diff --git a/src/lib/support/DefaultStorageKeyAllocator.h b/src/lib/support/DefaultStorageKeyAllocator.h
index efddd0f1f743f6..d87f61bb5b501f 100644
--- a/src/lib/support/DefaultStorageKeyAllocator.h
+++ b/src/lib/support/DefaultStorageKeyAllocator.h
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class DefaultStorageKeyAllocator
     // Event number counter.
     const char * IMEventNumber() { return Format("g/im/ec"); }
 
-private:
+protected:
     // The ENFORCE_FORMAT args are "off by one" because this is a class method,
     // with an implicit "this" as first arg.
     const char * ENFORCE_FORMAT(2, 3) Format(const char * format, ...)
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ class DefaultStorageKeyAllocator
         return mKeyName;
     }
 
+private:
     char mKeyName[PersistentStorageDelegate::kKeyLengthMax + 1] = { 0 };
 };