diff --git a/private/testplanet/log.go b/private/testplanet/log.go
index 3ff099ef0..daf863ca3 100644
--- a/private/testplanet/log.go
+++ b/private/testplanet/log.go
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ import (
 
 var useAbsTime = os.Getenv("STORJ_TESTPLANET_ABSTIME")
 
-func newLogger(t *testing.T) *zap.Logger {
+// NewLogger creates a zaptest logger with nice defaults for tests.
+func NewLogger(t *testing.T) *zap.Logger {
 	if useAbsTime != "" {
 		return zaptest.NewLogger(t)
 	}
diff --git a/private/testplanet/run.go b/private/testplanet/run.go
index 037ab1ab3..8885a554a 100644
--- a/private/testplanet/run.go
+++ b/private/testplanet/run.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func Run(t *testing.T, config Config, test func(t *testing.T, ctx *testcontext.C
 				planetConfig.Name = t.Name()
 			}
 
-			log := newLogger(t)
+			log := NewLogger(t)
 
 			testmonkit.Run(context.Background(), t, func(parent context.Context) {
 				defer pprof.SetGoroutineLabels(parent)