diff --git a/tool/tctl/common/loadtest_command.go b/tool/tctl/common/loadtest_command.go
index ac8d382938e9a..f1b285167deb5 100644
--- a/tool/tctl/common/loadtest_command.go
+++ b/tool/tctl/common/loadtest_command.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package common
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"runtime"
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/alecthomas/kingpin/v2"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/gravitational/teleport"
 	"github.com/gravitational/trace"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/cache"
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/service/servicecfg"
 	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/services"
+	"github.com/gravitational/teleport/lib/utils"
 )
 
 // LoadtestCommand implements the `tctl loadtest` family of commands.
@@ -56,7 +59,9 @@ type LoadtestCommand struct {
 	ttl         time.Duration
 	concurrency int
 
-	kind string
+	kind   string
+	ops    string
+	format string
 }
 
 // Initialize allows LoadtestCommand to plug itself into the CLI parser
@@ -76,6 +81,8 @@ func (c *LoadtestCommand) Initialize(app *kingpin.Application, config *servicecf
 
 	c.watch = loadtest.Command("watch", "Monitor event stream").Hidden()
 	c.watch.Flag("kind", "Resource kind(s) to watch, e.g. --kind=node,user,role").StringVar(&c.kind)
+	c.watch.Flag("ops", "Operations to watch, e.g. --ops=put,del").Default("put,del").StringVar(&c.ops)
+	c.watch.Flag("format", "Output format").Default(teleport.Text).EnumVar(&c.format, teleport.Text, teleport.JSON)
 }
 
 // TryRun takes the CLI command as an argument (like "loadtest node-heartbeats") and executes it.
@@ -224,6 +231,27 @@ func (c *LoadtestCommand) Watch(ctx context.Context, client *authclient.Client)
 		})
 	}
 
+	ops := make(map[types.OpType]struct{})
+	for _, op := range strings.Split(c.ops, ",") {
+		op = strings.TrimSpace(op)
+		if op == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		switch op {
+		case "put":
+			ops[types.OpPut] = struct{}{}
+		case "del":
+			ops[types.OpDelete] = struct{}{}
+		default:
+			return trace.BadParameter("unknown operation: %v", op)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(ops) == 0 {
+		return trace.BadParameter("no operations specified")
+	}
+
 	var allowPartialSuccess bool
 	if len(kinds) == 0 {
 		// use auth watch kinds by default
@@ -232,58 +260,95 @@ func (c *LoadtestCommand) Watch(ctx context.Context, client *authclient.Client)
 		allowPartialSuccess = true
 	}
 
-	watcher, err := client.NewWatcher(ctx, types.Watch{
-		Name:                "tctl-watch",
-		Kinds:               kinds,
-		AllowPartialSuccess: allowPartialSuccess,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return trace.Wrap(err)
-	}
-
-	defer watcher.Close()
-
-	select {
-	case event := <-watcher.Events():
-		if event.Type != types.OpInit {
-			return trace.BadParameter("expected init event, got %v instead", event.Type)
-		}
-
-		var skinds []string
-		for _, k := range event.Resource.(types.WatchStatus).GetKinds() {
-			skinds = append(skinds, k.Kind)
+Outer:
+	for {
+		slog.InfoContext(ctx, "starting watch", "kinds", kinds, "ops", ops)
+		watcher, err := client.NewWatcher(ctx, types.Watch{
+			Name:                "tctl-watch",
+			Kinds:               kinds,
+			AllowPartialSuccess: allowPartialSuccess,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("INIT: %v\n", skinds)
-	case <-watcher.Done():
-		return trace.Errorf("failed to get init event: %v", watcher.Error())
-	}
+		defer watcher.Close()
 
-	for {
 		select {
 		case event := <-watcher.Events():
-			switch event.Type {
-			case types.OpPut:
-				printEvent("PUT", event.Resource)
-			case types.OpDelete:
-				printEvent("DEL", event.Resource)
-			default:
-				return trace.BadParameter("expected put or del event, got %v instead", event.Type)
+			if event.Type != types.OpInit {
+				return trace.BadParameter("expected init event, got %v instead", event.Type)
+			}
+
+			var skinds []string
+			for _, k := range event.Resource.(types.WatchStatus).GetKinds() {
+				skinds = append(skinds, k.Kind)
 			}
+
+			slog.InfoContext(ctx, "watcher initialized", "kinds", skinds)
 		case <-watcher.Done():
 			if ctx.Err() != nil {
-				// canceled by caller
 				return nil
 			}
-			return trace.Errorf("watcher exited unexpectedly: %v", watcher.Error())
+			slog.ErrorContext(ctx, "watcher failed while waiting for init, will retry", "error", watcher.Error())
+			continue Outer
+		}
+
+	Inner:
+		for {
+			select {
+			case event := <-watcher.Events():
+				if _, ok := ops[event.Type]; !ok {
+					continue Inner
+				}
+				switch event.Type {
+				case types.OpPut:
+					if err := printEvent("PUT", event.Resource, c.format); err != nil {
+						return trace.Wrap(err)
+					}
+				case types.OpDelete:
+					if err := printEvent("DEL", event.Resource, c.format); err != nil {
+						return trace.Wrap(err)
+					}
+				default:
+					return trace.BadParameter("expected put or del event, got %v instead", event.Type)
+				}
+			case <-watcher.Done():
+				if ctx.Err() != nil {
+					// canceled by caller
+					return nil
+				}
+				slog.ErrorContext(ctx, "watcher exited unexpectedly, will retry", "error", watcher.Error())
+				continue Outer
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func printEvent(ekind string, rsc types.Resource) {
-	if sk := rsc.GetSubKind(); sk != "" {
-		fmt.Printf("%s: %s/%s/%s\n", ekind, rsc.GetKind(), sk, rsc.GetName())
-	} else {
-		fmt.Printf("%s: %s/%s\n", ekind, rsc.GetKind(), rsc.GetName())
+func printEvent(ekind string, rsc types.Resource, format string) error {
+	ts := time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
+	var ln string
+	switch format {
+	case teleport.Text:
+		if sk := rsc.GetSubKind(); sk != "" {
+			ln = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s: %s/%s/%s", ts, ekind, rsc.GetKind(), sk, rsc.GetName())
+		} else {
+			ln = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s: %s/%s", ts, ekind, rsc.GetKind(), rsc.GetName())
+		}
+	case teleport.JSON:
+		b, err := utils.FastMarshal(map[string]any{
+			"op":       ekind,
+			"resource": rsc,
+			"rx_time":  ts,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		ln = string(b)
+	default:
+		return trace.BadParameter("unknown format: %v", format)
 	}
+
+	fmt.Println(ln)
+	return nil
 }