diff --git a/doc/dev/how-to/add_and_use_logging.md b/doc/dev/how-to/add_and_use_logging.md
index eb16e4ea74d5..0cfe64c2ee24 100644
--- a/doc/dev/how-to/add_and_use_logging.md
+++ b/doc/dev/how-to/add_and_use_logging.md
@@ -41,14 +41,16 @@ import (
 
 func main() {
   // If unintialized, calls to `log.Scoped` will return a no-op logger in production, or
-  // panic in development.
+  // panic in development. It returns a callback to flush the logger buffer, if any, that
+  // you should make sure to call before application exit (namely via `defer`)
   //
   // Repeated calls to `log.Init` will panic. Make sure to call this exactly once in `main`!
-  log.Init(log.Resource{
+  syncLogs := log.Init(log.Resource{
     Name: env.MyName,
     /* ... optional fields */
     Version: version.Version(),
   })
+  defer syncLogs()
 
   service.Start(/* ... */)
 }
diff --git a/lib/log/init.go b/lib/log/init.go
index 691148dc0f67..38b76d33fc68 100644
--- a/lib/log/init.go
+++ b/lib/log/init.go
@@ -22,18 +22,19 @@ type Resource = otfields.Resource
 
 // Init initializes the log package's global logger as a logger of the given resource.
 // It must be called on service startup, i.e. 'main()', NOT on an 'init()' function.
-//
 // Subsequent calls will panic, so do not call this within a non-service context.
 //
+// Init returns a callback, sync, that should be called before application exit.
+//
 // For testing, you can use 'logtest.Init' to initialize the logging library.
 //
 // If Init is not called, Get will panic.
-func Init(r Resource) {
+func Init(r Resource) (sync func() error) {
 	if globallogger.IsInitialized() {
 		panic("log.Init initialized multiple times")
 	}
 
 	level := zap.NewAtomicLevelAt(Level(os.Getenv(envSrcLogLevel)).Parse())
 	format := encoders.ParseOutputFormat(os.Getenv(envSrcLogFormat))
-	globallogger.Init(r, level, format, development)
+	return globallogger.Init(r, level, format, development)
 }
diff --git a/lib/log/internal/globallogger/globallogger.go b/lib/log/internal/globallogger/globallogger.go
index 032937fbee03..c4012ffa63c9 100644
--- a/lib/log/internal/globallogger/globallogger.go
+++ b/lib/log/internal/globallogger/globallogger.go
@@ -28,11 +28,13 @@ func Get(safe bool) *zap.Logger {
 	return globalLogger
 }
 
-// Init initializes the global logger once. Subsequent calls are no-op.
-func Init(r otfields.Resource, level zap.AtomicLevel, format encoders.OutputFormat, development bool) {
+// Init initializes the global logger once. Subsequent calls are no-op. Returns the
+// callback to sync the root core.
+func Init(r otfields.Resource, level zap.AtomicLevel, format encoders.OutputFormat, development bool) func() error {
 	globalLoggerInit.Do(func() {
 		globalLogger = initLogger(r, level, format, development)
 	})
+	return globalLogger.Sync
 }
 
 // IsInitialized indicates if the global logger is initialized.
diff --git a/lib/log/logger.go b/lib/log/logger.go
index fb3718d97144..971049ae2cce 100644
--- a/lib/log/logger.go
+++ b/lib/log/logger.go
@@ -51,10 +51,9 @@ type Logger interface {
 	// Error logs are high-priority. If an application is running smoothly, it shouldn't
 	// generate any error-level logs.
 	Error(string, ...Field)
-
-	// Sync flushes any buffered log entries. Applications should take care to call Sync
-	// before exiting.
-	Sync() error
+	// Fatal logs a fatal error message, including any fields accumulated on the Logger.
+	// The logger then calls os.Exit(1), flushing the logger before doing so. Use sparingly.
+	Fatal(string, ...Field)
 }
 
 // Scoped returns the global logger and sets it up with the given scope and OpenTelemetry
diff --git a/lib/log/logtest/logtest.go b/lib/log/logtest/logtest.go
index dcb33f9ff4d2..b43280d4b12b 100644
--- a/lib/log/logtest/logtest.go
+++ b/lib/log/logtest/logtest.go
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ func Scoped(t testing.TB) log.Logger {
 	// already been done. We allow this in testing for convenience.
 	Init(nil)
 
+	// On cleanup, flush the global logger.
+	t.Cleanup(func() { globallogger.Get(true).Sync() })
+
 	return log.Scoped(t.Name(), "")
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +91,6 @@ func Captured(t testing.TB) (logger log.Logger, exportLogs func() []CapturedLog)
 	}))
 
 	return logger, func() []CapturedLog {
-		logger.Sync()
 		entries := entries.TakeAll()
 		logs := make([]CapturedLog, len(entries))
 		for i, e := range entries {