diff --git a/changelog.d/24708_log_error.fix.md b/changelog.d/24708_log_error.fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8fe59ff8fb638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/24708_log_error.fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+The `opentelemetry` source now logs an error if it fails to start up or during runtime.
+This can happen when the configuration is invalid, for example trying to bind to the wrong
+IP or when hitting the open file limit.
+
+author: fbs
diff --git a/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs b/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
index 96b290e7d9b09..0a31c0c18b6ba 100644
--- a/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
+++ b/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ impl SourceConfig for OpentelemetryConfig {
             cx.shutdown.clone(),
         )
         .map_err(|error| {
-            error!(message = "Source future failed.", %error);
+            error!(message = "OpenTelemetry gRPC source failed. Terminating.", %error);
         });
 
         let http_tls_settings = MaybeTlsSettings::from_config(self.http.tls.as_ref(), true)?;
@@ -257,7 +257,10 @@ impl SourceConfig for OpentelemetryConfig {
             filters,
             cx.shutdown,
             self.http.keepalive.clone(),
-        );
+        )
+        .map_err(|error| {
+            error!(message = "OpenTelemetry HTTP source failed. Terminating", %error);
+        });
 
         Ok(join(grpc_source, http_source).map(|_| Ok(())).boxed())
     }