diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_jump_crash.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_jump_crash.go
index 0615c9799803..80b02198c636 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_jump_crash.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_jump_crash.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func runClockJump(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockJumpTestCase
 	// Wait for Cockroach to process the above cluster setting
 	time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
 
-	if !isAlive(db) {
+	if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 		t.Fatal("Node unexpectedly crashed")
 	}
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func runClockJump(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockJumpTestCase
 		// seconds before checking whether the node is alive and
 		// restarting it if not.
 		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
-		if !isAlive(db) {
+		if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 			c.Start(ctx, t, c.Node(1))
 		}
 	}()
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func runClockJump(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockJumpTestCase
 	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
 
 	t.Status("validating health")
-	aliveAfterOffset = isAlive(db)
+	aliveAfterOffset = isAlive(db, c.l)
 	if aliveAfterOffset != tc.aliveAfterOffset {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected node health %v, got %v", tc.aliveAfterOffset, aliveAfterOffset)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_monotonic.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_monotonic.go
index 7844b19c94fc..47220a0bfcc6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_monotonic.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_monotonic.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func runClockMonotonicity(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockMono
 	// Wait for Cockroach to process the above cluster setting
 	time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
 
-	if !isAlive(db) {
+	if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 		t.Fatal("Node unexpectedly crashed")
 	}
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func runClockMonotonicity(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockMono
 
 	// Recover from the injected clock offset after validation completes.
 	defer func() {
-		if !isAlive(db) {
+		if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 			t.Fatal("Node unexpectedly crashed")
 		}
 		// Stop cockroach node before recovering from clock offset as this clock
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func runClockMonotonicity(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockMono
 		offsetInjector.recover(ctx, c.spec.NodeCount)
 
 		c.Start(ctx, t, c.Node(c.spec.NodeCount))
-		if !isAlive(db) {
+		if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 			t.Fatal("Node unexpectedly crashed")
 		}
 	}()
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func runClockMonotonicity(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, tc clockMono
 	t.Status("starting cockroach post offset")
 	c.Start(ctx, t, c.Node(c.spec.NodeCount))
 
-	if !isAlive(db) {
+	if !isAlive(db, c.l) {
 		t.Fatal("Node unexpectedly crashed")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_util.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_util.go
index fd5887210e99..345675807faa 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_util.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/clock_util.go
@@ -17,13 +17,16 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-// isAlive returns whether the node queried by db is alive
-func isAlive(db *gosql.DB) bool {
+// isAlive returns whether the node queried by db is alive.
+func isAlive(db *gosql.DB, l *logger) bool {
 	_, err := db.Exec("SHOW DATABASES")
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Printf("isAlive returned err=%v\n", err)
+	}
 	return err == nil
 }
 
-// dbUnixEpoch returns the current time in db
+// dbUnixEpoch returns the current time in db.
 func dbUnixEpoch(db *gosql.DB) (float64, error) {
 	var epoch float64
 	if err := db.QueryRow("SELECT now()::DECIMAL").Scan(&epoch); err != nil {
@@ -32,13 +35,13 @@ func dbUnixEpoch(db *gosql.DB) (float64, error) {
 	return epoch, nil
 }
 
-// offsetInjector is used to inject clock offsets in roachtests
+// offsetInjector is used to inject clock offsets in roachtests.
 type offsetInjector struct {
 	c        *cluster
 	deployed bool
 }
 
-// deploy installs ntp and downloads / compiles bumptime used to create a clock offset
+// deploy installs ntp and downloads / compiles bumptime used to create a clock offset.
 func (oi *offsetInjector) deploy(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if err := oi.c.RunE(ctx, oi.c.All(), "test -x ./bumptime"); err == nil {
 		oi.deployed = true
@@ -71,7 +74,7 @@ func (oi *offsetInjector) deploy(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// offset injects a offset of s into the node with the given nodeID
+// offset injects a offset of s into the node with the given nodeID.
 func (oi *offsetInjector) offset(ctx context.Context, nodeID int, s time.Duration) {
 	if !oi.deployed {
 		oi.c.t.Fatal("Offset injector must be deployed before injecting a clock offset")
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ func (oi *offsetInjector) offset(ctx context.Context, nodeID int, s time.Duratio
 }
 
 // recover force syncs time on the node with the given nodeID to recover
-// from any offsets
+// from any offsets.
 func (oi *offsetInjector) recover(ctx context.Context, nodeID int) {
 	if !oi.deployed {
 		oi.c.t.Fatal("Offset injector must be deployed before recovering from clock offsets")
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ func (oi *offsetInjector) recover(ctx context.Context, nodeID int) {
 }
 
 // newOffsetInjector creates a offsetInjector which can be used to inject
-// and recover from clock offsets
+// and recover from clock offsets.
 func newOffsetInjector(c *cluster) *offsetInjector {
 	return &offsetInjector{c: c}
 }