diff --git a/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/AbstractMessageListenerContainer.java b/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/AbstractMessageListenerContainer.java
index 6362a4ba823..035805fa821 100644
--- a/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/AbstractMessageListenerContainer.java
+++ b/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/AbstractMessageListenerContainer.java
@@ -676,16 +676,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractJmsListen
 	 * @see #handleListenerException
 	 */
 	protected void executeListener(Session session, Message message) {
-		createObservation(message).observe(() -> {
-			try {
-				doExecuteListener(session, message);
-			}
-			catch (Throwable ex) {
-				handleListenerException(ex);
-			}
-		});
+		try {
+			doExecuteListener(session, message);
+		}
+		catch (Throwable ex) {
+			handleListenerException(ex);
+		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Create, but do not start an {@link Observation} for JMS message processing.
+	 * <p>This will return a "no-op" observation if Micrometer Jakarta instrumentation
+	 * is not available or if no Observation Registry has been configured.
+	 * @param message the message to be observed
+	 * @since 6.1
+	 */
 	protected Observation createObservation(Message message) {
 		if (micrometerJakartaPresent && this.observationRegistry != null) {
 			return ObservationFactory.create(this.observationRegistry, message);
@@ -770,7 +775,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractJmsListen
 
 		Connection conToClose = null;
 		Session sessionToClose = null;
-		Observation observation = createObservation(message);
 		try {
 			Session sessionToUse = session;
 			if (micrometerJakartaPresent && this.observationRegistry != null) {
@@ -782,7 +786,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractJmsListen
 				sessionToClose = createSession(conToClose);
 				sessionToUse = sessionToClose;
 			}
-			observation.start();
 			// Actually invoke the message listener...
 			listener.onMessage(message, sessionToUse);
 			// Clean up specially exposed Session, if any.
@@ -794,11 +797,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractJmsListen
 			}
 		}
 		catch (JMSException exc) {
-			observation.error(exc);
 			throw exc;
 		}
 		finally {
-			observation.stop();
 			JmsUtils.closeSession(sessionToClose);
 			JmsUtils.closeConnection(conToClose);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java b/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
index 9530b236586..27a72421f64 100644
--- a/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
+++ b/spring-jms/src/main/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class SimpleMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractMessageListenerConta
 					connectionFactory, new LocallyExposedJmsResourceHolder(session));
 		}
 		try {
-			executeListener(session, message);
+			createObservation(message).observe(() -> executeListener(session, message));
 		}
 		finally {
 			if (exposeResource) {
diff --git a/spring-jms/src/test/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/MessageListenerContainerObservationTests.java b/spring-jms/src/test/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/MessageListenerContainerObservationTests.java
index 42109512d57..f3879fe72e8 100644
--- a/spring-jms/src/test/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/MessageListenerContainerObservationTests.java
+++ b/spring-jms/src/test/java/org/springframework/jms/listener/MessageListenerContainerObservationTests.java
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ class MessageListenerContainerObservationTests {
 		JmsTemplate jmsTemplate = new JmsTemplate(connectionFactory);
 		jmsTemplate.convertAndSend("spring.test.observation", "message content");
 		latch.await(2, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-		assertThat(registry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.process")
+		assertThat(registry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.process", 1)
+				.hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.process")
 				.that()
 				.hasHighCardinalityKeyValue("messaging.destination.name", "spring.test.observation");
 		assertThat(registry).hasNumberOfObservationsEqualTo(1);
@@ -86,7 +87,6 @@ class MessageListenerContainerObservationTests {
 	@ParameterizedTest(name = "[{index}] {0}")
 	@MethodSource("listenerContainers")
 	void shouldRecordJmsPublishObservations(AbstractMessageListenerContainer listenerContainer) throws Exception {
-		CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
 		listenerContainer.setConnectionFactory(connectionFactory);
 		listenerContainer.setObservationRegistry(registry);
 		listenerContainer.setDestinationName("spring.test.observation");
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ class MessageListenerContainerObservationTests {
 		TextMessage response = (TextMessage) jmsTemplate.sendAndReceive("spring.test.observation",
 							session -> session.createTextMessage("test request"));
 
-		// request received by listener and response received by template
-		assertThat(registry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.process", 2);
+		assertThat(registry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.process", 1);
 		// response sent to the template
 		assertThat(registry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo("jms.message.publish", 1);