diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/stop-and-start.js b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/stop-and-start.js
index 6f1e4a7d6339..e7359f552664 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/stop-and-start.js
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/stop-and-start.js
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ setTimeout(() => {
     setTimeout(() => {
       anr.startWorker();
 
-      setTimeout(() => {
+      // Wait for the restarted worker to reconnect its debugger session before blocking the event
+      // loop. The main-thread inspector stays open across restarts, so there is no main-thread signal
+      // that the new worker is ready; without this, on slow CI `longWork` can run before the worker
+      // is sampling and the ANR is missed entirely.
+      anr.waitUntilWorkerReady().then(() => {
         longWork();
       });
     }, 2000);
diff --git a/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/index.ts b/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/index.ts
index 1c5b00fe9d4e..0dcb64c288da 100644
--- a/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/index.ts
+++ b/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/index.ts
@@ -60,12 +60,17 @@ async function getContexts(client: NodeClient): Promise<Contexts> {
 
 const INTEGRATION_NAME = 'Anr' as const;
 
-type AnrInternal = { startWorker: () => void; stopWorker: () => void };
+type AnrInternal = {
+  startWorker: () => void;
+  stopWorker: () => void;
+  waitUntilWorkerReady: () => Promise<void>;
+};
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line typescript/no-deprecated
 const _anrIntegration = ((options: Partial<AnrIntegrationOptions> = {}) => {
   let worker: Promise<() => void> | undefined;
   let client: NodeClient | undefined;
+  let workerReady: Promise<void> | undefined;
 
   // Hookup the scope fetch function to the global object so that it can be called from the worker thread via the
   // debugger when it pauses
@@ -79,12 +84,16 @@ const _anrIntegration = ((options: Partial<AnrIntegrationOptions> = {}) => {
         return;
       }
 
-      if (client) {
-        worker = _startWorker(client, options);
+      const initializedClient = client;
+      if (initializedClient) {
+        workerReady = new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+          worker = _startWorker(initializedClient, options, resolve);
+        });
       }
     },
     stopWorker: () => {
       if (worker) {
+        workerReady = undefined;
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-floating-promises
         worker.then(stop => {
           stop();
@@ -92,6 +101,7 @@ const _anrIntegration = ((options: Partial<AnrIntegrationOptions> = {}) => {
         });
       }
     },
+    waitUntilWorkerReady: () => workerReady ?? Promise.resolve(),
     async setup(initClient: NodeClient) {
       client = initClient;
 
@@ -157,6 +167,7 @@ async function _startWorker(
   client: NodeClient,
   // eslint-disable-next-line typescript/no-deprecated
   integrationOptions: Partial<AnrIntegrationOptions>,
+  onReady?: () => void,
 ): Promise<() => void> {
   const dsn = client.getDsn();
 
@@ -234,6 +245,8 @@ async function _startWorker(
     if (msg === 'session-ended') {
       log('ANR event sent from ANR worker. Clearing session in this thread.');
       getIsolationScope().setSession(undefined);
+    } else if (msg === 'worker-ready') {
+      onReady?.();
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/worker.ts b/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/worker.ts
index 3ae9e009625c..7ef6c22d7c1a 100644
--- a/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/worker.ts
+++ b/packages/node/src/integrations/anr/worker.ts
@@ -328,3 +328,9 @@ parentPort?.on('message', (msg: { session: Session | undefined; debugImages?: Re
 
   poll();
 });
+
+// Signal that the worker is fully set up: the inspector session (when capturing stack traces) is
+// connected to the main thread and the watchdog is armed. Consumers that restart the worker can wait
+// for this before blocking the event loop, since the main-thread inspector stays open across restarts
+// and gives no signal that the new worker has reconnected.
+parentPort?.postMessage('worker-ready');