback).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
+
+      it('back-off using X-Sentry-Rate-Limits with trace_metric category', async () => {
+        const { retryAfterSeconds, beforeLimit, withinLimit } = setRateLimitTimes();
+        const [transport, , requestExecutor, recordDroppedEventCallback] = createTestTransport({
+          headers: {
+            'x-sentry-rate-limits': `${retryAfterSeconds}:trace_metric:scope`,
+            'retry-after': null,
+          },
+        });
+
+        const dateNowSpy = vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => beforeLimit);
+
+        await transport.send(ERROR_ENVELOPE);
+        requestExecutor.mockClear();
+
+        dateNowSpy.mockImplementation(() => withinLimit);
+
+        await transport.send(
+          createEnvelope<Envelope>({ sent_at: '123' }, [
+            [
+              { type: 'trace_metric', item_count: 2, content_type: 'application/vnd.sentry.items.trace-metric+json' },
+              { items: [] },
+            ],
+          ] as Envelope[1]),
+        );
+        expect(requestExecutor).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(recordDroppedEventCallback).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ratelimit_backoff', 'trace_metric');
+      });
     });
 
     describe('Client Reports', () => {