diff --git a/raft/fsm.hh b/raft/fsm.hh
index b5ca4005fd..dc71fdc9d5 100644
--- a/raft/fsm.hh
+++ b/raft/fsm.hh
@@ -238,8 +238,6 @@ private:
 
     void become_candidate(bool is_prevote, bool is_leadership_transfer = false);
 
-    void become_follower(server_id leader);
-
     // Controls whether the follower has been responsive recently,
     // so it makes sense to send more data to it.
     bool can_send_to(const follower_progress& progress);
@@ -277,6 +275,9 @@ private:
 
     void send_timeout_now(server_id);
 protected: // For testing
+
+    void become_follower(server_id leader);
+
     leader& leader_state() {
         return std::get<leader>(_state);
     }
diff --git a/test/raft/helpers.hh b/test/raft/helpers.hh
index 83b120f6ce..a660c56277 100644
--- a/test/raft/helpers.hh
+++ b/test/raft/helpers.hh
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ raft::fsm_config fsm_cfg{.append_request_threshold = 1, .enable_prevoting = fals
 class fsm_debug : public raft::fsm {
 public:
     using raft::fsm::fsm;
+    void become_follower(server_id leader) {
+        raft::fsm::become_follower(leader);
+    }
     const raft::follower_progress& get_progress(server_id id) {
         raft::follower_progress* progress = leader_state().tracker.find(id);
         return *progress;