diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-ext.hpp b/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-ext.hpp
index 69688560c7..8fd29cf1d6 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-ext.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-ext.hpp
@@ -15,15 +15,19 @@
  */
 #pragma once
 
-#include <memory>         // std::unique_ptr
-#include <string>         // std::string
-#include <unordered_map>  // std::unordered_map
+#include <memory>                       // std::unique_ptr
+#include <raft/core/detail/macros.hpp>  // RAFT_INLINE_CONDITIONAL
+#include <string>                       // std::string
+#include <unordered_map>                // std::unordered_map
 
 namespace raft {
 
 static const std::string RAFT_NAME = "raft";
 static const std::string default_log_pattern("[%L] [%H:%M:%S.%f] %v");
 
+namespace detail {
+RAFT_INLINE_CONDITIONAL std::string format(const char* fmt, ...);
+}
 /**
  * @brief The main Logging class for raft library.
  *
diff --git a/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-inl.hpp b/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-inl.hpp
index a90023d01f..fcfa1f1333 100644
--- a/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-inl.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/raft/core/logger-inl.hpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ inline std::string format(const char* fmt, va_list& vl)
   return std::string(buf.data());
 }
 
-inline std::string format(const char* fmt, ...)
+RAFT_INLINE_CONDITIONAL std::string format(const char* fmt, ...)
 {
   va_list vl;
   va_start(vl, fmt);
diff --git a/cpp/test/core/logger.cpp b/cpp/test/core/logger.cpp
index 3f29c9f12c..d7f001a700 100644
--- a/cpp/test/core/logger.cpp
+++ b/cpp/test/core/logger.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+// We set RAFT_ACTIVE_LEVEL to a value that would enable testing trace and debug logs
+// (otherwise trace and debug logs are desabled by default).
+#undef RAFT_ACTIVE_LEVEL
+#define RAFT_ACTIVE_LEVEL 6
+
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 #include <raft/core/logger.hpp>
 #include <string>