diff --git a/nix/vm-tests/hive-squid.nix b/nix/vm-tests/hive-squid.nix
index c591020d6..426bb1737 100644
--- a/nix/vm-tests/hive-squid.nix
+++ b/nix/vm-tests/hive-squid.nix
@@ -643,14 +643,14 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
         proxy.succeed("mv -f /run/credstore/kept /run/credstore/hive-squid.selfcheck")
 
     with checked("squid's access log reaches the journal under squid.service, with the user"):
-        journal = proxy.succeed("journalctl -u squid.service -o cat")
-        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_TUNNEL/200 .* CONNECT forge\.t\.local:443 atlas ", journal), journal
-        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_TUNNEL/200 .* CONNECT other\.t\.local:443 uma ", journal), journal
-        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/407 .* CONNECT forge\.t\.local:443 - ", journal), journal
-        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/403 .* CONNECT other\.t\.local:443 atlas ", journal), journal
-        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/403 .* CONNECT loop\.t\.local:443 ", journal), journal
+        access_log = proxy.succeed("journalctl -u squid.service -o cat")
+        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_TUNNEL/200 .* CONNECT forge\.t\.local:443 atlas ", access_log), access_log
+        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_TUNNEL/200 .* CONNECT other\.t\.local:443 uma ", access_log), access_log
+        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/407 .* CONNECT forge\.t\.local:443 - ", access_log), access_log
+        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/403 .* CONNECT other\.t\.local:443 atlas ", access_log), access_log
+        assert re.search(r"192\.168\.1\.3 TCP_DENIED/403 .* CONNECT loop\.t\.local:443 ", access_log), access_log
         # Exporter scrapes are cachemgr requests and stay out of the log.
-        assert "squid-internal-mgr" not in journal, journal
+        assert "squid-internal-mgr" not in access_log, access_log
 
     with checked("the exporter serves squid's counters on loopback"):
         metrics = proxy.succeed("curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:9301/metrics")