diff --git a/changelog.d/24708_log_error.fix.md b/changelog.d/24708_log_error.fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d53626b09af05
--- /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.
+
+authors: fbs
diff --git a/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs b/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
index 89f6163da0595..827bbd213360d 100644
--- a/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
+++ b/src/sources/opentelemetry/config.rs
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ impl SourceConfig for OpentelemetryConfig {
             cx.shutdown.clone(),
         )
         .map_err(|error| {
-            error!(message = "Source future failed.", %error);
+            error!(message = "OpenTelemetry source gRPC server failed.", %error);
         });
 
         let http_tls_settings = MaybeTlsSettings::from_config(self.http.tls.as_ref(), true)?;
@@ -355,7 +355,10 @@ impl SourceConfig for OpentelemetryConfig {
             filters,
             cx.shutdown,
             self.http.keepalive.clone(),
-        );
+        )
+        .map_err(|error| {
+            error!(message = "OpenTelemetry source HTTP server failed.", %error);
+        });
 
         Ok(join(grpc_source, http_source).map(|_| Ok(())).boxed())
     }