diff --git a/src/log/log.go b/src/log/log.go
index 216cfe0322..8c0f83f0d1 100644
--- a/src/log/log.go
+++ b/src/log/log.go
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ func (l *Logger) SetOutput(w io.Writer) {
 
 var std = New(os.Stderr, "", LstdFlags)
 
+// Default returns the *Logger used by the package-level output functions.
+func Default() *Logger { return std }
+
 // Cheap integer to fixed-width decimal ASCII. Give a negative width to avoid zero-padding.
 func itoa(buf *[]byte, i int, wid int) {
 	// Assemble decimal in reverse order.
diff --git a/src/log/log_test.go b/src/log/log_test.go
index cdccbc554d..5be8e82258 100644
--- a/src/log/log_test.go
+++ b/src/log/log_test.go
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ func testPrint(t *testing.T, flag int, prefix string, pattern string, useFormat
 	SetOutput(os.Stderr)
 }
 
+func TestDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := Default(); got != std {
+		t.Errorf("Default [%p] should be std [%p]", got, std)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAll(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, testcase := range tests {
 		testPrint(t, testcase.flag, testcase.prefix, testcase.pattern, false)