diff --git a/sentry-core/src/performance.rs b/sentry-core/src/performance.rs
index 154b7b11..91b6f99f 100644
--- a/sentry-core/src/performance.rs
+++ b/sentry-core/src/performance.rs
@@ -257,12 +257,12 @@ impl TransactionOrSpan {
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
-struct TransactionInner {
+pub(crate) struct TransactionInner {
     #[cfg(feature = "client")]
     client: Option<Arc<Client>>,
     sampled: bool,
     context: protocol::TraceContext,
-    transaction: Option<protocol::Transaction<'static>>,
+    pub(crate) transaction: Option<protocol::Transaction<'static>>,
 }
 
 type TransactionArc = Arc<Mutex<TransactionInner>>;
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ type TransactionArc = Arc<Mutex<TransactionInner>>;
 /// to Sentry.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Transaction {
-    inner: TransactionArc,
+    pub(crate) inner: TransactionArc,
 }
 
 impl Transaction {
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ impl Transaction {
 /// will not be sent to Sentry.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Span {
-    transaction: TransactionArc,
+    pub(crate) transaction: TransactionArc,
     sampled: bool,
     span: SpanArc,
 }
diff --git a/sentry-core/src/scope/real.rs b/sentry-core/src/scope/real.rs
index c424f1a9..fbdc6df8 100644
--- a/sentry-core/src/scope/real.rs
+++ b/sentry-core/src/scope/real.rs
@@ -160,6 +160,17 @@ impl Scope {
     /// Sets the transaction.
     pub fn set_transaction(&mut self, transaction: Option<&str>) {
         self.transaction = transaction.map(Arc::from);
+        if let Some(name) = transaction {
+            let trx = match self.span.as_ref() {
+                Some(TransactionOrSpan::Span(span)) => &span.transaction,
+                Some(TransactionOrSpan::Transaction(trx)) => &trx.inner,
+                _ => return,
+            };
+
+            if let Some(trx) = trx.lock().unwrap().transaction.as_mut() {
+                trx.name = Some(name.into());
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// Sets the user for the current scope.
diff --git a/sentry/tests/test_tracing.rs b/sentry/tests/test_tracing.rs
index 34c2ca6e..4c8038a0 100644
--- a/sentry/tests/test_tracing.rs
+++ b/sentry/tests/test_tracing.rs
@@ -134,3 +134,34 @@ fn test_span_record() {
         "some data"
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_set_transaction() {
+    let options = sentry::ClientOptions {
+        traces_sample_rate: 1.0,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let envelopes = sentry::test::with_captured_envelopes_options(
+        || {
+            let ctx = sentry::TransactionContext::new("old name", "ye, whatever");
+            let trx = sentry::start_transaction(ctx);
+            sentry::configure_scope(|scope| scope.set_span(Some(trx.clone().into())));
+
+            sentry::configure_scope(|scope| scope.set_transaction(Some("new name")));
+
+            trx.finish();
+        },
+        options,
+    );
+
+    assert_eq!(envelopes.len(), 1);
+
+    let envelope_item = envelopes[0].items().next().unwrap();
+    let transaction = match envelope_item {
+        sentry::protocol::EnvelopeItem::Transaction(t) => t,
+        _ => panic!("expected only a transaction item"),
+    };
+
+    assert_eq!(transaction.name.as_deref().unwrap(), "new name");
+}