diff --git a/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/PluginImplUtil.java b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/PluginImplUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2c19349efea7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/PluginImplUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package io.opentelemetry.instrumentation.awssdk.v2_2;
+
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+final class PluginImplUtil {
+  private PluginImplUtil() {}
+
+  private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(PluginImplUtil.class.getName());
+
+  /**
+   * Check if the given {@code moduleNameImpl} is present.
+   *
+   * <p>For library instrumentations, the Impls will always be available but might fail to load if
+   * the corresponding SDK classes are not on the class path. For javaagent, the Impl is available
+   * only when the corresponding InstrumentationModule was successfully applied (muzzle passed).
+   *
+   * <p>Note that an present-but-incompatible library can only be detected by Muzzle. In
+   * library-mode, users need to ensure they are using a compatible SDK (component) versions
+   * themselves.
+   *
+   * @param implSimpleClassName The simple name of the impl class, e.g. {@code "SqsImpl"}. *
+   */
+  static boolean isImplPresent(String implSimpleClassName) {
+    String implFullClassName =
+        PluginImplUtil.class.getName().replace(".PluginImplUtil", "." + implSimpleClassName);
+    try {
+      // using package name here because library instrumentation classes are relocated when embedded
+      // in the agent
+      Class.forName(implFullClassName);
+      return true;
+    } catch (ClassNotFoundException | LinkageError e) {
+      // ClassNotFoundException will happen when muzzle disabled us in javaagent mode; LinkageError
+      // (most likely NoClassDefFoundError) should happen when the class is loaded in library mode
+      // (where it is always available) but a dependency failed to load (most likely because the
+      // corresponding SDK dependency is not on the class path).
+      logger.log(
+          Level.FINE, e, () -> implFullClassName + " not present, probably incompatible version");
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsAccess.java b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsAccess.java
index f1f8aad68dd1..22a41c4bbb41 100644
--- a/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsAccess.java
+++ b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsAccess.java
@@ -20,21 +20,7 @@
 final class SqsAccess {
   private SqsAccess() {}
 
-  private static final boolean enabled = isSqsImplPresent();
-
-  private static boolean isSqsImplPresent() {
-    try {
-      // for library instrumentation SqsImpl is always available
-      // for javaagent instrumentation SqsImpl is available only when SqsInstrumentationModule was
-      // successfully applied (muzzle passed)
-      // using package name here because library instrumentation classes are relocated when embedded
-      // in the agent
-      Class.forName(SqsAccess.class.getName().replace(".SqsAccess", ".SqsImpl"));
-      return true;
-    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
-      return false;
-    }
-  }
+  private static final boolean enabled = PluginImplUtil.isImplPresent("SqsImpl");
 
   @NoMuzzle
   static boolean isSendMessageRequest(SdkRequest request) {
diff --git a/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsImpl.java b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsImpl.java
index df3b402206f8..50eacb7985b1 100644
--- a/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsImpl.java
+++ b/instrumentation/aws-sdk/aws-sdk-2.2/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/awssdk/v2_2/SqsImpl.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import software.amazon.awssdk.core.interceptor.Context;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.core.interceptor.ExecutionAttributes;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.http.SdkHttpResponse;
+import software.amazon.awssdk.services.sqs.SqsClient;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.services.sqs.model.Message;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.services.sqs.model.MessageAttributeValue;
 import software.amazon.awssdk.services.sqs.model.ReceiveMessageRequest;
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@
 
 // this class is only used from SqsAccess from method with @NoMuzzle annotation
 final class SqsImpl {
+  static {
+    // Force loading of SqsClient; this ensures that an exception is thrown at this point when the
+    // SQS library is not present, which will cause SnsAccess to have enabled=false in library mode.
+    @SuppressWarnings("unused")
+    String ensureLoadedDummy = SqsClient.class.getName();
+  }
+
   private SqsImpl() {}
 
   static SdkRequest injectIntoSendMessageRequest(