diff --git a/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter.go b/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter.go
index a0427de23ff..98fb586566f 100644
--- a/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter.go
+++ b/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter.go
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/go-kit/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/component"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/component/common/loki"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/featuregate"
+	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/runtime/logging/level"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/sampling"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/service/livedebugging"
 	"github.com/grafana/alloy/internal/util"
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ var (
 // Component implements the loki.secretfilter component.
 type Component struct {
 	opts component.Options
+	log  log.Logger
 
 	mut      sync.RWMutex
 	args     Arguments
@@ -257,6 +260,7 @@ func New(o component.Options, args Arguments) (*Component, error) {
 
 	c := &Component{
 		opts:               o,
+		log:                o.Logger,
 		receiver:           loki.NewLogsReceiver(loki.WithComponentID(o.ID)),
 		detector:           detector,
 		metrics:            newMetrics(o.Registerer, args.OriginLabel),
@@ -268,6 +272,17 @@ func New(o component.Options, args Arguments) (*Component, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	level.Debug(c.log).Log(
+		"msg", "loki.secretfilter initialized",
+		"origin_label", args.OriginLabel,
+		"redact_with", args.RedactWith,
+		"redact_percent", c.redactPercent,
+		"gitleaks_config", args.GitleaksConfig,
+		"rate", args.Rate,
+		"processing_timeout", args.ProcessingTimeout,
+		"drop_on_timeout", args.DropOnTimeout,
+	)
+
 	// Immediately export the receiver which remains the same for the component
 	// lifetime.
 	o.OnStateChange(Exports{Receiver: c.receiver})
@@ -288,8 +303,10 @@ func (c *Component) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 			var newEntry loki.Entry
 			if c.shouldProcessEntry() {
-				newEntry, dropped := c.processEntry(ctx, entry)
+				var dropped bool
+				newEntry, dropped = c.processEntry(ctx, entry)
 				if dropped {
+					level.Debug(c.log).Log("msg", "entry dropped", "reason", "processing_timeout")
 					c.mut.RUnlock()
 					continue
 				}
@@ -304,6 +321,7 @@ func (c *Component) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			} else {
 				newEntry = entry
 				c.metrics.entriesBypassedTotal.Inc()
+				level.Debug(c.log).Log("msg", "entry bypassed by sampling", "rate", c.args.Rate)
 			}
 
 			for _, f := range c.fanout {
@@ -349,6 +367,7 @@ func (c *Component) processEntry(ctx context.Context, entry loki.Entry) (loki.En
 
 	if ctx.Err() != nil {
 		c.metrics.linesTimedOutTotal.Inc()
+		level.Debug(c.log).Log("msg", "processing timeout exceeded", "drop_on_timeout", c.args.DropOnTimeout, "partial_findings", len(findings))
 		if c.args.DropOnTimeout {
 			c.metrics.linesDroppedTotal.Inc()
 			return loki.Entry{}, true
@@ -364,6 +383,7 @@ func (c *Component) processEntry(ctx context.Context, entry loki.Entry) (loki.En
 	if len(findings) == 0 {
 		return entry, false
 	}
+	level.Debug(c.log).Log("msg", "secrets detected in line", "findings", len(findings))
 	return c.redactLine(entry, findings), false
 }
 
@@ -438,6 +458,17 @@ func (c *Component) Update(args component.Arguments) error {
 	}
 	c.metrics = newMetrics(c.opts.Registerer, newArgs.OriginLabel)
 
+	level.Debug(c.log).Log(
+		"msg", "loki.secretfilter config updated",
+		"origin_label", newArgs.OriginLabel,
+		"redact_with", newArgs.RedactWith,
+		"redact_percent", c.redactPercent,
+		"gitleaks_config", newArgs.GitleaksConfig,
+		"rate", newArgs.Rate,
+		"processing_timeout", newArgs.ProcessingTimeout,
+		"drop_on_timeout", newArgs.DropOnTimeout,
+	)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter_test.go b/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter_test.go
index 6f53612ca62..60339a8a8a0 100644
--- a/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter_test.go
+++ b/internal/component/loki/secretfilter/secretfilter_test.go
@@ -102,6 +102,46 @@ func TestRate_ZeroBypassesAll(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, float64(1), testutil.ToFloat64(c.metrics.entriesBypassedTotal))
 }
 
+// TestRate_OneForwardsProcessedEntry verifies that when rate=1 (all entries processed), the
+// entry forwarded to downstream is the processed (redacted) entry, not an empty or zero value.
+// This guards against bugs where the Run loop assigns to a shadowed variable and forwards
+// the wrong value.
+func TestRate_OneForwardsProcessedEntry(t *testing.T) {
+	registry := prometheus.NewRegistry()
+	downstream := loki.NewLogsReceiver()
+	args := Arguments{
+		ForwardTo:     []loki.LogsReceiver{downstream},
+		Rate:          1,
+		RedactPercent: 100,
+	}
+	opts := component.Options{
+		Logger:         util.TestLogger(t),
+		OnStateChange:  func(e component.Exports) {},
+		GetServiceData: testhelper.GetServiceData,
+		Registerer:     registry,
+	}
+	c, err := New(opts, args)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	go func() { _ = c.Run(ctx) }()
+
+	secret := testhelper.FakeSecrets["grafana-api-key"].Value
+	lineWithSecret := "log with secret " + secret + " end"
+	entry := loki.Entry{
+		Labels: model.LabelSet{},
+		Entry:  push.Entry{Timestamp: time.Now(), Line: lineWithSecret},
+	}
+	c.receiver.Chan() <- entry
+	received := <-downstream.Chan()
+
+	require.NotEmpty(t, received.Line, "processed entry must not be empty when forwarded")
+	require.NotContains(t, received.Line, secret, "forwarded entry must contain redacted content, not the raw secret")
+	require.Contains(t, received.Line, "REDACTED", "forwarded entry should contain redaction placeholder")
+	require.Equal(t, float64(0), testutil.ToFloat64(c.metrics.entriesBypassedTotal), "no entries should be bypassed when rate=1")
+}
+
 // TestRate_Half approximates that with rate=0.5 about half of entries are processed and half bypassed.
 func TestRate_Half(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := prometheus.NewRegistry()