diff --git a/Lib/test/test_external_inspection.py b/Lib/test/test_external_inspection.py
index 9fff8e8bff91f7a..a61c1616fa82f0b 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_external_inspection.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_external_inspection.py
@@ -3544,6 +3544,30 @@ def gen():
             skip_non_matching_threads=True,
         )
 
+    @requires_gil_enabled("Free threaded builds don't have an 'active thread'")
+    def test_filtered_active_thread_is_not_replaced(self):
+        samples = []
+
+        def sample():
+            for kwargs in ({"all_threads": True}, {"only_active_thread": True}):
+                unwinder = RemoteUnwinder(
+                    os.getpid(), mode=PROFILING_MODE_EXCEPTION, **kwargs
+                )
+                samples.append(
+                    self._get_thread_statuses(unwinder.get_stack_trace())
+                )
+
+        thread = threading.Thread(target=sample)
+        try:
+            raise ValueError
+        except ValueError:
+            thread.start()
+            thread.join()
+
+        all_threads, active_thread = samples
+        self.assertEqual(list(all_threads), [threading.get_native_id()])
+        self.assertEqual(active_thread, {})
+
 
 @requires_remote_subprocess_debugging()
 class TestFrameCaching(RemoteInspectionTestBase):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-10-18-56-26.gh-issue-159130.3AIHqh.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-10-18-56-26.gh-issue-159130.3AIHqh.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..f4ff555a25e7010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-10-18-56-26.gh-issue-159130.3AIHqh.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix :mod:`!_remote_debugging` returning a different thread when the selected
+thread does not match the profiling mode with ``only_active_thread=True``.
diff --git a/Modules/_remote_debugging/module.c b/Modules/_remote_debugging/module.c
index 6fa277d1065ed91..2a782715298f933 100644
--- a/Modules/_remote_debugging/module.c
+++ b/Modules/_remote_debugging/module.c
@@ -823,6 +823,9 @@ _remote_debugging_RemoteUnwinder_get_stack_trace_impl(RemoteUnwinderObject *self
                         goto exit;
                     }
                     // Thread was skipped due to mode filtering, continue to next thread
+                    if (self->tstate_addr || self->only_active_thread) {
+                        break;
+                    }
                     continue;
                 }
                 // This was an actual error