diff --git a/cmd/gradle-cache/main.go b/cmd/gradle-cache/main.go
index 85cd03d..b26a2ff 100644
--- a/cmd/gradle-cache/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gradle-cache/main.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ type CLI struct {
 	DatadogAPIKey string           `help:"DataDog API key for direct metric submission (no agent required)." env:"DATADOG_API_KEY"`
 	MetricsTags   []string         `help:"Additional metric tags in key:value format. May be repeated." name:"metrics-tag"`
 	CPUProfile    string           `help:"Write CPU profile to file." name:"cpuprofile" hidden:"" type:"path"`
+	DDLogFile     string           `help:"Path to a log file tailed by the Datadog Agent for telemetry events." name:"dd-log-file" env:"DD_LOG_PATH"`
 }
 
 type backendFlags struct {
@@ -266,6 +267,7 @@ func main() {
 		StatsdAddr:    cli.StatsdAddr,
 		DatadogAPIKey: cli.DatadogAPIKey,
 		MetricsTags:   cli.MetricsTags,
+		DDLogPath:     cli.DDLogFile,
 	}
 	metrics := mf.NewMetricsClient()
 	defer metrics.Close()
diff --git a/gradlecache/ddlog.go b/gradlecache/ddlog.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aec52bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradlecache/ddlog.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package gradlecache
+
+import (
+	"log/slog"
+	"os"
+)
+
+// loggedMetrics wraps a MetricsClient and also writes each metric as a JSON
+// log line to a file tailed by the Datadog Agent. This allows a single
+// Distribution call to emit both a DogStatsD metric and a structured log event.
+type loggedMetrics struct {
+	inner  MetricsClient
+	logger *slog.Logger
+	file   *os.File
+}
+
+func newLoggedMetrics(inner MetricsClient, path string) (*loggedMetrics, error) {
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(f, nil))
+	return &loggedMetrics{inner: inner, logger: logger, file: f}, nil
+}
+
+func (m *loggedMetrics) Distribution(name string, value float64, tags ...string) {
+	m.inner.Distribution(name, value, tags...)
+	m.logger.Info(name, "value", value, "tags", tags)
+}
+
+func (m *loggedMetrics) Close() {
+	m.inner.Close()
+	_ = m.file.Close()
+}
diff --git a/gradlecache/ddlog_test.go b/gradlecache/ddlog_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb12ac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gradlecache/ddlog_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package gradlecache
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestLoggedMetrics_WritesJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "dd.log")
+
+	inner := &recordingMetrics{}
+	lm, err := newLoggedMetrics(inner, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	lm.Distribution("gradle_cache.restore.duration_ms", 1234, "cache_key:foo")
+	lm.Close()
+
+	// Verify inner client received the metric.
+	if len(inner.calls) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 inner call, got %d", len(inner.calls))
+	}
+	if inner.calls[0].name != "gradle_cache.restore.duration_ms" {
+		t.Errorf("expected metric name, got %s", inner.calls[0].name)
+	}
+
+	// Verify JSON was written to the file.
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	var m map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &m); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected valid JSON, got: %s", string(data))
+	}
+	if m["msg"] != "gradle_cache.restore.duration_ms" {
+		t.Errorf("expected metric name as msg, got %v", m["msg"])
+	}
+	if m["value"] != 1234.0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected value=1234, got %v", m["value"])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoggedMetrics_Appends(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "dd.log")
+
+	inner := NoopMetrics{}
+	lm, err := newLoggedMetrics(inner, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	lm.Distribution("metric.one", 1)
+	lm.Distribution("metric.two", 2)
+	lm.Close()
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(data)), "\n")
+	if len(lines) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 lines, got %d", len(lines))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoggedMetrics_InvalidPath(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := newLoggedMetrics(NoopMetrics{}, "/nonexistent/dir/dd.log")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for invalid path")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoggedMetrics_ClosesInner(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "dd.log")
+	inner := &recordingMetrics{}
+	lm, err := newLoggedMetrics(inner, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	lm.Close()
+	if !inner.closed {
+		t.Error("expected inner client to be closed")
+	}
+}
+
+type metricCall struct {
+	name  string
+	value float64
+	tags  []string
+}
+
+type recordingMetrics struct {
+	calls  []metricCall
+	closed bool
+}
+
+func (r *recordingMetrics) Distribution(name string, value float64, tags ...string) {
+	r.calls = append(r.calls, metricCall{name, value, tags})
+}
+
+func (r *recordingMetrics) Close() {
+	r.closed = true
+}
diff --git a/gradlecache/metrics.go b/gradlecache/metrics.go
index 56e65b6..e8fe89b 100644
--- a/gradlecache/metrics.go
+++ b/gradlecache/metrics.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type MetricsFlags struct {
 	StatsdAddr    string
 	DatadogAPIKey string
 	MetricsTags   []string
+	DDLogPath     string // optional: path to a file tailed by the DD agent for log-based metrics
 }
 
 // DetectStatsdAddr returns the DogStatsD address from the environment, or empty
@@ -47,27 +48,42 @@ func DetectStatsdAddr() string {
 }
 
 // NewMetricsClient returns a MetricsClient based on the configured flags.
+// When DDLogPath is set, each metric is also written as a JSON log line to
+// that file for collection by the Datadog Agent.
 func (f *MetricsFlags) NewMetricsClient() MetricsClient {
+	var client MetricsClient
 	if f.StatsdAddr != "" {
 		if c := NewStatsdClient(f.StatsdAddr, f.MetricsTags); c != nil {
 			slog.Debug("metrics: using DogStatsD", "addr", f.StatsdAddr)
-			return c
+			client = c
+		} else {
+			slog.Warn("failed to connect to DogStatsD, metrics disabled", "addr", f.StatsdAddr)
+			client = NoopMetrics{}
 		}
-		slog.Warn("failed to connect to DogStatsD, metrics disabled", "addr", f.StatsdAddr)
-		return NoopMetrics{}
-	}
-	if f.DatadogAPIKey != "" {
+	} else if f.DatadogAPIKey != "" {
 		slog.Debug("metrics: using Datadog HTTP API")
-		return NewDatadogAPIClient(f.DatadogAPIKey, f.MetricsTags)
-	}
-	if addr := DetectStatsdAddr(); addr != "" {
+		client = NewDatadogAPIClient(f.DatadogAPIKey, f.MetricsTags)
+	} else if addr := DetectStatsdAddr(); addr != "" {
 		if c := NewStatsdClient(addr, f.MetricsTags); c != nil {
 			slog.Debug("metrics: auto-detected DogStatsD agent", "addr", addr)
-			return c
+			client = c
+		}
+	}
+	if client == nil {
+		slog.Debug("metrics: no backend configured, metrics disabled")
+		client = NoopMetrics{}
+	}
+
+	if f.DDLogPath != "" {
+		lm, err := newLoggedMetrics(client, f.DDLogPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			slog.Warn("failed to open DD log file, log-based metrics disabled", "path", f.DDLogPath, "error", err)
+			return client
 		}
+		slog.Debug("metrics: also logging to DD agent file", "path", f.DDLogPath)
+		return lm
 	}
-	slog.Debug("metrics: no backend configured, metrics disabled")
-	return NoopMetrics{}
+	return client
 }
 
 // ── DogStatsD (UDP) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────