diff --git a/elasticapm/utils/encoding.py b/elasticapm/utils/encoding.py
index 4455f2685..c8014d75c 100644
--- a/elasticapm/utils/encoding.py
+++ b/elasticapm/utils/encoding.py
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@
 import uuid
 from decimal import Decimal
 
+try:
+    from django.db.models import QuerySet as DjangoQuerySet
+except ImportError:
+    DjangoQuerySet = None
+
 from elasticapm.conf.constants import KEYWORD_MAX_LENGTH, LABEL_RE, LABEL_TYPES, LONG_FIELD_MAX_LENGTH
 
 PROTECTED_TYPES = (int, type(None), float, Decimal, datetime.datetime, datetime.date, datetime.time)
@@ -144,6 +149,10 @@ class value_type(list):
         ret = float(value)
     elif isinstance(value, int):
         ret = int(value)
+    elif DjangoQuerySet is not None and isinstance(value, DjangoQuerySet) and getattr(value, "_result_cache", True) is None:
+        # if we have a Django QuerySet a None result cache it may mean that the underlying query failed
+        # so represent it as an empty list instead of retrying the query again
+        ret = "<%s %r>" % (value.__class__.__name__, [])
     elif value is not None:
         try:
             ret = transform(repr(value))
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py b/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
index 535729bcf..4e0a3746f 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
@@ -1318,6 +1318,21 @@ def test_capture_post_errors_dict(client, django_elasticapm_client):
         assert error["context"]["request"]["body"] == "[REDACTED]"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "django_sending_elasticapm_client",
+    [{"capture_body": "errors"}, {"capture_body": "transactions"}, {"capture_body": "all"}, {"capture_body": "off"}],
+    indirect=True,
+)
+def test_capture_django_orm_timeout_error(client, django_sending_elasticapm_client):
+    with pytest.raises(DatabaseError):
+        client.get(reverse("elasticapm-django-orm-exc"))
+
+    errors = django_sending_elasticapm_client.httpserver.payloads
+    if django_sending_elasticapm_client.config.capture_body in (constants.ERROR, "all"):
+        stacktrace = errors[0][1]["error"]["exception"]["stacktrace"]
+        assert "'qs': '[]'" in str(stacktrace)
+
+
 def test_capture_body_config_is_dynamic_for_errors(client, django_elasticapm_client):
     django_elasticapm_client.config.update(version="1", capture_body="all")
     with pytest.raises(MyException):
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/testapp/urls.py b/tests/contrib/django/testapp/urls.py
index 857215280..92302e313 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/django/testapp/urls.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/django/testapp/urls.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ def handler500(request):
     re_path(r"^trigger-500-ioerror$", views.raise_ioerror, name="elasticapm-raise-ioerror"),
     re_path(r"^trigger-500-decorated$", views.decorated_raise_exc, name="elasticapm-raise-exc-decor"),
     re_path(r"^trigger-500-django$", views.django_exc, name="elasticapm-django-exc"),
+    re_path(r"^trigger-500-django-orm-exc$", views.django_queryset_error, name="elasticapm-django-orm-exc"),
     re_path(r"^trigger-500-template$", views.template_exc, name="elasticapm-template-exc"),
     re_path(r"^trigger-500-log-request$", views.logging_request_exc, name="elasticapm-log-request-exc"),
     re_path(r"^streaming$", views.streaming_view, name="elasticapm-streaming-view"),
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/testapp/views.py b/tests/contrib/django/testapp/views.py
index 5a11b0961..91aa5c197 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/django/testapp/views.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/django/testapp/views.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 from django.http import HttpResponse, StreamingHttpResponse
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, render
 from django.views import View
+from django.db.models import QuerySet
+from django.db import DatabaseError
 
 import elasticapm
 
@@ -70,6 +72,18 @@ def django_exc(request):
     return get_object_or_404(MyException, pk=1)
 
 
+def django_queryset_error(request):
+    """Simulation of django ORM timeout"""
+    class CustomQuerySet(QuerySet):
+        def all(self):
+            raise DatabaseError()
+        
+        def __repr__(self) -> str:
+            return str(self._result_cache)
+
+    qs = CustomQuerySet()
+    list(qs.all())
+
 def raise_exc(request):
     raise MyException(request.GET.get("message", "view exception"))