diff --git a/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_aarch64/action.yaml b/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_aarch64/action.yaml
index 83a3f73c4..727c03e1f 100644
--- a/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_aarch64/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_aarch64/action.yaml
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ runs:
   image: quay.io/pypa/manylinux_2_28_aarch64:latest
   entrypoint: 'make'
   args:
-    - 'aws-lambda'
+    - 'aws-lambda-custom'
   env:
     PLATFORM: aarch64
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_x86_64/action.yaml b/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_x86_64/action.yaml
index 73d1e911a..00d1ac7c9 100644
--- a/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_x86_64/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_x86_64/action.yaml
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ runs:
   image: quay.io/pypa/manylinux_2_28_x86_64:latest
   entrypoint: 'make'
   args:
-    - 'aws-lambda'
+    - 'aws-lambda-custom'
   env:
     PLATFORM: x86_64
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer.yaml
index 5243e3a7c..9559942cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer.yaml
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-minor: ["8", "9", "10", "11"]
-        apm-env: ["lambda"]
+        apm-env: ["lambda-gh"]
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - name: Checkout custom instrumentor
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: tammy-baylis-swi/opentelemetry-python-contrib
+        ref: custom-sw-build
+        path: contrib-custom
     - name: Setup Python
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_aarch64.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_aarch64.yaml
index 4e1fd2eba..7eeadba60 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_aarch64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_aarch64.yaml
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ jobs:
       SW_APM_VERSION: ${{ steps.save-apm-python-version.outputs.SW_APM_VERSION }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: tammy-baylis-swi/opentelemetry-python-contrib
+        ref: build-lambda-handler-exceptions
+        path: contrib-custom
     - uses: ./.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_aarch64
     - name: Save APM Python Version for naming
       id: save-apm-python-version
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_x86_64.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_x86_64.yaml
index 67164ff99..0d3265ceb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_x86_64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_publish_lambda_layer_x86_64.yaml
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ jobs:
       SW_APM_VERSION: ${{ steps.save-apm-python-version.outputs.SW_APM_VERSION }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: tammy-baylis-swi/opentelemetry-python-contrib
+        ref: build-lambda-handler-exceptions
+        path: contrib-custom
     - uses: ./.github/actions/package_lambda_solarwinds_apm_x86_64
     - name: Save APM Python Version for naming
       id: save-apm-python-version
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 294f4e2ec..7e1fcf3c2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ __pycache__/
 build/
 develop-eggs/
 dist/
+dist_orm/
 downloads/
 eggs/
 .eggs/
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ share/python-wheels/
 *.egg
 MANIFEST
 log.txt
+tmp-lambda/
 
 # PyInstaller
 #  Usually these files are written by a python script from a template
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 95cae169e..02a8281f7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -237,6 +237,89 @@ aws-lambda: check-zip wrapper install-lambda-modules check-lambda-modules
 	@rm -rf ${target_dir} ./build
 	@echo -e "\nDone."
 
+target_dir := "./tmp-lambda"
+install-lambda-modules-custom:
+	@if [ -f ./dist/solarwinds_apm_lambda_${platform}.zip ]; then \
+		echo -e "Deleting old solarwinds_apm_lambda_${platform}.zip"; \
+		rm ./dist/solarwinds_apm_lambda_${platform}.zip; \
+	 fi
+	rm -rf ${target_dir}
+	@echo -e "Creating target directory ${target_dir} for AWS Lambda layer artifacts."
+	mkdir -p ${target_dir}/python
+	@echo -e "Install upstream dependencies to include in layer"
+	@/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/pip3.8 install -t ${target_dir}/python -r lambda/requirements-custom.txt
+	@echo -e "Install other version-specific .so files for deps"
+	@set -e; for PYBIN in cp39-cp39 cp310-cp310 cp311-cp311; do /opt/python/$${PYBIN}/bin/pip install -t ${target_dir}/$${PYBIN} -r lambda/requirements-so.txt; done
+	@set -e; for PYBIN in cp39-cp39 cp310-cp310 cp311-cp311; do cp ${target_dir}/$${PYBIN}/charset_normalizer/*.so ${target_dir}/python/charset_normalizer/ && cp ${target_dir}/$${PYBIN}/grpc/_cython/*.so ${target_dir}/python/grpc/_cython/ && cp ${target_dir}/$${PYBIN}/wrapt/*.so ${target_dir}/python/wrapt/; done
+	@set -e; for PYBIN in cp39-cp39 cp310-cp310 cp311-cp311; do rm -rf ${target_dir}/$${PYBIN} ; done
+	@echo -e "Install upstream dependencies without deps to include in layer"
+	@/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/pip3.8 install -t ${target_dir}/nodeps -r lambda/requirements-nodeps.txt --no-deps
+	@echo "Contents of contrib-custom:"
+	@ls -al contrib-custom/
+	@echo -e "Install aws-lambda instrumentor from local to include in layer"
+	@/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/pip3.8 install -t ${target_dir}/nodeps -Ie contrib-custom/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda
+	@echo -e "Directly copying aws-lambda src files"
+	@mkdir ${target_dir}/nodeps/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aws_lambda
+	@cp -r contrib-custom/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aws_lambda/* ${target_dir}/nodeps/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aws_lambda
+	@echo -e "Install solarwinds_apm to be packed up in zip archive to target directory."
+	@/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/pip3.8 install . -t ${target_dir}/nodeps --no-deps
+	@echo -e "Removing non-lambda C-extension library files generated by pip install under target directory."
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/nodeps/solarwinds_apm/extension/*.so*
+	@echo -e "Building AWS Lambda version of C-extensions for all supported Python versions in target directory."
+	@set -e; for PYBIN in cp37-cp37m cp38-cp38 cp39-cp39 cp310-cp310 cp311-cp311; do /opt/python/$${PYBIN}/bin/python setup.py build_ext -b ${target_dir}/nodeps; done
+	@echo -e "Copying AWS Lambda specific Oboe library liboboe-1.0-lambda-${platform}.so into target directory."
+	@cp solarwinds_apm/extension/liboboe-1.0-lambda-${platform}.so ${target_dir}/nodeps/solarwinds_apm/extension/liboboe.so
+	@echo -e "Moving no-deps dependencies, needed for full opentelemetry/instrumentation path"
+	@cp -r ${target_dir}/nodeps/* ${target_dir}/python
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/nodeps
+	@echo -e "Copying OpenTelemetry lambda wrapper and entry script into target directory."
+	@cp lambda/otel_wrapper.py ${target_dir}/python/otel_wrapper.py
+	@mkdir ${target_dir}/solarwinds-apm/
+	@cp lambda/solarwinds-apm/wrapper ${target_dir}/solarwinds-apm/wrapper
+	@chmod 755 ${target_dir}/solarwinds-apm/wrapper
+	@echo -e "Removing unnecessary boto, six, setuptools, urllib3 installations"
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/python/boto*
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/python/six*
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/python/setuptools*
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir}/python/urllib3*
+	@find ${target_dir}/python -type d -name '__pycache__' | xargs rm -rf
+
+check-lambda-modules-custom:
+	./lambda/check_lambda_modules.sh ${target_dir}
+
+# Build APM Python AWS lambda layer as zip artifact
+# with extension compatible with current environment
+# (x86_64 OR aarch64) using custom contrib modules
+target_dir := "./tmp-lambda"
+aws-lambda-custom: export AWS_LAMBDA_FUNCTION_NAME = set-for-build
+aws-lambda-custom: export LAMBDA_TASK_ROOT = set-for-build
+aws-lambda-custom: check-zip wrapper install-lambda-modules-custom check-lambda-modules-custom
+	@if [[ ! -d dist ]]; then mkdir dist; fi
+	@pushd ${target_dir} && zip -r ../dist/solarwinds_apm_lambda_${platform}.zip . && popd
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir} ./build
+	@echo -e "\nDone."
+
+# Build Python ORM AWS lambda layer as zip artifact
+# with py38 extensions compatible with current environment
+# (x86_64 OR aarch64)
+target_dir := "./tmp-lambda"
+aws-lambda-orm: check-zip
+	@if [ -f ./dist/orm_lambda_${platform}.zip ]; then \
+		echo -e "Deleting old orm_lambda_${platform}.zip"; \
+		rm ./dist/orm_lambda_${platform}.zip; \
+	fi
+	rm -rf ${target_dir}
+	@echo -e "Creating target directory ${target_dir} for AWS Lambda layer artifacts."
+	mkdir -p ${target_dir}/python
+	@echo -e "Install ORM modules to include in layer"
+	@/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/pip3.8 install -t ${target_dir}/python -r lambda/requirements-orm.txt
+	@find ${target_dir}/python -type d -name '__pycache__' | xargs rm -rf
+	@echo -e "Preparing ORM layer archive"
+	@if [[ ! -d dist_orm ]]; then mkdir dist_orm; fi
+	@pushd ${target_dir} && zip -r ../dist_orm/orm_lambda_${platform}.zip . && popd
+	@rm -rf ${target_dir} ./build
+	@echo -e "\nDone."
+
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 # recipes for local development
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
@@ -314,6 +397,7 @@ clean:
 	@find . -type d -name '*.ropeproject' | xargs rm -rf
 	@rm -rf build/
 	@rm -rf dist/
+	@rm -rf dist_orm/
 	@rm -rf *.egg*
 	@rm -f MANIFEST
 	@rm -rf docs/build/
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 4ea9ebcdb..bd2c4e5cb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ version: '2.4'
 services:
   x86_64:
     image: quay.io/pypa/manylinux_2_28_x86_64
+    user: root
     stdin_open: true
     tty: true
     network_mode: host
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ./:/code/solarwinds_apm
       - ../solarwinds-apm-liboboe/:/code/solarwinds-apm-liboboe
+      - ../opentelemetry-python-contrib/:/code/solarwinds_apm/contrib-custom/
     working_dir: /code/solarwinds_apm
     entrypoint: ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
     command: 
@@ -27,10 +29,13 @@ services:
        # twine to upload to TestPyPi
        # tox for automated tests
        python3.8 -m pip install boto3 twine tox
+       # update wrapper permissions for local testing in docker
+       chmod 755 /code/solarwinds_apm/lambda/solarwinds-apm/wrapper
        /bin/bash
 
   aarch64:
     image: quay.io/pypa/manylinux_2_28_aarch64
+    user: root
     stdin_open: true
     tty: true
     network_mode: host
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ./:/code/solarwinds_apm
       - ../solarwinds-apm-liboboe/:/code/solarwinds-apm-liboboe
+      - ../opentelemetry-python-contrib/:/code/solarwinds_apm/contrib-custom/
     working_dir: /code/solarwinds_apm
     entrypoint: ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
     command: 
@@ -47,4 +53,6 @@ services:
        # twine to upload to TestPyPi
        # tox for automated tests
        python3.8 -m pip install boto3 twine tox
+       # update wrapper permissions for local testing in docker
+       chmod 755 /code/solarwinds_apm/lambda/solarwinds-apm/wrapper
        /bin/bash
diff --git a/lambda/requirements-custom.txt b/lambda/requirements-custom.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7509330da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lambda/requirements-custom.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+opentelemetry-api==1.25.0
+opentelemetry-sdk==1.25.0
+opentelemetry-instrumentation==0.46b0
+opentelemetry-propagator-aws-xray==1.0.1
+opentelemetry-exporter-otlp==1.25.0
+opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-grpc==1.25.0
+opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http==1.25.0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lambda/requirements-nodeps.txt b/lambda/requirements-nodeps.txt
index 1659a541e..b6c9449ec 100644
--- a/lambda/requirements-nodeps.txt
+++ b/lambda/requirements-nodeps.txt
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ opentelemetry-instrumentation-sqlalchemy==0.46b0
 opentelemetry-instrumentation-sqlite3==0.46b0
 opentelemetry-instrumentation-starlette==0.46b0
 opentelemetry-instrumentation-tornado==0.46b0
-opentelemetry-instrumentation-wsgi==0.46b0
\ No newline at end of file
+opentelemetry-instrumentation-wsgi==0.46b0
diff --git a/lambda/requirements-orm.txt b/lambda/requirements-orm.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69ecfd41c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lambda/requirements-orm.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+SQLAlchemy==2.0.28
+psycopg2_binary==2.9.9
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lambda/tests/requirements.txt b/lambda/tests/requirements.txt
index 8c3ea8a5d..424b908e7 100644
--- a/lambda/tests/requirements.txt
+++ b/lambda/tests/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda == 0.46b0
 opentelemetry-propagator-aws-xray == 1.0.1
+# This is a gross workaround to test on `custom` branch
+# when pyproject.toml doesn't install upstream deps
+opentelemetry-instrumentation-logging==0.46b0
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8a633b02f..e388a59b7 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ classifiers = [
 ]
 requires-python = ">=3.8"
 dependencies = [
-    'opentelemetry-api == 1.25.0',
-    'opentelemetry-sdk == 1.25.0',
-    'opentelemetry-instrumentation == 0.46b0',
-    'opentelemetry-instrumentation-logging == 0.46b0',
+    # 'opentelemetry-api == 1.25.0',
+    # 'opentelemetry-sdk == 1.25.0',
+    # 'opentelemetry-instrumentation == 0.46b0',
+    # 'opentelemetry-instrumentation-logging == 0.46b0',
 ]
 
 [project.urls]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 07f646a37..cdac2dfa4 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -33,12 +33,17 @@ setenv =
 
 [testenv:py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda]
 changedir = lambda/tests
+; Currently installs custom checkout for custom build tests
 commands_pre =
+  py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda: pip install -Ie /code/solarwinds_apm/contrib-custom/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda
   py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda: pip install -r requirements.txt
 
 [testenv:py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda-gh]
 changedir = lambda/tests
+; Currently installs custom checkout for custom build tests
+; assuming GH runner filepath
 commands_pre =
+  py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda: pip install -Ie /home/runner/work/apm-python/apm-python/contrib-custom/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda
   py3{8,9,10,11}-lambda: pip install -r requirements.txt
 
 [testenv:lint]