diff --git a/docs/dev/loki-storage-s3.md b/docs/dev/loki-storage-s3.md
new file mode 100644
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@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+---
+title: Configuring Loki S3 Storage
+---
+
+## Loki Configuration with S3 and Temporary Credentials (Session Token)
+
+This guide walks you through configuring Grafana Loki to use AWS S3 as object storage with **temporary credentials** (access key, secret key, and session token). It is tailored for developers deploying Loki in **SimpleScalable** mode using the **upstream Loki Helm chart**, with customizations to ensure proper propagation of session tokens.
+
+---
+
+### Configuration Overview
+
+#### 1. **Obtain AWS Credentials**
+
+Temporary AWS credentials (Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, and Session Token) can typically be copied from your cloud provider's IAM session tool or CLI. For example, using the AWS CLI:
+
+```bash
+aws sts get-session-token --duration-seconds 3600
+```
+
+Copy the values of `AccessKeyId`, `SecretAccessKey`, and `SessionToken` from the output.
+
+Alternatively, if you're assuming a role with `aws sts assume-role`, extract the same three values from the response.
+
+#### 2. **Prepare Namespace**
+
+If the `loki` namespace doesn't already exist, create it before continuing:
+
+```bash
+kubectl create namespace loki
+```
+Alternatively, you can prepend the following yaml portion to the secret yaml:
+```yaml
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Namespace
+metadata:
+  name: loki
+---
+```
+
+#### 3. **Secrets Management**
+
+Create a Kubernetes Secret with your temporary AWS credentials **before installing Loki**:
+
+```yaml
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+  name: loki-secrets
+  namespace: loki
+stringData:
+  accessKeyId: <AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
+  secretAccessKey: <AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>
+  sessionToken: <AWS_SESSION_TOKEN>
+```
+
+:::caution
+**Important**: This secret **must be created before** you deploy or upgrade the Loki Helm chart so that the environment variables are available at container startup.
+:::
+
+Apply the secret:
+
+```bash
+kubectl apply -f ./loki-aws-creds.yaml
+```
+
+#### 4. **`values.yaml` Highlights**
+
+Ensure you:
+
+- Set `configStorageType: Secret`
+- Use `structuredConfig` to inject the full Loki config
+- Use `extraEnvFrom` and `-config.expand-env=true` for each component
+
+```yaml
+loki:
+  configStorageType: Secret
+  structuredConfig:
+    common:
+      storage:
+        s3:
+          access_key_id: ${accessKeyId}
+          secret_access_key: ${secretAccessKey}
+          session_token: ${sessionToken}
+          region: us-east-1
+          endpoint: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
+          s3forcepathstyle: true
+          insecure: false
+    ruler:
+      storage:
+        type: s3
+        s3:
+          access_key_id: ${accessKeyId}
+          secret_access_key: ${secretAccessKey}
+          session_token: ${sessionToken}
+          region: us-east-1
+          endpoint: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
+          s3forcepathstyle: true
+          insecure: false
+
+read:
+  extraArgs: ["-config.expand-env=true"]
+  extraEnvFrom:
+    - secretRef:
+        name: loki-secrets
+
+write:
+  extraArgs: ["-config.expand-env=true"]
+  extraEnvFrom:
+    - secretRef:
+        name: loki-secrets
+
+backend:
+  extraArgs: ["-config.expand-env=true"]
+  extraEnvFrom:
+    - secretRef:
+        name: loki-secrets
+```
+
+---
+
+### Gotchas
+
+#### 1. **`session_token` not rendering**
+
+Upstream Helm chart templates (e.g., `helpers.tpl`) **do not render `session_token`** into the generated `config.yaml` even if you provide it in `.Values.loki.storage.s3`. Use `structuredConfig` to bypass this limitation.
+
+#### 2. **Environment variables not interpolated**
+
+Make sure you set `-config.expand-env=true` in `extraArgs`, and load secrets via `extraEnvFrom`. Without this, `${sessionToken}` will be a literal string.
+
+#### 3. **Secret Timing**
+
+The `loki-secrets` secret **must be applied before** the Loki pods start. If not, the environment variables will be unset and authentication to S3 will fail.
+
+---
+
+### Debugging Tips
+
+#### 1. **Check Pod Environment Variables**
+
+```bash
+kubectl exec -it <loki-pod> -- env | grep AWS
+```
+
+Ensure `accessKeyId`, `secretAccessKey`, and `sessionToken` are present.
+
+#### 2. **Inspect Generated Config**
+
+```bash
+kubectl exec -it <loki-pod> -- cat /etc/loki/config/config.yaml
+```
+
+Look for `${sessionToken}` in the `common.storage.s3` and `ruler.storage.s3` sections.
+
+#### 3. **S3 Access Errors**
+
+Common message:
+
+```
+InvalidAccessKeyId: The AWS Access Key Id you provided does not exist in our records.
+```
+
+This typically means:
+
+- `${sessionToken}` was not included
+- IAM session expired
+- Env interpolation failed
diff --git a/src/loki/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml b/src/loki/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
index 190202e59b..71d32ce74f 100644
--- a/src/loki/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
+++ b/src/loki/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ metadata:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 spec:
   network:
+    serviceMesh:
+      mode: ambient
     allow:
       # Permit intra-namespace communication for gateway -> loki read/write
       - direction: Ingress
diff --git a/src/vector/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml b/src/vector/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
index c3b5516897..5b889669e2 100644
--- a/src/vector/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
+++ b/src/vector/chart/templates/uds-package.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ metadata:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 spec:
   network:
+    serviceMesh:
+      mode: ambient
     allow:
       - direction: Ingress
         selector: