diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/rum/instrumentation/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.test.tsx b/packages/core/src/__tests__/rum/instrumentation/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.test.tsx
index 12472ff00..6359fd12b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/rum/instrumentation/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/rum/instrumentation/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.test.tsx
@@ -543,6 +543,33 @@ describe('startTracking with injected jsx runtimes', () => {
         );
     });
 
+    it("M leave React's own factory alone W the app declared its runtime", async () => {
+        // A styling library that owns the element factory can route React.createElement
+        // through machinery of its own. Replacing it then feeds that machinery calls it was
+        // never written to receive - measured on a release build as the heap growing until
+        // Hermes aborted at startup. Once the app has told us where its JSX comes from,
+        // there is nothing to gain there and a crash to lose.
+        const before = React.createElement;
+        const runtime: Record<string, unknown> = {
+            jsx: jest.fn(),
+            jsxs: jest.fn()
+        };
+
+        DdRumUserInteractionTracking.startTracking({}, [runtime]);
+
+        expect(React.createElement).toBe(before);
+        // the declared runtime is still instrumented - that is what records the taps
+        expect(runtime.jsx).not.toBe(before);
+    });
+
+    it("M patch React's own factory W no runtime was declared", async () => {
+        const before = React.createElement;
+
+        DdRumUserInteractionTracking.startTracking({});
+
+        expect(React.createElement).not.toBe(before);
+    });
+
     it('M restore the injected runtime W stopTracking is called', async () => {
         const jsx = jest.fn();
         const jsxs = jest.fn();
diff --git a/packages/core/src/rum/instrumentation/interactionTracking/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.tsx b/packages/core/src/rum/instrumentation/interactionTracking/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.tsx
index 8d3c4226f..71f86c1cd 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/rum/instrumentation/interactionTracking/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/rum/instrumentation/interactionTracking/DdRumUserInteractionTracking.tsx
@@ -243,17 +243,37 @@ export class DdRumUserInteractionTracking {
             options
         );
 
+        // React's own factory is left alone once the app has told us which runtime it
+        // compiles to. Two reasons, and the second one is why this is not merely tidy.
+        //
+        // Under the automatic JSX transform such an app never calls React.createElement -
+        // its elements come from the runtime it declared - so patching it buys no action.
+        //
+        // And it is not free. A styling library that owns the element factory can route
+        // React.createElement through machinery of its own; replacing it then feeds that
+        // machinery calls it was never written to receive, including React's internal ones.
+        // Measured on a release build of a nativewind app: the heap grew without bound until
+        // Hermes aborted during startup. Skipping this patch there is what stops the crash -
+        // replacing the factory more carefully does not, which two earlier attempts at this
+        // established the hard way.
+        //
+        // `memo` stays patched either way: it only restores the original onPress for
+        // comparison, and was measured not to contribute to the crash.
+        const appDeclaredItsRuntime = jsxRuntimes.length > 0;
+
         const originalCreateElement = reactModule['createElement'];
-        replaceProperty(
-            reactModule,
-            'createElement',
-            (...args: Parameters<typeof React.createElement>): any => {
-                return this.patchCreateElementFunction(
-                    originalCreateElement,
-                    args
-                );
-            }
-        );
+        if (!appDeclaredItsRuntime) {
+            replaceProperty(
+                reactModule,
+                'createElement',
+                (...args: Parameters<typeof React.createElement>): any => {
+                    return this.patchCreateElementFunction(
+                        originalCreateElement,
+                        args
+                    );
+                }
+            );
+        }
 
         const runtimes: JsxRuntimeModule[] = [];
         try {