diff --git a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
index 50357b0..b5fd38a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
@@ -665,6 +665,14 @@ private void trackLocalExposure(Map<String, Object> context, String flagKey, Str
 
         Object distinctIdObj = context.get("distinct_id");
         if (distinctIdObj == null) {
+            // Local eval succeeds when the flag's Variant Assignment Key is
+            // something other than distinct_id (e.g., device_id), but the
+            // exposure event still needs distinct_id to attribute the user.
+            // Surface the drop instead of silently returning so callers can
+            // see they need to include distinct_id in the context.
+            logger.log(Level.WARNING,
+                "Cannot track exposure event for flag ''{0}'' without a distinct_id in the context",
+                flagKey);
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProviderTest.java b/src/test/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProviderTest.java
index 44bae7d..5882276 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProviderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProviderTest.java
@@ -888,6 +888,58 @@ public void testDoNotTrackExposureWhenDistinctIdIsMissing() {
         assertEquals(0, eventSender.getEvents().size());
     }
 
+    // SDK-84: when the flag is bucketed on a non-distinct_id key (e.g.,
+    // device_id) and the context has that key but not distinct_id, local
+    // eval succeeds — but exposure still needs distinct_id to attribute the
+    // user. Surface the drop via a warning log instead of silently returning.
+    @Test
+    public void testWarnsWhenExposureDroppedDueToMissingDistinctId() throws Exception {
+        List<Variant> variants = Arrays.asList(new Variant("variant-a", "value-a", false, 1.0f));
+        List<Rollout> rollouts = Arrays.asList(new Rollout(1.0f));
+        // Flag is bucketed on device_id, not distinct_id.
+        String response = buildFlagsResponse("device-flag", "device_id", variants, rollouts, null);
+
+        provider = createProviderWithResponse(response);
+        provider.startPollingForDefinitions();
+
+        // Capture log records emitted from LocalFlagsProvider.
+        java.util.logging.Logger logger = java.util.logging.Logger.getLogger(LocalFlagsProvider.class.getName());
+        java.util.List<java.util.logging.LogRecord> records = new java.util.ArrayList<>();
+        java.util.logging.Handler handler = new java.util.logging.Handler() {
+            public void publish(java.util.logging.LogRecord record) { records.add(record); }
+            public void flush() {}
+            public void close() {}
+        };
+        handler.setLevel(java.util.logging.Level.ALL);
+        java.util.logging.Level originalLevel = logger.getLevel();
+        logger.addHandler(handler);
+        logger.setLevel(java.util.logging.Level.ALL);
+
+        try {
+            Map<String, Object> context = new HashMap<>();
+            context.put("device_id", "device-abc");
+
+            Object result = provider.getVariantValue("device-flag", fallbackVariantValue, context);
+
+            // Eval still succeeds — caller gets the real variant value.
+            assertEquals("value-a", result);
+            // ...but exposure is dropped because distinct_id is missing.
+            assertEquals(0, eventSender.getEvents().size());
+            // And we now log a warning so the drop isn't silent. Use a
+            // formatter so we can match against the fully-resolved
+            // template (the raw LogRecord.getMessage() still contains {0}).
+            java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter formatter = new java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter();
+            boolean warned = records.stream()
+                .filter(r -> r.getLevel().intValue() >= java.util.logging.Level.WARNING.intValue())
+                .map(formatter::formatMessage)
+                .anyMatch(m -> m.contains("device-flag") && m.contains("distinct_id"));
+            assertTrue("expected a warning about the dropped exposure event", warned);
+        } finally {
+            logger.removeHandler(handler);
+            logger.setLevel(originalLevel);
+        }
+    }
+
     // #endregion
     // #region Readiness Tests