diff --git a/cmd/loki/dataobj-inmemory-config.yaml b/cmd/loki/dataobj-inmemory-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5ed5ce00e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/loki/dataobj-inmemory-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+# Single-binary Loki with dataobjects, no Kafka.
+# Writes go to the in-process stream sink -> dataobj consumer -> object storage.
+# No ingester/chunk writes; query via v2 engine (dataobjects).
+
+auth_enabled: false
+
+server:
+  http_listen_port: 3100
+  grpc_listen_port: 9096
+  log_level: info
+  grpc_server_max_concurrent_streams: 1000
+
+common:
+  instance_addr: 127.0.0.1
+  path_prefix: /tmp/loki
+  scratch_path: /tmp/loki/scratch
+  storage:
+    filesystem:
+      chunks_directory: /tmp/loki/chunks
+      rules_directory: /tmp/loki/rules
+  replication_factor: 1
+  ring:
+    kvstore:
+      store: inmemory
+
+# Dataobj: in-memory ingest (no Kafka)
+dataobj:
+  enabled: true
+  storage_bucket_prefix: "dataobj/"
+  consumer:
+    ingest_mode: inmemory
+    idle_flush_timeout: 2m
+    max_builder_age: 5m
+    # Optional: inmemory_channel_capacity: 10000, inmemory_push_timeout: 5s
+  metastore:
+    index_storage_prefix: "index/v0"
+    partition_ratio: 10
+
+# No Kafka
+# kafka_config is omitted; not used when ingest_mode=inmemory
+
+# Querier
+querier:
+  query_partition_ingesters: false
+
+# V2 query engine: use dataobjects for all data (storage_lag=0 so no cutoff to chunks)
+query_engine:
+  enable: true
+  enable_engine_router: false
+  storage_lag: 0
+
+# Ingest limits off (they use Kafka)
+ingest_limits:
+  enabled: false
+
+ingest_limits_frontend:
+  num_partitions: 1
+  lifecycler:
+    ring:
+      kvstore:
+        store: inmemory
+      replication_factor: 1
+
+# Ingester not used for writes (distributor sends only to dataobj stream sink)
+ingester:
+  wal:
+    enabled: false
+  kafka_ingestion:
+    enabled: false
+  lifecycler:
+    id: "loki.local"
+
+# Distributor: only dataobj in-memory sink (no Kafka, no ingester)
+distributor:
+  kafka_writes_enabled: false
+  ingester_writes_enabled: false
+  ingest_limits_enabled: false
+  ingest_limits_dry_run_enabled: false
+
+# Query range
+query_range:
+  cache_volume_results: false
+  results_cache:
+    cache:
+      embedded_cache:
+        enabled: false
+        max_size_mb: 100
+
+limits_config:
+  metric_aggregation_enabled: true
+  max_global_streams_per_user: 1000
+
+# Schema: TSDB + filesystem object store (dataobj uses this for objects/index)
+schema_config:
+  configs:
+    - from: 2020-10-24
+      store: tsdb
+      object_store: filesystem
+      schema: v13
+      index:
+        prefix: index_
+        period: 24h
+
+storage_config:
+  object_store:
+    filesystem:
+      dir: /tmp/loki
+
+# Disabled to avoid internal push load while testing single-binary dataobj
+pattern_ingester:
+  enabled: false
+
+ruler:
+  alertmanager_url: http://localhost:9093
+
+frontend:
+  encoding: protobuf
diff --git a/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md b/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
index ce3ce23811..80e435bb7a 100644
--- a/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/sources/shared/configuration.md
@@ -1522,6 +1522,16 @@ dataobj:
     # CLI flag: -dataobj-consumer.max-builder-age
     [max_builder_age: <duration> | default = 1h]
 
+    # How records are ingested: "kafka" reads from a Kafka topic; "inmemory"
+    # uses an in-process channel (experimental, single-node, no durability
+    # guarantees, each replica holds independent data).
+    # CLI flag: -dataobj-consumer.ingest-mode
+    [ingest_mode: <string> | default = "kafka"]
+
+    # Internal buffer size for records for inmemory ingestion.
+    # CLI flag: -dataobj-consumer.channel-size
+    [channel_size: <int> | default = 10000]
+
     # The name of the Kafka topic.
     # CLI flag: -dataobj-consumer.topic
     [topic: <string> | default = ""]
@@ -3336,6 +3346,11 @@ dataobj_tee:
   # to 0 to disable batching.
   # CLI flag: -distributor.dataobj-tee.rate-batch-window
   [rate_batch_window: <duration> | default = 0s]
+
+# Timeout for sending a record to the in-memory queue before returning
+# backpressure to the caller. Defaults to 5s. Set to 0 for no timeout.
+# CLI flag: -distributor.inmemory-dataobj-push-timeout
+[inmemory_dataobj_push_timeout: <duration> | default = 5s]
 ```
 
 ### etcd
diff --git a/integration/client/client.go b/integration/client/client.go
index fe32f26eaa..0d4ce79035 100644
--- a/integration/client/client.go
+++ b/integration/client/client.go
@@ -254,6 +254,25 @@ func (c *Client) Metrics() (string, error) {
 	return sb.String(), nil
 }
 
+// FlushDataobj triggers a flush of the in-memory dataobj consumer.
+func (c *Client) FlushDataobj() error {
+	req, err := c.request(context.Background(), "POST", fmt.Sprintf("%s/dataobj-consumer/flush", c.baseURL))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	res, err := c.httpClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer res.Body.Close()
+
+	if res.StatusCode/100 == 2 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("request failed with status code %d", res.StatusCode)
+}
+
 // Flush all in-memory chunks held by the ingesters to the backing store
 func (c *Client) Flush() error {
 	req, err := c.request(context.Background(), "POST", fmt.Sprintf("%s/flush", c.baseURL))
diff --git a/integration/loki_dataobj_inmemory_pipeline_test.go b/integration/loki_dataobj_inmemory_pipeline_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aed316546f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/loki_dataobj_inmemory_pipeline_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+//go:build integration
+
+package integration
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/integration/client"
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/integration/cluster"
+)
+
+func TestInmemoryPipeline(t *testing.T) {
+	clu := cluster.New(nil, cluster.SchemaWithTSDB, func(c *cluster.Cluster) {
+		c.SetSchemaVer("v13")
+	})
+	defer func() {
+		assert.NoError(t, clu.Cleanup())
+	}()
+
+	tAll := clu.AddComponent(
+		"all",
+		"-target=all",
+		"-dataobj.enabled=true",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.ingest-mode=inmemory",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.target-page-size=2KB",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.target-builder-memory-limit=1MB",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.buffer-size=256KB",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.target-section-size=512KB",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.section-stripe-merge-limit=2",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.sha-prefix-size=2",
+		"-dataobj-consumer.idle-flush-timeout=100ms",
+		"-distributor.ingester-writes-enabled=false",
+		"-pattern-ingester.enabled=false",
+		"-query-engine.enable=true",
+		"-query-engine.storage-lag=0",
+	)
+	scratchPath := tAll.ClusterSharedPath() + "/scratch"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(scratchPath, 0o755))
+	tAll.WithExtraConfig(fmt.Sprintf(`
+common:
+  scratch_path: %s
+  ring:
+    kvstore:
+      store: inmemory
+ingest_limits:
+  enabled: false
+`, scratchPath))
+
+	require.NoError(t, clu.Run())
+
+	tenantID := randStringRunes()
+	cli := client.New(tenantID, "", tAll.HTTPURL())
+	cli.Now = time.Now().Add(-30 * time.Second)
+
+	t.Run("round-trip", func(t *testing.T) {
+		require.NoError(t, cli.PushLogLine("pipeline-line-1", cli.Now, nil, map[string]string{"job": "pipeline-test"}))
+		require.NoError(t, cli.PushLogLine("pipeline-line-2", cli.Now.Add(-time.Second), nil, map[string]string{"job": "pipeline-test"}))
+
+		require.NoError(t, cli.FlushDataobj())
+
+		var lines []string
+		require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			qresp, err := cli.RunRangeQuery(context.Background(), `{job="pipeline-test"}`)
+			if err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
+			lines = nil
+			for _, stream := range qresp.Data.Stream {
+				for _, val := range stream.Values {
+					lines = append(lines, val[1])
+				}
+			}
+			return len(lines) >= 2
+		}, 30*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond, "pushed logs never appeared in query results")
+
+		assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"pipeline-line-1", "pipeline-line-2"}, lines)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("idle-flush-timeout", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tenantIdle := randStringRunes()
+		cliIdle := client.New(tenantIdle, "", tAll.HTTPURL())
+		cliIdle.Now = time.Now()
+
+		require.NoError(t, cliIdle.PushLogLine("idle-flush-line", cliIdle.Now, nil, map[string]string{"job": "idle-test"}))
+
+		// Do NOT call the flush endpoint — let the idle flush timeout (100ms) trigger naturally.
+		var lines []string
+		require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+			qresp, err := cliIdle.RunRangeQuery(context.Background(), `{job="idle-test"}`)
+			if err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
+			lines = nil
+			for _, stream := range qresp.Data.Stream {
+				for _, val := range stream.Values {
+					lines = append(lines, val[1])
+				}
+			}
+			return len(lines) >= 1
+		}, 15*time.Second, 200*time.Millisecond, "idle flush did not trigger within timeout")
+
+		assert.Contains(t, lines, "idle-flush-line")
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/config.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/config.go
index 34d78a251a..1644e1bfcf 100644
--- a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/config.go
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package consumer
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/dskit/ring"
@@ -13,6 +14,16 @@ import (
 	util_log "github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/util/log"
 )
 
+// IngestMode determines how the consumer receives records.
+type IngestMode string
+
+const (
+	// IngestModeKafka reads records from a Kafka topic (default).
+	IngestModeKafka IngestMode = "kafka"
+	// IngestModeInMemory receives records via an in-process Go channel (no Kafka required).
+	IngestModeInMemory IngestMode = "inmemory"
+)
+
 type Config struct {
 	logsobj.BuilderConfig
 	LifecyclerConfig    ring.LifecyclerConfig   `yaml:"lifecycler,omitempty"`
@@ -21,6 +32,14 @@ type Config struct {
 	IdleFlushTimeout    time.Duration           `yaml:"idle_flush_timeout"`
 	MaxBuilderAge       time.Duration           `yaml:"max_builder_age"`
 
+	// IngestMode controls how records are ingested. "kafka" (default) reads from
+	// a Kafka topic; "inmemory" uses an in-process channel (no Kafka needed).
+	IngestMode IngestMode `yaml:"ingest_mode"`
+
+	// ChannelSize is the capacity of the buffered channel used to pass records
+	// from the distributor to the consumer in inmemory mode.
+	ChannelSize int `yaml:"channel_size"`
+
 	// This is temporary until we move to kafkav2.
 	Topic string `yaml:"topic"`
 }
@@ -35,8 +54,15 @@ func (cfg *Config) Validate() error {
 	if err := cfg.UploaderConfig.Validate(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if cfg.Topic == "" {
-		return errors.New("topic is required")
+	switch cfg.IngestMode {
+	case IngestModeKafka, "": // empty defaults to kafka
+		if cfg.Topic == "" {
+			return errors.New("topic is required")
+		}
+	case IngestModeInMemory:
+		// topic not required in inmemory mode
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown ingest_mode %q: must be %q or %q", cfg.IngestMode, IngestModeKafka, IngestModeInMemory)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -50,6 +76,18 @@ func (cfg *Config) RegisterFlagsWithPrefix(prefix string, f *flag.FlagSet) {
 	cfg.LifecyclerConfig.RegisterFlagsWithPrefix(prefix, f, util_log.Logger)
 	cfg.PartitionRingConfig.RegisterFlagsWithPrefix(prefix, f)
 	cfg.UploaderConfig.RegisterFlagsWithPrefix(prefix, f)
+	f.StringVar(
+		(*string)(&cfg.IngestMode),
+		prefix+"ingest-mode",
+		string(IngestModeKafka),
+		`How records are ingested: "kafka" reads from a Kafka topic; "inmemory" uses an in-process channel (experimental, single-node, no durability guarantees, each replica holds independent data).`,
+	)
+	f.IntVar(
+		&cfg.ChannelSize,
+		prefix+"channel-size",
+		10000,
+		`Internal buffer size for records for inmemory ingestion.`,
+	)
 	f.StringVar(
 		&cfg.Topic,
 		prefix+"topic",
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/http.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/http.go
index 571f97cd01..8406cf2024 100644
--- a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/http.go
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/http.go
@@ -100,6 +100,22 @@ func (s *Service) cancelDelayedDownscale(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 	s.respondWithCurrentPartitionState(w, r)
 }
 
+// FlushHandler triggers an immediate flush of any in-flight builders.
+// Used in testing and operational tooling to force data into object storage
+// without waiting for idle or max-age timeouts.
+func (s *Service) FlushHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	if s.processor == nil || s.State() != services.Running {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := s.processor.Flush(r.Context()); err != nil {
+		level.Error(s.logger).Log("msg", "flush failed", "err", err)
+		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+}
+
 func (s *Service) respondWithCurrentPartitionState(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	state, stateTimestamp, err := s.partitionInstanceLifecycler.GetPartitionState(r.Context())
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/mock_test.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/mock_test.go
index 74a69c04dc..29de9ff26b 100644
--- a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/mock_test.go
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/mock_test.go
@@ -50,8 +50,21 @@ func (m *mockBucket) Get(_ context.Context, name string) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 	return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(data)), nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockBucket) GetRange(_ context.Context, _ string, _, _ int64) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
-	return nil, nil
+func (m *mockBucket) GetRange(_ context.Context, name string, off, length int64) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	data, exists := m.uploads[name]
+	if !exists {
+		return nil, errors.New("object not found")
+	}
+	if off < 0 || off > int64(len(data)) {
+		return nil, errors.New("offset out of range")
+	}
+	end := off + length
+	if end > int64(len(data)) {
+		end = int64(len(data))
+	}
+	return io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(data[off:end])), nil
 }
 
 func (m *mockBucket) Upload(_ context.Context, name string, r io.Reader) error {
@@ -69,12 +82,37 @@ func (m *mockBucket) Iter(_ context.Context, _ string, _ func(string) error, _ .
 	return nil
 }
 func (m *mockBucket) Name() string { return "mock" }
-func (m *mockBucket) Attributes(_ context.Context, _ string) (objstore.ObjectAttributes, error) {
-	return objstore.ObjectAttributes{}, nil
+func (m *mockBucket) Attributes(_ context.Context, name string) (objstore.ObjectAttributes, error) {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	data, exists := m.uploads[name]
+	if !exists {
+		return objstore.ObjectAttributes{}, errors.New("object not found")
+	}
+	return objstore.ObjectAttributes{Size: int64(len(data))}, nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockBucket) GetAndReplace(_ context.Context, name string, _ func(io.ReadCloser) (io.ReadCloser, error)) error {
-	return m.Upload(context.Background(), name, io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader([]byte{})))
+func (m *mockBucket) GetAndReplace(_ context.Context, name string, fn func(io.ReadCloser) (io.ReadCloser, error)) error {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	var existing io.ReadCloser
+	if data, ok := m.uploads[name]; ok {
+		existing = io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(data))
+	}
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+
+	newRC, err := fn(existing)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer newRC.Close()
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(newRC)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.uploads[name] = data
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (m *mockBucket) IsAccessDeniedErr(_ error) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor.go
index 56d4df00ad..814cf735f1 100644
--- a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor.go
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor.go
@@ -35,12 +35,19 @@ type flushCommitter interface {
 }
 
 // A processor receives records and builds data objects from them.
+// flushRequest is used to send a flush request to the processor's Run loop.
+type flushRequest struct {
+	done chan<- error
+}
+
 type processor struct {
 	*services.BasicService
 	builder        builder
 	decoder        *kafka.Decoder
 	records        chan *kgo.Record
 	flushCommitter flushCommitter
+	// flushRequests is used to safely trigger a flush from outside the Run loop.
+	flushRequests chan flushRequest
 
 	// lastOffset contains the offset of the last record appended to the data object
 	// builder. It is used to commit the correct offset after a flush.
@@ -99,6 +106,7 @@ func newProcessor(
 		decoder:                  decoder,
 		records:                  records,
 		flushCommitter:           flushCommitter,
+		flushRequests:            make(chan flushRequest, 1),
 		idleFlushTimeout:         idleFlushTimeout,
 		maxBuilderAge:            maxBuilderAge,
 		metrics:                  newMetrics(reg),
@@ -119,8 +127,53 @@ func (p *processor) running(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return p.Run(ctx)
 }
 
-// stopping implements [services.StoppingFn].
+// stopping implements [services.StoppingFn]. It drains any buffered records
+// from the in-process channel (up to a 30s timeout) before returning, then
+// flushes any accumulated data. This ensures that records buffered at SIGTERM
+// are not silently lost in inmemory mode.
+//
+// Note: stopping() is called after Run() returns (dskit guarantees
+// RunningFn happens-before StoppingFn), so there is no race with the run loop.
+// The records channel remains open (owned by Service) and may still have
+// buffered records written by the distributor before the push timeout fired.
 func (p *processor) stopping(_ error) error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	dropped := 0
+drain:
+	for {
+		select {
+		case rec, ok := <-p.records:
+			if !ok {
+				break drain
+			}
+			if err := p.processRecord(ctx, rec); err != nil {
+				level.Error(p.logger).Log("msg", "failed to process record during shutdown drain", "err", err)
+				p.observeRecordErr(rec)
+			}
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			// Drain timed out — count remaining buffered records as dropped.
+			dropped = len(p.records)
+			break drain
+		default:
+			// Channel is empty — drain complete.
+			break drain
+		}
+	}
+
+	if dropped > 0 {
+		level.Warn(p.logger).Log("msg", "inmemory drain timed out, records dropped", "count", dropped)
+	} else {
+		level.Info(p.logger).Log("msg", "inmemory channel drained cleanly on shutdown")
+	}
+
+	// Flush whatever was accumulated during drain.
+	if !p.lastAppend.IsZero() && p.builder.GetEstimatedSize() > 0 {
+		if err := p.flush(ctx, "shutdown"); err != nil {
+			level.Error(p.logger).Log("msg", "failed to flush during shutdown drain", "err", err)
+		}
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -149,6 +202,29 @@ func (p *processor) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			if _, err := p.idleFlush(ctx); err != nil {
 				level.Error(p.logger).Log("msg", "failed to idle flush", "err", err)
 			}
+		case req := <-p.flushRequests:
+			// Drain any records that are already in the channel before flushing
+			// so that all pending data is included in the flush.
+		drain:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case rec, ok := <-p.records:
+					if !ok {
+						break drain
+					}
+					if err := p.processRecord(ctx, rec); err != nil {
+						level.Error(p.logger).Log("msg", "failed to process record during flush drain", "err", err)
+						p.observeRecordErr(rec)
+					}
+				default:
+					break drain
+				}
+			}
+			var err error
+			if !p.lastAppend.IsZero() && p.builder.GetEstimatedSize() > 0 {
+				err = p.flush(ctx, flushReasonIdle)
+			}
+			req.done <- err
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -222,6 +298,23 @@ func (p *processor) idleFlush(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 	return true, nil
 }
 
+// Flush triggers an immediate flush via the processor's Run loop, draining any
+// pending records from the channel first. Safe to call from any goroutine.
+func (p *processor) Flush(ctx context.Context) error {
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	select {
+	case p.flushRequests <- flushRequest{done: done}:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		return err
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+}
+
 // needsIdleFlush returns true if the partition has exceeded the idle timeout
 // and the builder has some data buffered.
 func (p *processor) needsIdleFlush() bool {
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor_drain_test.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor_drain_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3473f66e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/processor_drain_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package consumer
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/go-kit/log"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+)
+
+// TestProcessor_Stopping_Drain verifies that processor.stopping() drains
+// buffered records from the channel and logs the correct outcome.
+func TestProcessor_Stopping_Drain(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("empty channel logs clean drain", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		logger := log.NewLogfmtLogger(&buf)
+
+		reg := prometheus.NewRegistry()
+		builder := newTestBuilder(t, reg)
+		fc := &mockFlushCommitter{}
+		ch := make(chan *kgo.Record, 10)
+
+		proc := newProcessor(builder, ch, fc, time.Hour, time.Hour, logger, reg)
+
+		err := proc.stopping(nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Contains(t, buf.String(), "inmemory channel drained cleanly on shutdown")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("records drained and logged clean", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		logger := log.NewLogfmtLogger(&buf)
+
+		reg := prometheus.NewRegistry()
+		builder := newTestBuilder(t, reg)
+		fc := &mockFlushCommitter{}
+		ch := make(chan *kgo.Record, 10)
+
+		// Pre-fill 3 records into channel.
+		now := time.Now()
+		for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+			ch <- newTestRecord(t, "tenant1", now.Add(time.Duration(i)*time.Second))
+		}
+
+		proc := newProcessor(builder, ch, fc, time.Hour, time.Hour, logger, reg)
+
+		err := proc.stopping(nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.True(t,
+			strings.Contains(buf.String(), "inmemory channel drained cleanly on shutdown"),
+			"expected clean drain log, got: %s", buf.String(),
+		)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/service.go b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/service.go
index bb6cfa619c..ed615a16bf 100644
--- a/pkg/dataobj/consumer/service.go
+++ b/pkg/dataobj/consumer/service.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package consumer
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
@@ -17,7 +18,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kadm"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
 
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj"
 	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj/consumer/logsobj"
+	dataobjindex "github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj/index"
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj/index/indexobj"
 	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj/metastore"
 	dataobj_uploader "github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/dataobj/uploader"
 	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/kafka"
@@ -49,6 +53,213 @@ type Service struct {
 	watcher                     *services.FailureWatcher
 	logger                      log.Logger
 	reg                         prometheus.Registerer
+
+	// recordsChan is set only in inmemory mode. Callers send *kgo.Record values
+	// here instead of through Kafka.
+	recordsChan chan *kgo.Record
+}
+
+// noopCommitter is a committer that does nothing. Used in inmemory mode where
+// there is no Kafka offset to commit.
+type noopCommitter struct{}
+
+func (noopCommitter) Commit(_ context.Context, _ int32, _ int64) error { return nil }
+
+// noopMetastoreEventEmitter is a metastoreEventEmitter that discards events.
+// Used in inmemory mode where there is no Kafka metastore topic.
+type noopMetastoreEventEmitter struct{}
+
+func (noopMetastoreEventEmitter) Emit(_ context.Context, _ string, _ time.Time) error { return nil }
+
+// tocFlusher wraps a flusher and builds an inline index after each log object flush.
+// Used in inmemory mode so that flushed objects are queryable via ObjectMetastore
+// without a Kafka-based index builder.
+type tocFlusher struct {
+	inner           flusher
+	logBucket       objstore.Bucket                  // raw bucket for reading uploaded log objects
+	logTocWriter    *metastore.TableOfContentsWriter // writes log-object ToC (for DataObjects / label queries)
+	indexCalculator *dataobjindex.Calculator         // builds index from each log object
+	indexUploader   uploader                         // uploads index objects to the index-prefixed bucket
+	indexTocWriter  *metastore.TableOfContentsWriter // writes index-object ToC (for Sections queries)
+	logger          log.Logger
+}
+
+func (f *tocFlusher) Flush(ctx context.Context, b builder, reason string) (string, error) {
+	level.Info(f.logger).Log("msg", "tocFlusher.Flush called", "reason", reason)
+
+	// Capture time ranges BEFORE the inner flush resets the builder.
+	logTimeRanges := b.TimeRanges()
+
+	objectPath, err := f.inner.Flush(ctx, b, reason)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	// Write the log-object ToC entry so DataObjects() can discover it.
+	if err := f.logTocWriter.WriteEntry(ctx, objectPath, logTimeRanges); err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to write log ToC entry: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Build an inline index from the uploaded log object so that Sections()
+	// queries work without a separate Kafka-based index builder.
+	logObj, err := dataobj.FromBucket(ctx, f.logBucket, objectPath, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to read log object for indexing %s: %w", objectPath, err)
+	}
+
+	f.indexCalculator.Reset()
+	if err := f.indexCalculator.Calculate(ctx, f.logger, logObj, objectPath); err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to calculate index for %s: %w", objectPath, err)
+	}
+
+	// Capture index time ranges before Flush resets the calculator.
+	indexTimeRanges := f.indexCalculator.TimeRanges()
+
+	indexObj, indexCloser, err := f.indexCalculator.Flush()
+	if err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to flush index for %s: %w", objectPath, err)
+	}
+	defer indexCloser.Close()
+
+	indexPath, err := f.indexUploader.Upload(ctx, indexObj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to upload index for %s: %w", objectPath, err)
+	}
+
+	if err := f.indexTocWriter.WriteEntry(ctx, indexPath, indexTimeRanges); err != nil {
+		return objectPath, fmt.Errorf("failed to write index ToC entry for %s: %w", objectPath, err)
+	}
+
+	return objectPath, nil
+}
+
+// RecordsChannel returns the in-process channel that callers use to submit
+// records in inmemory mode. It is nil in Kafka mode.
+func (s *Service) RecordsChannel() chan *kgo.Record {
+	return s.recordsChan
+}
+
+// CheckReady returns nil if the service is running and ready to handle
+// requests. Used by the readiness handler in loki.go to gate /ready.
+func (s *Service) CheckReady(_ context.Context) error {
+	if s.State() != services.Running {
+		return fmt.Errorf("dataobj consumer is not running (state: %s)", s.State())
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// NewInMemory creates a consumer Service that receives records via an in-process
+// buffered channel instead of from Kafka. cfg.IngestMode must be IngestModeInMemory.
+// mCfg is used to determine the index storage prefix so that flushed objects are
+// queryable via ObjectMetastore.
+func NewInMemory(cfg Config, mCfg metastore.Config, bucket objstore.Bucket, scratchStore scratch.Store, reg prometheus.Registerer, logger log.Logger) (*Service, error) {
+	if cfg.IngestMode != IngestModeInMemory {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("NewInMemory requires IngestMode=%q, got %q", IngestModeInMemory, cfg.IngestMode)
+	}
+	logger = log.With(logger, "component", "dataobj-consumer-inmemory")
+
+	const partitionID = int32(0)
+	recordsChan := make(chan *kgo.Record, cfg.ChannelSize)
+
+	s := &Service{
+		cfg:         cfg,
+		logger:      logger,
+		reg:         reg,
+		partition:   partitionID,
+		recordsChan: recordsChan,
+	}
+
+	uploader := dataobj_uploader.New(cfg.UploaderConfig, bucket, logger)
+	if err := uploader.RegisterMetrics(reg); err != nil {
+		level.Error(logger).Log("msg", "failed to register uploader metrics", "err", err)
+	}
+	builderFactory := logsobj.NewBuilderFactory(cfg.BuilderConfig, scratchStore)
+	sorter := logsobj.NewSorter(builderFactory, reg)
+	s.flusher = newFlusher(sorter, uploader, logger, reg)
+
+	// In inmemory mode there is no Kafka metastore consumer or index builder,
+	// so we build a per-flush inline index and write both log ToC and index ToC
+	// entries directly, making flushed objects queryable via ObjectMetastore.
+	logTocWriter := metastore.NewTableOfContentsWriter(bucket, logger)
+
+	// The index bucket uses the same prefix as ObjectMetastore so that
+	// GetIndexes() finds the index objects we upload.
+	indexBucket := objstore.NewPrefixedBucket(bucket, mCfg.IndexStoragePrefix)
+	indexUploader := dataobj_uploader.New(cfg.UploaderConfig, indexBucket, logger)
+	indexTocWriter := metastore.NewTableOfContentsWriter(indexBucket, logger)
+
+	// Pre-create the tocs directory by uploading a zero-byte sentinel file.
+	// The filesystem bucket's GetAndReplace (used by TableOfContentsWriter) does NOT
+	// create parent directories, but Upload does. This is a no-op on cloud providers.
+	if err := indexBucket.Upload(context.Background(), "tocs/.init", bytes.NewReader(nil)); err != nil {
+		level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "failed to pre-create index tocs directory", "err", err)
+	}
+	if err := bucket.Upload(context.Background(), "tocs/.init", bytes.NewReader(nil)); err != nil {
+		level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "failed to pre-create log tocs directory", "err", err)
+	}
+
+	// indexobj.Builder config: use the same base config as the log builder.
+	indexBuilder, err := indexobj.NewBuilder(cfg.BuilderBaseConfig, scratchStore)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create index builder: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	wrappedFlusher := &tocFlusher{
+		inner:           s.flusher,
+		logBucket:       bucket,
+		logTocWriter:    logTocWriter,
+		indexCalculator: dataobjindex.NewCalculator(indexBuilder),
+		indexUploader:   indexUploader,
+		indexTocWriter:  indexTocWriter,
+		logger:          logger,
+	}
+
+	wrapped := prometheus.WrapRegistererWith(prometheus.Labels{
+		"partition": strconv.Itoa(int(partitionID)),
+	}, reg)
+	builder, err := builderFactory.NewBuilder(wrapped)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize data object builder: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	flushCommitter := newFlushCommitter(
+		wrappedFlusher,
+		noopMetastoreEventEmitter{},
+		noopCommitter{},
+		partitionID,
+		logger,
+		wrapped,
+	)
+	s.processor = newProcessor(
+		builder,
+		recordsChan,
+		flushCommitter,
+		cfg.IdleFlushTimeout,
+		cfg.MaxBuilderAge,
+		logger,
+		wrapped,
+	)
+
+	s.Service = services.NewBasicService(s.inMemoryStarting, s.running, s.inMemoryStopping)
+	return s, nil
+}
+
+func (s *Service) inMemoryStarting(ctx context.Context) error {
+	level.Info(s.logger).Log("msg", "starting inmemory dataobj consumer")
+	if err := services.StartAndAwaitRunning(ctx, s.processor); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to start partition processor: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *Service) inMemoryStopping(failureCase error) error {
+	level.Info(s.logger).Log("msg", "stopping inmemory dataobj consumer")
+	ctx := context.TODO()
+	if err := services.StopAndAwaitTerminated(ctx, s.processor); err != nil {
+		level.Warn(s.logger).Log("msg", "failed to stop partition processor", "err", err)
+	}
+	level.Info(s.logger).Log("msg", "stopped inmemory dataobj consumer")
+	return failureCase
 }
 
 func New(kafkaCfg kafka.Config, cfg Config, mCfg metastore.Config, bucket objstore.Bucket, scratchStore scratch.Store, _ string, _ ring.PartitionRingReader, reg prometheus.Registerer, logger log.Logger) (*Service, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/distributor/distributor.go b/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
index 56972f7e07..949bae0864 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/distributor.go
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	KafkaConfig kafka.Config `yaml:"-"`
 
 	DataObjTeeConfig DataObjTeeConfig `yaml:"dataobj_tee"`
+
+	InMemoryPushTimeout time.Duration `yaml:"inmemory_dataobj_push_timeout"`
 }
 
 // RegisterFlags registers distributor-related flags.
@@ -129,12 +131,11 @@ func (cfg *Config) RegisterFlags(fs *flag.FlagSet) {
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.IngesterEnabled, "distributor.ingester-writes-enabled", true, "Enable writes to Ingesters during Push requests. Defaults to true.")
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.IngestLimitsEnabled, "distributor.ingest-limits-enabled", false, "Enable checking limits against the ingest-limits service. Defaults to false.")
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.IngestLimitsDryRunEnabled, "distributor.ingest-limits-dry-run-enabled", false, "Enable dry-run mode where limits are checked the ingest-limits service, but not enforced. Defaults to false.")
+	fs.DurationVar(&cfg.InMemoryPushTimeout, "distributor.inmemory-dataobj-push-timeout", 5*time.Second,
+		"Timeout for sending a record to the in-memory queue before returning backpressure to the caller. Defaults to 5s. Set to 0 for no timeout.")
 }
 
 func (cfg *Config) Validate() error {
-	if !cfg.KafkaEnabled && !cfg.IngesterEnabled {
-		return fmt.Errorf("at least one of kafka and ingestor writes must be enabled")
-	}
 	if err := cfg.DataObjTeeConfig.Validate(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -142,6 +143,9 @@ func (cfg *Config) Validate() error {
 	if cfg.MaxDecompressedSize == 0 && cfg.MaxRecvMsgSize > 0 {
 		cfg.MaxDecompressedSize = int64(cfg.MaxRecvMsgSize) * 50
 	}
+	if cfg.InMemoryPushTimeout < 0 {
+		return errors.New("distributor.inmemory-dataobj-push-timeout must be >= 0")
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go b/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
index e0731d5f30..4892f43518 100644
--- a/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/distributor/distributor_test.go
@@ -2801,12 +2801,13 @@ func TestConfig_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedMaxDecompressedSize: 0, // Should remain 0
 		},
 		{
-			name: "validates kafka and ingester enabled",
+			// kafka=false + ingester=false is now allowed: in inmemory mode the tee is
+			// wired programmatically and does not require either flag.
+			name: "kafka=false ingester=false is valid (inmemory mode uses programmatic tee)",
 			cfg: Config{
 				KafkaEnabled:    false,
 				IngesterEnabled: false,
 			},
-			expectedError: "at least one of kafka and ingestor writes must be enabled",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee.go b/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e849ea40a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package distributor
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/go-kit/log"
+	"github.com/go-kit/log/level"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promauto"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/kafka"
+)
+
+const (
+	inmemoryTeeDefaultTopic            = "loki"
+	inmemoryTeeDefaultMaxBufferedBytes = 100 << 20 // 100 MB
+)
+
+// InMemoryDataObjTee implements the [Tee] interface and sends encoded log
+// records to an in-process channel instead of to Kafka. It is used in
+// single-binary mode with ingest_mode=inmemory.
+type InMemoryDataObjTee struct {
+	records          chan *kgo.Record
+	topic            string
+	maxBufferedBytes int
+	pushTimeout      time.Duration
+	logger           log.Logger
+
+	streams        prometheus.Counter
+	streamFailures *prometheus.CounterVec
+}
+
+// NewInMemoryDataObjTee returns a new InMemoryDataObjTee that sends encoded
+// records to the given channel. reg and logger may be nil.
+func NewInMemoryDataObjTee(records chan *kgo.Record, reg prometheus.Registerer, logger log.Logger, pushTimeout time.Duration) *InMemoryDataObjTee {
+	if logger == nil {
+		logger = log.NewNopLogger()
+	}
+	return &InMemoryDataObjTee{
+		records:          records,
+		topic:            inmemoryTeeDefaultTopic,
+		maxBufferedBytes: inmemoryTeeDefaultMaxBufferedBytes,
+		pushTimeout:      pushTimeout,
+		logger:           logger,
+		streams: promauto.With(reg).NewCounter(prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Name: "loki_distributor_inmemory_dataobj_tee_streams_total",
+			Help: "Total number of streams duplicated (both successful and failed) to the in-memory dataobj channel.",
+		}),
+		streamFailures: promauto.With(reg).NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Name: "loki_distributor_inmemory_dataobj_tee_stream_failures_total",
+			Help: "Total number of streams that could not be duplicated to the in-memory dataobj channel.",
+		}, []string{"reason"}),
+	}
+}
+
+// Register implements [Tee]. It adds all streams to the pushTracker's pending count
+// so the distributor waits for them before concluding a push request.
+func (t *InMemoryDataObjTee) Register(_ context.Context, _ string, streams []KeyedStream, pushTracker *PushTracker) {
+	pushTracker.streamsPending.Add(int32(len(streams)))
+}
+
+// Duplicate implements [Tee]. It encodes each stream and sends it to the
+// in-process channel, calling pushTracker.doneWithResult for each stream.
+func (t *InMemoryDataObjTee) Duplicate(ctx context.Context, tenant string, streams []KeyedStream, pushTracker *PushTracker) {
+	go func() {
+		for _, s := range streams {
+			t.duplicate(ctx, tenant, s, pushTracker)
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+func (t *InMemoryDataObjTee) duplicate(ctx context.Context, tenant string, stream KeyedStream, pushTracker *PushTracker) {
+	t.streams.Inc()
+
+	records, err := kafka.EncodeWithTopic(t.topic, 0, tenant, stream.Stream, t.maxBufferedBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		level.Error(t.logger).Log("msg", "failed to encode stream for in-memory tee", "err", err)
+		t.streamFailures.WithLabelValues("encode_error").Inc()
+		pushTracker.doneWithResult(fmt.Errorf("couldn't process request internally due to inmemory tee error: %d", TeeCouldntEncodeStreamError))
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Single timer for the whole stream batch. Using time.NewTimer + defer Stop
+	// avoids the leak caused by time.After inside a loop (each call creates a timer
+	// that lives until it fires, even if the select chose a different case).
+	// A nil channel blocks forever, so timeout stays nil when pushTimeout == 0.
+	//
+	// Note: if the channel send times out mid-batch, earlier records from this
+	// stream are already queued. The consumer will process them as a partial
+	// stream. This is acceptable in inmemory mode (no durability guarantees).
+	var timeout <-chan time.Time
+	if t.pushTimeout > 0 {
+		timer := time.NewTimer(t.pushTimeout)
+		defer timer.Stop()
+		timeout = timer.C
+	}
+
+	for _, rec := range records {
+		select {
+		case t.records <- rec:
+		case <-timeout:
+			level.Error(t.logger).Log("msg", "in-memory dataobj tee channel full, dropping record", "tenant", tenant)
+			t.streamFailures.WithLabelValues("channel_full").Inc()
+			pushTracker.doneWithResult(fmt.Errorf("couldn't process request internally due to inmemory tee error: %d", TeeCouldntProduceRecordsError))
+			return
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			t.streamFailures.WithLabelValues("cancellation").Inc()
+			pushTracker.doneWithResult(ctx.Err())
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	pushTracker.doneWithResult(nil)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee_test.go b/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08d9790040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/distributor/inmemory_dataobj_tee_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package distributor
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/logproto"
+)
+
+func newTestInMemoryTee(capacity int) (*InMemoryDataObjTee, chan *kgo.Record) {
+	ch := make(chan *kgo.Record, capacity)
+	tee := NewInMemoryDataObjTee(ch, prometheus.NewRegistry(), nil, 5*time.Second)
+	return tee, ch
+}
+
+func TestInMemoryDataObjTee_Register_AddsPending(t *testing.T) {
+	tee, _ := newTestInMemoryTee(10)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	streams := []KeyedStream{
+		{Stream: logproto.Stream{Labels: `{a="b"}`}},
+		{Stream: logproto.Stream{Labels: `{c="d"}`}},
+		{Stream: logproto.Stream{Labels: `{e="f"}`}},
+	}
+	pushTracker := &PushTracker{
+		done: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		err:  make(chan error, 1),
+	}
+
+	tee.Register(ctx, "tenant", streams, pushTracker)
+	assert.EqualValues(t, 3, pushTracker.streamsPending.Load())
+}
+
+func TestInMemoryDataObjTee_Duplicate_SendsRecords(t *testing.T) {
+	tee, ch := newTestInMemoryTee(100)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	tenant := "test-tenant"
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	streams := []KeyedStream{
+		{
+			Stream: logproto.Stream{
+				Labels: `{job="test"}`,
+				Entries: []logproto.Entry{
+					{Timestamp: now, Line: "line1"},
+					{Timestamp: now.Add(time.Second), Line: "line2"},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	pushTracker := &PushTracker{
+		done: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		err:  make(chan error, 1),
+	}
+	pushTracker.streamsPending.Store(1)
+
+	tee.Duplicate(ctx, tenant, streams, pushTracker)
+
+	// Wait for at least one record to arrive.
+	select {
+	case rec := <-ch:
+		assert.NotNil(t, rec)
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timed out waiting for record")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/loki/loki.go b/pkg/loki/loki.go
index 76731836a8..9a6ebeef56 100644
--- a/pkg/loki/loki.go
+++ b/pkg/loki/loki.go
@@ -693,7 +693,9 @@ func (t *Loki) readyHandler(sm *services.Manager, shutdownRequested *atomic.Bool
 
 		// Ingester has a special check that makes sure that it was able to register into the ring,
 		// and that all other ring entries are OK too.
-		if t.Ingester != nil {
+		// In inmemory dataobj mode the write path bypasses the ingester entirely, so skip this gate.
+		inMemoryDataObjMode := t.Cfg.DataObj.Enabled && t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.IngestMode == consumer.IngestModeInMemory
+		if t.Ingester != nil && !inMemoryDataObjMode {
 			if err := t.Ingester.CheckReady(r.Context()); err != nil {
 				http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("Ingester not ready: %s", err), http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
 				return
@@ -735,6 +737,13 @@ func (t *Loki) readyHandler(sm *services.Manager, shutdownRequested *atomic.Bool
 			}
 		}
 
+		if t.dataObjConsumer != nil {
+			if err := t.dataObjConsumer.CheckReady(r.Context()); err != nil {
+				http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("DataObj Consumer not ready: %s", err), http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
 		http.Error(w, "ready", http.StatusOK)
 	}
 }
@@ -860,6 +869,14 @@ func (t *Loki) setupModuleManager() error {
 		deps[All] = append(deps[All], IngestLimits, IngestLimitsFrontend)
 	}
 
+	if t.Cfg.DataObj.Enabled {
+		deps[All] = append(deps[All], DataObjConsumer, DataObjIndexBuilder)
+		if t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.IngestMode == consumer.IngestModeInMemory {
+			// DataObjConsumer must be initialized before Distributor so that
+			deps[Distributor] = append(deps[Distributor], DataObjConsumer)
+		}
+	}
+
 	if t.Cfg.Querier.PerRequestLimitsEnabled {
 		level.Debug(util_log.Logger).Log("msg", "per-query request limits support enabled")
 		mm.RegisterModule(QueryLimiter, t.initQueryLimiter, modules.UserInvisibleModule)
diff --git a/pkg/loki/modules.go b/pkg/loki/modules.go
index 23c65723cb..1ddd9c22c7 100644
--- a/pkg/loki/modules.go
+++ b/pkg/loki/modules.go
@@ -355,6 +355,15 @@ func (t *Loki) initDistributor() (services.Service, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("kafka is enabled in distributor but not in ingester")
 	}
 
+	// In inmemory mode, wire the in-process tee before creating the distributor.
+	// DataObjTeeConfig.Enabled stays false so distributor.New() creates no internal Kafka tee.
+	if t.Cfg.DataObj.Enabled && t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.IngestMode == consumer.IngestModeInMemory {
+		reg := prometheus.DefaultRegisterer
+		logger := log.With(util_log.Logger, "component", "inmemory-dataobj-tee")
+		inmemTee := distributor.NewInMemoryDataObjTee(t.dataObjConsumer.RecordsChannel(), reg, logger, t.Cfg.Distributor.InMemoryPushTimeout)
+		t.Tee = distributor.WrapTee(t.Tee, inmemTee)
+	}
+
 	// Add ingestion policy interceptors to ingester client
 	t.Cfg.IngesterClient.GRPCUnaryClientInterceptors = append(
 		t.Cfg.IngesterClient.GRPCUnaryClientInterceptors,
@@ -2379,6 +2388,34 @@ func (t *Loki) initDataObjConsumer() (services.Service, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.IngestMode == consumer.IngestModeInMemory {
+		level.Warn(util_log.Logger).Log("msg", "inmemory ingest mode is experimental — no durability guarantees, single-replica only; each replica holds independent data")
+		level.Info(util_log.Logger).Log("msg", "initializing inmemory dataobj consumer")
+		svc, err := consumer.NewInMemory(
+			t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer,
+			t.Cfg.DataObj.Metastore,
+			store,
+			t.scratchStore,
+			prometheus.DefaultRegisterer,
+			util_log.Logger,
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		t.dataObjConsumer = svc
+
+		// Register the flush endpoint for inmemory mode (testing/operational use).
+		httpMiddleware := middleware.Merge(
+			serverutil.RecoveryHTTPMiddleware,
+		)
+		t.Server.HTTP.
+			Methods(http.MethodPost).
+			Path("/dataobj-consumer/flush").
+			Handler(httpMiddleware.Wrap(http.HandlerFunc(t.dataObjConsumer.FlushHandler)))
+
+		return svc, nil
+	}
+
 	t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.LifecyclerConfig.ListenPort = t.Cfg.Server.GRPCListenPort
 
 	level.Info(util_log.Logger).Log("msg", "initializing dataobj consumer", "instance", t.Cfg.Ingester.LifecyclerConfig.ID)
@@ -2417,6 +2454,10 @@ func (t *Loki) initDataObjIndexBuilder() (services.Service, error) {
 	if !t.Cfg.DataObj.Enabled {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
+	if t.Cfg.DataObj.Consumer.IngestMode == consumer.IngestModeInMemory {
+		level.Info(util_log.Logger).Log("msg", "skipping dataobj index builder in inmemory mode; label queries will use full dataobj scan")
+		return nil, nil
+	}
 	store, err := t.getDataObjBucket("dataobj-index-builder")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err