diff --git a/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/Gradle.ts b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/Gradle.ts
index ea68a170ac..daddbe8b16 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/Gradle.ts
+++ b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/Gradle.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { Logger } from '../Logger'
 import { promises as fs } from 'fs'
 import path from 'path'
+import { detectInstalledVersion } from './Npm'
+import semver from 'semver'
 
 const GRADLE_PLUGIN_IMPORT = (version: string) => `classpath("com.bugsnag:bugsnag-android-gradle-plugin:${version}")`
 const GRADLE_PLUGIN_IMPORT_REGEX = /classpath\(["']com\.bugsnag:bugsnag-android-gradle-plugin:.*["']\)/
@@ -12,6 +14,9 @@ const BUGSNAG_CONFIGURATION_BLOCK = 'bugsnag {\n}\n'
 const BUGSNAG_CONFIGURATION_BLOCK_REGEX = /^\s*bugsnag {[^}]*?}/m
 const UPLOAD_ENDPOINT_REGEX = /^\s*bugsnag {[^}]*endpoint[^}]*?}/m
 const BUILD_ENDPOINT_REGEX = /^\s*bugsnag {[^}]*releasesEndpoint[^}]*?}/m
+const GRADLE_VERSION_FAIL_MSG = `Cannot determine an appropriate version of the Bugsnag Android Gradle plugin for use in this project.
+
+Please see ${DOCS_LINK} for information on Gradle and the Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) compatibility`
 
 export async function getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion (projectRoot: string, logger: Logger): Promise<string> {
   let fileContents: string
@@ -30,14 +35,24 @@ export async function getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion (projectRoot: string, log
   } else if (major === 7) {
     return '7.+'
   } else {
-    const versionMatchResult = fileContents.match(/classpath\(["']com.android.tools.build:gradle["']\)/)
-    if (versionMatchResult) {
+    // if the AGP version isn't set explicitly in the build.gradle file,
+    // try to suggest a version based on the detected react-native version
+    const noVersionMatchResult = fileContents.match(/classpath\(["']com.android.tools.build:gradle["']\)/)
+    let reactNativeVersion
+    try {
+      reactNativeVersion = await detectInstalledVersion('react-native', projectRoot)
+    } catch (e) {}
+
+    if (!noVersionMatchResult || !reactNativeVersion) {
+      logger.warn(GRADLE_VERSION_FAIL_MSG)
+      return ''
+    }
+
+    // RN 0.73+ requires AGP 8.+
+    if (semver.lt(reactNativeVersion, '0.73.0')) {
       return '7.+'
     } else {
-      logger.warn(`Cannot determine an appropriate version of the Bugsnag Android Gradle plugin for use in this project.
-
-Please see ${DOCS_LINK} for information on Gradle and the Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) compatibility`)
-      return ''
+      return '8.+'
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/Gradle.test.ts b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/Gradle.test.ts
index e6092f17b7..b024323340 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/Gradle.test.ts
+++ b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/Gradle.test.ts
@@ -512,3 +512,31 @@ test('getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion(): success with bracketed AGP version', a
   const version = await getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion('/random/path', logger)
   expect(version).toBe('7.+')
 })
+
+test('getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion(): success with unspecified AGP version', async () => {
+  const buildGradle = await loadFixture(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'root-build-before-without-agp-version.gradle'))
+
+  const readFileMock = fs.readFile as jest.MockedFunction<typeof fs.readFile>
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce(buildGradle)
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce('{"dependencies": { "react-native": "0.73.0"} }')
+
+  let version = await getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion('/random/path', logger)
+  expect(version).toBe('8.+')
+
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce(buildGradle)
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce('{"dependencies": { "react-native": "0.72.11"} }')
+
+  version = await getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion('/random/path', logger)
+  expect(version).toBe('7.+')
+})
+
+test('getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion(): null with unspecified AGP and react native versions', async () => {
+  const buildGradle = await loadFixture(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'root-build-before-without-agp-version.gradle'))
+
+  const readFileMock = fs.readFile as jest.MockedFunction<typeof fs.readFile>
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce(buildGradle)
+  readFileMock.mockResolvedValueOnce('')
+
+  const version = await getSuggestedBugsnagGradleVersion('/random/path', logger)
+  expect(version).toBe('')
+})
diff --git a/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/fixtures/root-build-before-without-agp-version.gradle b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/fixtures/root-build-before-without-agp-version.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..842db470dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-native-cli/src/lib/__test__/fixtures/root-build-before-without-agp-version.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules.
+
+buildscript {
+    ext {
+        buildToolsVersion = "29.0.2"
+        minSdkVersion = 16
+        compileSdkVersion = 29
+        targetSdkVersion = 29
+    }
+    repositories {
+        google()
+        jcenter()
+    }
+    dependencies {
+        classpath("com.android.tools.build:gradle")
+        // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
+        // in the individual module build.gradle files
+    }
+}
+
+allprojects {
+    repositories {
+        mavenLocal()
+        maven {
+            // All of React Native (JS, Obj-C sources, Android binaries) is installed from npm
+            url("$rootDir/../node_modules/react-native/android")
+        }
+        maven {
+            // Android JSC is installed from npm
+            url("$rootDir/../node_modules/jsc-android/dist")
+        }
+
+        google()
+        jcenter()
+        maven { url 'https://www.jitpack.io' }
+    }
+}