diff --git a/.changelog/11353.txt b/.changelog/11353.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b519e599d49e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/11353.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+agent: Log the cause of failure if agent failed to start
+```
diff --git a/command/agent/command.go b/command/agent/command.go
index f803d880b45b..558e63ee120e 100644
--- a/command/agent/command.go
+++ b/command/agent/command.go
@@ -492,6 +492,8 @@ func (c *Command) setupAgent(config *Config, logger hclog.InterceptLogger, logOu
 	c.Ui.Output("Starting Nomad agent...")
 	agent, err := NewAgent(config, logger, logOutput, inmem)
 	if err != nil {
+		// log the error as well, so it appears at the end
+		logger.Error("error starting agent", "error", err)
 		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error starting agent: %s", err))
 		return err
 	}