diff --git a/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.Log.cs b/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.Log.cs
index 0ffe146..19c51a0 100644
--- a/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.Log.cs
+++ b/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.Log.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ private void LogConnected(string bucketName) =>
     private void LogException(Exception exception) =>
         _logger.LogError(EventIds.Exception, exception, "Exception in NatsDistributedCache");
 
+    private void LogSwallowedException(Exception exception) =>
+        _logger.LogWarning(EventIds.Exception, exception, "NATS cache read failed in TryGetAsync; returning a cache miss");
+
     private static class EventIds
     {
         public static readonly EventId Connected = new(100, nameof(Connected));
diff --git a/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.cs b/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.cs
index 1ac9a60..f35765a 100644
--- a/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.cs
+++ b/src/NatsDistributedCache/NatsCache.cs
@@ -73,10 +73,11 @@ public async Task SetAsync(
     {
         var ttl = GetTtl(options);
         var entry = CreateCacheEntry(value, options);
-        var kvStore = await GetKvStore().ConfigureAwait(false);
 
         try
         {
+            var kvStore = await GetKvStore().ConfigureAwait(false);
+
             // todo: remove cast after https://github.com/nats-io/nats.net/pull/852 is released
             await ((NatsKVStore)kvStore)
                 .PutWithTtlAsync(GetEncodedKey(key), entry, ttl ?? TimeSpan.Zero, CacheEntrySerializer, token)
@@ -105,25 +106,55 @@ public async ValueTask SetAsync(
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public void Remove(string key) => RemoveAsync(key, null).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
+    public void Remove(string key) => RemoveAsync(key).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public async Task RemoveAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default) =>
-        await RemoveAsync(key, null, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+    public async Task RemoveAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            await RemoveCoreAsync(key, null, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            LogException(ex);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
     public void Refresh(string key) => RefreshAsync(key).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public Task RefreshAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default) =>
-        GetAndRefreshAsync(key, token: token);
+    public async Task RefreshAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            await GetAndRefreshAsync(key, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            LogException(ex);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
     public byte[]? Get(string key) => GetAsync(key).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public Task<byte[]?> GetAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default) =>
-        GetAndRefreshAsync(key, token: token);
+    public async Task<byte[]?> GetAsync(string key, CancellationToken token = default)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            return await GetAndRefreshAsync(key, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            LogException(ex);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
     public bool TryGet(string key, IBufferWriter<byte> destination) =>
@@ -137,16 +168,25 @@ public async ValueTask<bool> TryGetAsync(
     {
         try
         {
-            var result = await GetAsync(key, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            var result = await GetAndRefreshAsync(key, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
             if (result != null)
             {
                 destination.Write(result);
                 return true;
             }
         }
-        catch
+        catch (OperationCanceledException) when (token.IsCancellationRequested)
         {
-            // Ignore failures here; they will surface later
+            // Cooperative cancellation is not a cache failure; let it propagate rather than
+            // masquerading as a cache miss.
+            throw;
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            // A read failure (e.g. NATS connectivity or a corrupt entry) is swallowed to honor the
+            // IBufferDistributedCache contract (return false), but logged at warning so it stays
+            // visible in production and is distinguishable from a normal cache miss.
+            LogSwallowedException(ex);
         }
 
         return false;
@@ -234,12 +274,11 @@ private Lazy<Task<INatsKVStore>> CreateLazyKvStore() =>
                 LogConnected(_bucketName);
                 return store;
             }
-            catch (Exception ex)
+            catch (Exception)
             {
-                // Reset the lazy initializer on failure for next attempt
+                // Reset the lazy initializer on failure so the next attempt retries. The exception
+                // propagates to the calling operation, which logs it once at the appropriate level.
                 _lazyKvStore = CreateLazyKvStore();
-
-                LogException(ex);
                 throw;
             }
         });
@@ -271,7 +310,7 @@ private Lazy<Task<INatsKVStore>> CreateLazyKvStore() =>
             {
                 // NatsKVWrongLastRevisionException is caught below
                 var natsDeleteOpts = new NatsKVDeleteOpts { Revision = kvEntry.Revision };
-                await RemoveAsync(key, natsDeleteOpts, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                await RemoveCoreAsync(key, natsDeleteOpts, token).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 return null;
             }
 
@@ -283,11 +322,6 @@ private Lazy<Task<INatsKVStore>> CreateLazyKvStore() =>
             // Someone else updated it; that's fine, we'll get the latest version next time
             return null;
         }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            LogException(ex);
-            throw;
-        }
 
         // Local Functions
         async Task UpdateEntryExpirationAsync(NatsKVEntry<CacheEntry> kvEntry)
@@ -327,7 +361,7 @@ await kvStore.UpdateWithTtlAsync(
         }
     }
 
-    private async Task RemoveAsync(
+    private async Task RemoveCoreAsync(
         string key,
         NatsKVDeleteOpts? natsKvDeleteOpts = null,
         CancellationToken token = default)
diff --git a/test/IntegrationTests/Cache/TryGetAsyncTests.cs b/test/IntegrationTests/Cache/TryGetAsyncTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bec7ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/IntegrationTests/Cache/TryGetAsyncTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+using System.Buffers;
+using CodeCargo.Nats.DistributedCache.TestUtils.Services.Logging;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+
+namespace CodeCargo.Nats.DistributedCache.IntegrationTests.Cache;
+
+public class TryGetAsyncTests(NatsIntegrationFixture fixture) : TestBase(fixture)
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task TryGetAsyncSwallowsFailureAndLogsOnceAtWarning()
+    {
+        var cache = CreateFailingCache(out var logger);
+        var destination = new ArrayBufferWriter<byte>();
+
+        var result = await cache.TryGetAsync(MethodKey(), destination, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+        Assert.False(result);
+        Assert.Equal(0, destination.WrittenCount);
+
+        // The failure is logged exactly once, at warning, with no redundant error-level entry.
+        var record = Assert.Single(logger.Records);
+        Assert.Equal(LogLevel.Warning, record.LogLevel);
+        Assert.Equal("Exception", record.EventId.Name);
+        Assert.NotNull(record.Exception);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task GetAsyncPropagatesFailureAndLogsOnceAtError()
+    {
+        var cache = CreateFailingCache(out var logger);
+
+        await Assert.ThrowsAnyAsync<Exception>(
+            () => cache.GetAsync(MethodKey(), TestContext.Current.CancellationToken));
+
+        // A propagating read logs exactly once, at error, and is not double-logged by shared helpers.
+        var record = Assert.Single(logger.Records);
+        Assert.Equal(LogLevel.Error, record.LogLevel);
+        Assert.Equal("Exception", record.EventId.Name);
+        Assert.NotNull(record.Exception);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task TryGetAsyncPropagatesCancellationWithoutLogging()
+    {
+        // Use the real bucket so the store resolves; the cancelled token then fails the read itself.
+        var logger = new RecordingLogger<NatsCache>();
+        var cache = new NatsCache(
+            Options.Create(new NatsCacheOptions { BucketName = "cache" }),
+            NatsConnection,
+            logger);
+        var destination = new ArrayBufferWriter<byte>();
+        using var cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+        await cts.CancelAsync();
+
+        // Cancellation is not a cache failure: it propagates instead of becoming a false miss...
+        await Assert.ThrowsAnyAsync<OperationCanceledException>(
+            () => cache.TryGetAsync(MethodKey(), destination, cts.Token).AsTask());
+
+        // ...and it is not logged as an exception (a benign "Connected" info entry may be present).
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(logger.Records, r => r.EventId.Name == "Exception");
+    }
+
+    // Points a cache at a bucket that does not exist so the read path throws when it resolves the KV
+    // store, without depending on the shared fixture connection being torn down.
+    private NatsCache CreateFailingCache(out RecordingLogger<NatsCache> logger)
+    {
+        logger = new RecordingLogger<NatsCache>();
+        return new NatsCache(
+            Options.Create(new NatsCacheOptions { BucketName = "does-not-exist" }),
+            NatsConnection,
+            logger);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/TestUtils/Services/Logging/RecordingLogger.cs b/test/TestUtils/Services/Logging/RecordingLogger.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2725d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TestUtils/Services/Logging/RecordingLogger.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+
+namespace CodeCargo.Nats.DistributedCache.TestUtils.Services.Logging;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// A captured log entry recorded by <see cref="RecordingLogger{T}" />
+/// </summary>
+/// <param name="LogLevel">The level the entry was logged at</param>
+/// <param name="EventId">The event id associated with the entry</param>
+/// <param name="Exception">The exception attached to the entry, if any</param>
+/// <param name="Message">The formatted log message</param>
+public sealed record LogRecord(LogLevel LogLevel, EventId EventId, Exception? Exception, string Message);
+
+/// <summary>
+/// An <see cref="ILogger{T}" /> that captures log entries in memory so tests can assert on them
+/// </summary>
+/// <typeparam name="T">The category type</typeparam>
+public sealed class RecordingLogger<T> : ILogger<T>
+{
+    private readonly List<LogRecord> _records = new();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets a snapshot of the entries captured so far
+    /// </summary>
+    public IReadOnlyList<LogRecord> Records
+    {
+        get
+        {
+            lock (_records)
+            {
+                return _records.ToArray();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void Log<TState>(
+        LogLevel logLevel,
+        EventId eventId,
+        TState state,
+        Exception? exception,
+        Func<TState, Exception?, string> formatter)
+    {
+        var record = new LogRecord(logLevel, eventId, exception, formatter(state, exception));
+        lock (_records)
+        {
+            _records.Add(record);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public bool IsEnabled(LogLevel logLevel) => true;
+
+    public IDisposable? BeginScope<TState>(TState state)
+        where TState : notnull =>
+        null;
+}