diff --git a/.changeset/lcam-1282-test-metadata-uuid-fallback.md b/.changeset/lcam-1282-test-metadata-uuid-fallback.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eeaa3a30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lcam-1282-test-metadata-uuid-fallback.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@wdio/browserstack-service": patch
+---
+
+- Fixed custom test metadata set via `BrowserStackSDK.setTestMetadata()` being dropped when the metadata is set before the test-run UUID is assigned. A per-UUID lookup now falls back to the current-run metadata again, restoring the behaviour that shipped before 8.51.0.
diff --git a/.changeset/pr-243.md b/.changeset/pr-243.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d2a0a70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/pr-243.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@wdio/browserstack-service": patch
+---
+
+- Fixed custom test metadata set via `BrowserStackSDK.setTestMetadata()` before the test-run UUID is assigned being dropped for App Low-Code runs.
diff --git a/packages/browserstack-service/src/metadata.ts b/packages/browserstack-service/src/metadata.ts
index 1554da6e..3ce83bb1 100644
--- a/packages/browserstack-service/src/metadata.ts
+++ b/packages/browserstack-service/src/metadata.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class TestMetadata {
 
     static set(metadata: Metadata = {}) {
         if (!getCentralUser().app_lcnc) {
+            BStackLogger.warn(`setTestMetadata: ignored, BROWSERSTACK_CENTRAL_USER=${process.env.BROWSERSTACK_CENTRAL_USER}`)
             return
         }
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class TestMetadata {
         if (TestMetadata.currentTestRunUuid) {
             TestMetadata.metadataByTestRunUuid[TestMetadata.currentTestRunUuid] = metadata
         }
+        BStackLogger.debug(`setTestMetadata: identifier=${testRunIdentifier} storedUnderUuid=${TestMetadata.currentTestRunUuid} store=[${Object.keys(TestMetadata.metadataByTestRunUuid)}]`)
     }
 
     static get(testRunUuid?: string): Metadata {
@@ -39,7 +41,9 @@ class TestMetadata {
         }
 
         if (testRunUuid) {
-            return TestMetadata.metadataByTestRunUuid[testRunUuid] || {}
+            const metadata = TestMetadata.metadataByTestRunUuid[testRunUuid] || TestMetadata.fallbackMetadata || {}
+            BStackLogger.debug(`TestMetadata.get: uuid=${testRunUuid} identifier=${metadata.identifier} store=[${Object.keys(TestMetadata.metadataByTestRunUuid)}]`)
+            return metadata
         }
 
         return TestMetadata.fallbackMetadata || {}
diff --git a/packages/browserstack-service/tests/metadata.test.ts b/packages/browserstack-service/tests/metadata.test.ts
index 2d591676..a6ad2b6b 100644
--- a/packages/browserstack-service/tests/metadata.test.ts
+++ b/packages/browserstack-service/tests/metadata.test.ts
@@ -68,11 +68,14 @@ describe('TestMetadata', () => {
     })
 
     describe('fallback vs per-uuid storage', () => {
-        it('stores as fallback for the no-uuid (current-run) lookup, but not for unknown uuids', () => {
+        it('stores as fallback for the no-uuid (current-run) lookup', () => {
             TestMetadata.set({ identifier: 'run-1' })
             expect(TestMetadata.get()).toEqual({ identifier: 'run-1' })
-            // A per-uuid lookup must not leak the current-run fallback.
-            expect(TestMetadata.get('unknown-uuid')).toEqual({})
+        })
+
+        it('serves the fallback to a uuid lookup when the uuid was learned after set()', () => {
+            TestMetadata.set({ identifier: 'run-1' })
+            expect(TestMetadata.get('uuid-assigned-later')).toEqual({ identifier: 'run-1' })
         })
 
         it('stores per-uuid when a current test-run uuid is set', () => {
@@ -81,9 +84,17 @@ describe('TestMetadata', () => {
             expect(TestMetadata.get('uuid-1')).toEqual({ identifier: 'run-1' })
         })
 
-        it('returns {} for an unknown uuid instead of leaking another run\'s metadata', () => {
+        it('falls back to the current-run metadata for an unrecognised uuid', () => {
             TestMetadata.setCurrentTestRunUuid('uuid-1')
             TestMetadata.set({ identifier: 'run-1' })
+            expect(TestMetadata.get('uuid-2')).toEqual({ identifier: 'run-1' })
+        })
+
+        it('does not carry a previous run\'s metadata once reset() has run between tests', () => {
+            TestMetadata.setCurrentTestRunUuid('uuid-1')
+            TestMetadata.set({ identifier: 'run-1' })
+            TestMetadata.reset()
+            TestMetadata.setCurrentTestRunUuid('uuid-2')
             expect(TestMetadata.get('uuid-2')).toEqual({})
         })