diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/detail/nn_descent.cuh b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/detail/nn_descent.cuh
index cd3c6f3947..cdfb9d9931 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/detail/nn_descent.cuh
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/detail/nn_descent.cuh
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <omp.h>
 
 #include <limits>
+#include <optional>
 #include <queue>
 #include <random>
 
@@ -217,6 +218,7 @@ struct BuildConfig {
   // If internal_node_degree == 0, the value of node_degree will be assigned to it
   size_t max_iterations{50};
   float termination_threshold{0.0001};
+  size_t output_graph_degree{32};
 };
 
 template <typename Index_t>
@@ -345,7 +347,11 @@ class GNND {
   GNND(const GNND&)            = delete;
   GNND& operator=(const GNND&) = delete;
 
-  void build(Data_t* data, const Index_t nrow, Index_t* output_graph);
+  void build(Data_t* data,
+             const Index_t nrow,
+             Index_t* output_graph,
+             bool return_distances,
+             DistData_t* output_distances);
   ~GNND()    = default;
   using ID_t = InternalID_t<Index_t>;
 
@@ -1212,7 +1218,11 @@ void GNND<Data_t, Index_t>::local_join(cudaStream_t stream)
 }
 
 template <typename Data_t, typename Index_t>
-void GNND<Data_t, Index_t>::build(Data_t* data, const Index_t nrow, Index_t* output_graph)
+void GNND<Data_t, Index_t>::build(Data_t* data,
+                                  const Index_t nrow,
+                                  Index_t* output_graph,
+                                  bool return_distances,
+                                  DistData_t* output_distances)
 {
   using input_t = typename std::remove_const<Data_t>::type;
 
@@ -1338,6 +1348,16 @@ void GNND<Data_t, Index_t>::build(Data_t* data, const Index_t nrow, Index_t* out
 
   // Reuse graph_.h_dists as the buffer for shrink the lists in graph
   static_assert(sizeof(decltype(*(graph_.h_dists.data_handle()))) >= sizeof(Index_t));
+
+  if (return_distances) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < (size_t)nrow_; i++) {
+      raft::copy(output_distances + i * build_config_.output_graph_degree,
+                 graph_.h_dists.data_handle() + i * build_config_.node_degree,
+                 build_config_.output_graph_degree,
+                 raft::resource::get_cuda_stream(res));
+    }
+  }
+
   Index_t* graph_shrink_buffer = (Index_t*)graph_.h_dists.data_handle();
 
 #pragma omp parallel for
@@ -1410,10 +1430,24 @@ void build(raft::resources const& res,
                            .node_degree           = extended_graph_degree,
                            .internal_node_degree  = extended_intermediate_degree,
                            .max_iterations        = params.max_iterations,
-                           .termination_threshold = params.termination_threshold};
+                           .termination_threshold = params.termination_threshold,
+                           .output_graph_degree   = params.graph_degree};
 
   GNND<const T, int> nnd(res, build_config);
-  nnd.build(dataset.data_handle(), dataset.extent(0), int_graph.data_handle());
+
+  if (idx.distances().has_value() || !params.return_distances) {
+    nnd.build(dataset.data_handle(),
+              dataset.extent(0),
+              int_graph.data_handle(),
+              params.return_distances,
+              idx.distances()
+                .value_or(raft::make_device_matrix<float, int64_t>(res, 0, 0).view())
+                .data_handle());
+  } else {
+    RAFT_EXPECTS(!params.return_distances,
+                 "Distance view not allocated. Using return_distances set to true requires "
+                 "distance view to be allocated.");
+  }
 
 #pragma omp parallel for
   for (size_t i = 0; i < static_cast<size_t>(dataset.extent(0)); i++) {
@@ -1444,7 +1478,8 @@ index<IdxT> build(raft::resources const& res,
     graph_degree = intermediate_degree;
   }
 
-  index<IdxT> idx{res, dataset.extent(0), static_cast<int64_t>(graph_degree)};
+  index<IdxT> idx{
+    res, dataset.extent(0), static_cast<int64_t>(graph_degree), params.return_distances};
 
   build(res, params, dataset, idx);
 
diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/nn_descent_types.hpp b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/nn_descent_types.hpp
index e1fc96878a..5d23ff2c2e 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/nn_descent_types.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/neighbors/nn_descent_types.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 #include "ann_types.hpp"
 
+#include <raft/core/device_mdarray.hpp>
+#include <raft/core/device_mdspan.hpp>
 #include <raft/core/host_mdarray.hpp>
 #include <raft/core/host_mdspan.hpp>
 #include <raft/core/mdspan_types.hpp>
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <raft/core/resources.hpp>
 #include <raft/distance/distance_types.hpp>
 
+#include <optional>
+
 namespace raft::neighbors::experimental::nn_descent {
 /**
  * @ingroup nn-descent
@@ -51,6 +55,7 @@ struct index_params : ann::index_params {
   size_t intermediate_graph_degree = 128;     // Degree of input graph for pruning.
   size_t max_iterations            = 20;      // Number of nn-descent iterations.
   float termination_threshold      = 0.0001;  // Termination threshold of nn-descent.
+  bool return_distances            = false;   // return distances if true
 };
 
 /**
@@ -79,14 +84,20 @@ struct index : ann::index {
    * @param res raft::resources is an object mangaging resources
    * @param n_rows number of rows in knn-graph
    * @param n_cols number of cols in knn-graph
+   * @param return_distances whether to allocate and get distances information
    */
-  index(raft::resources const& res, int64_t n_rows, int64_t n_cols)
+  index(raft::resources const& res, int64_t n_rows, int64_t n_cols, bool return_distances = false)
     : ann::index(),
       res_{res},
       metric_{raft::distance::DistanceType::L2Expanded},
       graph_{raft::make_host_matrix<IdxT, int64_t, row_major>(n_rows, n_cols)},
-      graph_view_{graph_.view()}
+      graph_view_{graph_.view()},
+      return_distances_(return_distances)
   {
+    if (return_distances) {
+      distances_      = raft::make_device_matrix<float, int64_t>(res_, n_rows, n_cols);
+      distances_view_ = distances_.value().view();
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -98,14 +109,23 @@ struct index : ann::index {
    *
    * @param res raft::resources is an object mangaging resources
    * @param graph_view raft::host_matrix_view<IdxT, int64_t, raft::row_major> for storing knn-graph
+   * @param distances_view std::optional<raft::device_matrix_view<T, int64_t, row_major>> for
+   * storing knn-graph distances
+   * @param return_distances whether to allocate and get distances information
    */
   index(raft::resources const& res,
-        raft::host_matrix_view<IdxT, int64_t, raft::row_major> graph_view)
+        raft::host_matrix_view<IdxT, int64_t, raft::row_major> graph_view,
+        std::optional<raft::device_matrix_view<float, int64_t, row_major>> distances_view =
+          std::nullopt,
+        bool return_distances = false)
     : ann::index(),
       res_{res},
       metric_{raft::distance::DistanceType::L2Expanded},
       graph_{raft::make_host_matrix<IdxT, int64_t, row_major>(0, 0)},
-      graph_view_{graph_view}
+      distances_{raft::make_device_matrix<float, int64_t>(res_, 0, 0)},
+      graph_view_{graph_view},
+      distances_view_(distances_view),
+      return_distances_(return_distances)
   {
   }
 
@@ -133,6 +153,13 @@ struct index : ann::index {
     return graph_view_;
   }
 
+  /** neighborhood graph distances [size, graph-degree] */
+  [[nodiscard]] inline auto distances() noexcept
+    -> std::optional<device_matrix_view<float, int64_t, row_major>>
+  {
+    return distances_view_;
+  }
+
   // Don't allow copying the index for performance reasons (try avoiding copying data)
   index(const index&)                    = delete;
   index(index&&)                         = default;
@@ -144,8 +171,11 @@ struct index : ann::index {
   raft::resources const& res_;
   raft::distance::DistanceType metric_;
   raft::host_matrix<IdxT, int64_t, row_major> graph_;  // graph to return for non-int IdxT
+  std::optional<raft::device_matrix<float, int64_t, row_major>> distances_;
   raft::host_matrix_view<IdxT, int64_t, row_major>
     graph_view_;  // view of graph for user provided matrix
+  std::optional<raft::device_matrix_view<float, int64_t, row_major>> distances_view_;
+  bool return_distances_;
 };
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/cpp/test/neighbors/ann_nn_descent.cuh b/cpp/test/neighbors/ann_nn_descent.cuh
index 495af081f1..f74cadb415 100644
--- a/cpp/test/neighbors/ann_nn_descent.cuh
+++ b/cpp/test/neighbors/ann_nn_descent.cuh
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
  */
 #pragma once
 
-#include "../test_utils.cuh"
 #include "ann_utils.cuh"
 
 #include <raft/core/resource/cuda_stream.hpp>
 #include <raft/neighbors/nn_descent.cuh>
+#include <raft/util/cudart_utils.hpp>
 #include <raft/util/itertools.hpp>
 
 #include <raft_internal/neighbors/naive_knn.cuh>
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ class AnnNNDescentTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<AnnNNDescentInputs> {
   {
     size_t queries_size = ps.n_rows * ps.graph_degree;
     std::vector<IdxT> indices_NNDescent(queries_size);
+    std::vector<DistanceT> distances_NNDescent(queries_size);
     std::vector<IdxT> indices_naive(queries_size);
+    std::vector<DistanceT> distances_naive(queries_size);
 
     {
       rmm::device_uvector<DistanceT> distances_naive_dev(queries_size, stream_);
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ class AnnNNDescentTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<AnnNNDescentInputs> {
                                         ps.graph_degree,
                                         ps.metric);
       update_host(indices_naive.data(), indices_naive_dev.data(), queries_size, stream_);
+      update_host(distances_naive.data(), distances_naive_dev.data(), queries_size, stream_);
       resource::sync_stream(handle_);
     }
 
@@ -91,6 +94,7 @@ class AnnNNDescentTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<AnnNNDescentInputs> {
         index_params.graph_degree              = ps.graph_degree;
         index_params.intermediate_graph_degree = 2 * ps.graph_degree;
         index_params.max_iterations            = 100;
+        index_params.return_distances          = true;
 
         auto database_view = raft::make_device_matrix_view<const DataT, int64_t>(
           (const DataT*)database.data(), ps.n_rows, ps.dim);
@@ -102,20 +106,39 @@ class AnnNNDescentTest : public ::testing::TestWithParam<AnnNNDescentInputs> {
             auto database_host_view = raft::make_host_matrix_view<const DataT, int64_t>(
               (const DataT*)database_host.data_handle(), ps.n_rows, ps.dim);
             auto index = nn_descent::build<DataT, IdxT>(handle_, index_params, database_host_view);
-            update_host(
+            raft::copy(
               indices_NNDescent.data(), index.graph().data_handle(), queries_size, stream_);
+            if (index.distances().has_value()) {
+              raft::copy(distances_NNDescent.data(),
+                         index.distances().value().data_handle(),
+                         queries_size,
+                         stream_);
+            }
+
           } else {
             auto index = nn_descent::build<DataT, IdxT>(handle_, index_params, database_view);
-            update_host(
+            raft::copy(
               indices_NNDescent.data(), index.graph().data_handle(), queries_size, stream_);
+            if (index.distances().has_value()) {
+              raft::copy(distances_NNDescent.data(),
+                         index.distances().value().data_handle(),
+                         queries_size,
+                         stream_);
+            }
           };
         }
         resource::sync_stream(handle_);
       }
 
       double min_recall = ps.min_recall;
-      EXPECT_TRUE(eval_recall(
-        indices_naive, indices_NNDescent, ps.n_rows, ps.graph_degree, 0.001, min_recall));
+      EXPECT_TRUE(eval_neighbours(indices_naive,
+                                  indices_NNDescent,
+                                  distances_naive,
+                                  distances_NNDescent,
+                                  ps.n_rows,
+                                  ps.graph_degree,
+                                  0.001,
+                                  min_recall));
     }
   }