diff --git a/nano/node/node.cpp b/nano/node/node.cpp
index b2feeb4e6f..6fa9be05e7 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.cpp
@@ -1325,6 +1325,11 @@ nano::telemetry_data nano::node::local_telemetry () const
 	return telemetry_data;
 }
 
+std::string nano::node::identifier () const
+{
+	return make_logger_identifier (node_id);
+}
+
 std::string nano::node::make_logger_identifier (const nano::keypair & node_id)
 {
 	// Node identifier consists of first 10 characters of node id
diff --git a/nano/node/node.hpp b/nano/node/node.hpp
index 2015082794..bbd19f50bb 100644
--- a/nano/node/node.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/node.hpp
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ class node final : public std::enable_shared_from_this<node>
 	void bootstrap_block (nano::block_hash const &);
 	nano::account get_node_id () const;
 	nano::telemetry_data local_telemetry () const;
+	std::string identifier () const;
 
 public:
 	const nano::keypair node_id;
diff --git a/nano/test_common/system.cpp b/nano/test_common/system.cpp
index 02a0499bb8..0a4ffb4205 100644
--- a/nano/test_common/system.cpp
+++ b/nano/test_common/system.cpp
@@ -138,9 +138,11 @@ std::shared_ptr<nano::node> nano::test::system::add_node (nano::node_config cons
 			auto starting_keepalives_1 = node1->stats.count (stat::type::message, stat::detail::keepalive, stat::dir::in);
 			auto starting_keepalives_2 = node2->stats.count (stat::type::message, stat::detail::keepalive, stat::dir::in);
 
+			logger.debug (nano::log::type::system, "Connecting nodes: {} and {}", node1->identifier (), node2->identifier ());
+
 			// TCP is the only transport layer available.
 			debug_assert (type_a == nano::transport::transport_type::tcp);
-			(*j)->network.merge_peer ((*i)->network.endpoint ());
+			node1->network.merge_peer (node2->network.endpoint ());
 
 			{
 				auto ec = poll_until_true (5s, [&node1, &node2, starting_size_1, starting_size_2] () {