diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a8ce621bb3..303ecda07f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Don't start the `AsyncExpiringMap` cleanup interval at import time, and restart it after the map empties ([#6811](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-react-native/pull/6811))
 - Prevent Sentry's iOS `-force_load` flag from being dropped when another pod sets `OTHER_LDFLAGS[sdk=…]` ([#6801](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-react-native/pull/6801))
 - Fix Android build failing with `cannot find symbol ReplayIntegration` when `sentry-android-replay` is excluded ([#6803](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-react-native/pull/6803))
 - Preserve already-quoted React Native bundle script paths in the Expo iOS plugin ([#6796](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-react-native/pull/6796))
diff --git a/packages/core/src/js/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.ts b/packages/core/src/js/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.ts
index bba14e01f1..2b7efe53df 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/js/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/js/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ export class AsyncExpiringMap<K, V> {
     this._ttl = ttl;
     this._map = new Map();
     this._cleanupIntervalMs = cleanupInterval;
-    this.startCleanup();
+    // The cleanup interval is started lazily on the first `set()`. Starting it here would keep the
+    // interval (and therefore a Node/Jest process) alive just from importing the module, with nothing to clean.
   }
 
   /**
@@ -143,9 +144,7 @@ export class AsyncExpiringMap<K, V> {
    * Clear all entries.
    */
   public clear(): void {
-    if (this._cleanupInterval) {
-      clearInterval(this._cleanupInterval);
-    }
+    this.stopCleanup();
     this._map.clear();
   }
 
@@ -155,6 +154,9 @@ export class AsyncExpiringMap<K, V> {
   public stopCleanup(): void {
     if (this._cleanupInterval) {
       clearInterval(this._cleanupInterval);
+      // Reset so `set()` can restart cleanup on demand. Without this the handle stays truthy after being
+      // cleared, so `set()` never re-arms the interval and later entries are only evicted lazily on access.
+      this._cleanupInterval = undefined;
     }
   }
 
@@ -162,6 +164,11 @@ export class AsyncExpiringMap<K, V> {
    * Start the cleanup interval.
    */
   public startCleanup(): void {
-    this._cleanupInterval = setInterval(() => this.cleanup(), this._cleanupIntervalMs);
+    const interval = setInterval(() => this.cleanup(), this._cleanupIntervalMs);
+    // `unref` exists on Node timers (Jest, tests, tooling) but not on the React Native `setInterval` number
+    // (typed as `number` here), so access it defensively. It ensures the interval never keeps a Node process
+    // alive on its own.
+    (interval as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
+    this._cleanupInterval = interval;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.test.ts b/packages/core/test/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.test.ts
index f8953d7e34..96850887ac 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/utils/AsyncExpiringMap.test.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,38 @@ describe('AsyncExpiringMap', () => {
     expect(retrievedValue).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it('does not start a cleanup interval on construction', () => {
+    // Importing a module that constructs a map at module scope must not start a timer, otherwise it keeps a
+    // Node/Jest process alive just from the import. See https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-react-native/issues/6805
+    const timersBefore = jest.getTimerCount();
+
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-new
+    new AsyncExpiringMap<string, string>();
+
+    expect(jest.getTimerCount()).toBe(timersBefore);
+  });
+
+  it('restarts the cleanup interval after the map empties and a new entry is added', () => {
+    const ttl = 2000;
+    const cleanupInterval = ttl / 2;
+    const map = new AsyncExpiringMap<string, string>({ ttl, cleanupInterval });
+    const internalMap = (map as unknown as { _map: Map<string, unknown> })._map;
+
+    // First entry: the interval sweeps it and stops itself once the map is empty.
+    map.set('first', 'value');
+    now += ttl;
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(ttl);
+    expect(internalMap.size).toBe(0);
+
+    // Second entry added after the interval stopped must re-arm cleanup so the interval evicts it too.
+    map.set('second', 'value');
+    now += ttl;
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(ttl);
+
+    // Asserted via the internal map, not get()/has(), so it proves the interval evicted it rather than a lazy read.
+    expect(internalMap.size).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it('stops cleanup when stopCleanup is called', () => {
     const map = new AsyncExpiringMap<string, string>();