diff --git a/agent/consul/client_test.go b/agent/consul/client_test.go
index 5a218e247f..852f989be2 100644
--- a/agent/consul/client_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/client_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/sdk/testutil"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/sdk/testutil/retry"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/testrpc"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/tlsutil"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog"
 	msgpackrpc "github.com/hashicorp/net-rpc-msgpackrpc"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/serf/serf"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ func testClientConfig(t *testing.T) (string, *Config) {
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeTimeout = 200 * time.Millisecond
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.ProbeInterval = time.Second
 	config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.GossipInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	config.LogOutput = testutil.TestWriter(t)
 
 	return dir, config
 }
@@ -69,7 +72,23 @@ func testClientWithConfig(t *testing.T, cb func(c *Config)) (string, *Client) {
 	if cb != nil {
 		cb(config)
 	}
-	client, err := NewClient(config)
+	w := config.LogOutput
+	if w == nil {
+		w = os.Stderr
+	}
+
+	logger := hclog.NewInterceptLogger(&hclog.LoggerOptions{
+		Name:   config.NodeName,
+		Level:  hclog.Debug,
+		Output: w,
+	})
+
+	tlsConf, err := tlsutil.NewConfigurator(config.ToTLSUtilConfig(), logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	client, err := NewClientLogger(config, logger, tlsConf)
 	if err != nil {
 		config.NotifyShutdown()
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
diff --git a/agent/consul/cluster_test.go b/agent/consul/cluster_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..29799a39ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/consul/cluster_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package consul
+
+import (
+	"net/rpc"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/testrpc"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+type testClusterConfig struct {
+	Datacenter string
+	Servers    int
+	Clients    int
+	ServerConf func(*Config)
+	ClientConf func(*Config)
+
+	ServerWait func(*testing.T, *Server)
+	ClientWait func(*testing.T, *Client)
+}
+
+type testCluster struct {
+	Servers      []*Server
+	ServerCodecs []rpc.ClientCodec
+	Clients      []*Client
+}
+
+func newTestCluster(t *testing.T, conf *testClusterConfig) *testCluster {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	require.NotNil(t, conf)
+	cluster := testCluster{}
+
+	// create the servers
+	for i := 0; i < conf.Servers; i++ {
+		dir, srv := testServerWithConfig(t, func(c *Config) {
+			if conf.Datacenter != "" {
+				c.Datacenter = conf.Datacenter
+			}
+			c.Bootstrap = false
+			c.BootstrapExpect = conf.Servers
+
+			if conf.ServerConf != nil {
+				conf.ServerConf(c)
+			}
+		})
+		t.Cleanup(func() { os.RemoveAll(dir) })
+		t.Cleanup(func() { srv.Shutdown() })
+
+		cluster.Servers = append(cluster.Servers, srv)
+
+		codec := rpcClient(t, srv)
+
+		cluster.ServerCodecs = append(cluster.ServerCodecs, codec)
+		t.Cleanup(func() { codec.Close() })
+
+		if i > 0 {
+			joinLAN(t, srv, cluster.Servers[0])
+		}
+	}
+
+	waitForLeaderEstablishment(t, cluster.Servers...)
+	if conf.ServerWait != nil {
+		for _, srv := range cluster.Servers {
+			conf.ServerWait(t, srv)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// create the clients
+	for i := 0; i < conf.Clients; i++ {
+		dir, client := testClientWithConfig(t, func(c *Config) {
+			if conf.Datacenter != "" {
+				c.Datacenter = conf.Datacenter
+			}
+			if conf.ClientConf != nil {
+				conf.ClientConf(c)
+			}
+		})
+
+		t.Cleanup(func() { os.RemoveAll(dir) })
+		t.Cleanup(func() { client.Shutdown() })
+
+		if len(cluster.Servers) > 0 {
+			joinLAN(t, client, cluster.Servers[0])
+		}
+
+		cluster.Clients = append(cluster.Clients, client)
+	}
+
+	for _, client := range cluster.Clients {
+		if conf.ClientWait != nil {
+			conf.ClientWait(t, client)
+		} else {
+			testrpc.WaitForTestAgent(t, client.RPC, client.config.Datacenter)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return &cluster
+}
diff --git a/agent/consul/helper_test.go b/agent/consul/helper_test.go
index 7192102988..7373234369 100644
--- a/agent/consul/helper_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/helper_test.go
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ type clientOrServer interface {
 //
 //   member.JoinLAN("127.0.0.1:"+leader.config.SerfLANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort)
 func joinLAN(t *testing.T, member clientOrServer, leader *Server) {
+	t.Helper()
+
 	if member == nil || leader == nil {
 		panic("no server")
 	}
@@ -143,6 +145,8 @@ func joinLAN(t *testing.T, member clientOrServer, leader *Server) {
 //
 //   member.JoinWAN("127.0.0.1:"+leader.config.SerfWANConfig.MemberlistConfig.BindPort)
 func joinWAN(t *testing.T, member, leader *Server) {
+	t.Helper()
+
 	if member == nil || leader == nil {
 		panic("no server")
 	}