diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/utils/cmp.go b/go/test/endtoend/utils/cmp.go
index bf4eb5e14c1..dd9614e79fa 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/utils/cmp.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/utils/cmp.go
@@ -314,9 +314,9 @@ func (mcmp *MySQLCompare) ExecAllowError(query string) (*sqltypes.Result, error)
 	return vtQr, vtErr
 }
 
-func (mcmp *MySQLCompare) VExplain(query string) {
+func (mcmp *MySQLCompare) VExplain(query string) string {
 	mcmp.t.Helper()
 	vtQr, vtErr := mcmp.VtConn.ExecuteFetch("vexplain plan "+query, 1, true)
 	require.NoError(mcmp.t, vtErr, "[Vitess Error] for query: "+query)
-	fmt.Printf("Vitess VExplain Plan: \n%v\n", vtQr.Rows[0][0].ToString())
+	return vtQr.Rows[0][0].ToString()
 }
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/queries/misc/misc_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/queries/misc/misc_test.go
index 55f2398c75f..d791692b3b7 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/queries/misc/misc_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/queries/misc/misc_test.go
@@ -144,8 +144,9 @@ func TestSetAndGetLastInsertID(t *testing.T) {
 			mcmp.Run(name, func(mcmp *utils.MySQLCompare) {
 				mcmp.Exec(query)
 				mcmp.Exec("select last_insert_id()")
-				if mcmp.AsT().Failed() {
-					mcmp.VExplain(query)
+				t := mcmp.AsT()
+				if t.Failed() {
+					t.Log(mcmp.VExplain(query))
 				}
 			})
 		}