diff --git a/rust/lance-linalg/src/distance.rs b/rust/lance-linalg/src/distance.rs
index 7b92bab8a52..acc33436303 100644
--- a/rust/lance-linalg/src/distance.rs
+++ b/rust/lance-linalg/src/distance.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ pub mod l2;
 pub mod l2_u8;
 pub mod norm_l2;
 
+// `#[track_caller]` on both helpers is load-bearing: without it a length-contract
+// panic reports this file rather than the distance function the caller reached.
+// See #8863.
 #[inline]
+#[track_caller]
 fn assert_equal_lengths(left_len: usize, right_len: usize) {
     assert_eq!(
         left_len, right_len,
@@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ fn assert_equal_lengths(left_len: usize, right_len: usize) {
 }
 
 #[inline]
+#[track_caller]
 fn assert_batch_layout(vector_len: usize, batch_len: usize, dimension: usize) {
     assert!(
         dimension > 0,
diff --git a/rust/lance-linalg/tests/panic_location.rs b/rust/lance-linalg/tests/panic_location.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..67a2d7d9048
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/lance-linalg/tests/panic_location.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The Lance Authors
+
+//! Where a length-contract panic reports itself.
+//!
+//! This lives in its own integration binary because it replaces the global
+//! panic hook, which races with any other test that panics in the same
+//! process. `distance/dot_f16.rs` already swaps the hook inside the lib test
+//! binary, so this must not share that process.
+
+use std::ffi::OsStr;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use lance_linalg::distance::{dot_u8::dot_u8, l2::l2_distance_batch};
+
+/// Runs `f`, which must panic, and returns where the panic was reported and
+/// what it said.
+fn panic_details(f: impl FnOnce() + std::panic::UnwindSafe) -> (String, u32, String) {
+    let captured = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(None));
+    let sink = std::sync::Arc::clone(&captured);
+    let previous = std::panic::take_hook();
+    std::panic::set_hook(Box::new(move |info| {
+        // Both panics here come from `assert_eq!`, which always formats, so the
+        // payload is a `String`. A payload of any other type leaves this empty
+        // and the message assertions below fail rather than pass silently.
+        let message = info
+            .payload()
+            .downcast_ref::<String>()
+            .cloned()
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+        *sink.lock().unwrap() = info
+            .location()
+            .map(|loc| (loc.file().to_owned(), loc.line(), message));
+    }));
+    let outcome = std::panic::catch_unwind(f);
+    std::panic::set_hook(previous);
+    assert!(outcome.is_err(), "expected a panic");
+    captured.lock().unwrap().take().expect("no panic location")
+}
+
+/// Without `#[track_caller]` on the two helpers in `distance.rs`, both of these
+/// panics report `distance.rs` and the reader cannot tell which metric fired.
+/// The message is asserted too, so an unrelated panic in the same file does not
+/// satisfy the test.
+#[test]
+fn length_contract_panics_name_the_distance_function() {
+    let (file, line, message) = panic_details(|| {
+        dot_u8(&[1, 2], &[1]);
+    });
+    assert_eq!(
+        Path::new(&file).file_name(),
+        Some(OsStr::new("dot_u8.rs")),
+        "expected dot_u8.rs, got {file}:{line}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("equal lengths"),
+        "{file}:{line}: {message}"
+    );
+
+    let (file, line, message) = panic_details(|| {
+        l2_distance_batch(&[1.0f32, 2.0], &[1.0f32, 2.0, 3.0], 2).for_each(drop);
+    });
+    assert_eq!(
+        Path::new(&file).file_name(),
+        Some(OsStr::new("l2.rs")),
+        "expected l2.rs, got {file}:{line}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("divisible by dimension"),
+        "{file}:{line}: {message}"
+    );
+}