diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
index b01ea002842..77c78cc98ac 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ run_make_dist(Config) ->
             end;
         _ ->
             global:del_lock(LockId, [node()]),
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "(skip `$MAKE test-dist`)", []),
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "(skip `$MAKE test-dist`)", []),
             Config
     end.
 
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ query_node(Config, NodeConfig) ->
                    %% 3.7.x node. If this is the case, we can ignore
                    %% this and leave the `enabled_plugins_file` config
                    %% variable unset.
-                   ct:pal("NO RABBITMQ_FEATURE_FLAGS_FILE"),
+                   ct:log("NO RABBITMQ_FEATURE_FLAGS_FILE"),
                    Vars0
            end,
     cover_add_node(Nodename),
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ handle_nodes_in_parallel(NodeConfigs, Fun) ->
                          T1 = erlang:monotonic_time(),
                          Ret = Fun(NodeConfig),
                          T2 = erlang:monotonic_time(),
-                         ct:pal(
+                         ct:log(
                            ?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
                            "Time to run ~tp for node ~ts: ~b us",
                           [Fun,
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ handle_nodes_in_parallel(NodeConfigs, Fun) ->
 
 wait_for_node_handling([], Fun, T0, Results) ->
     T3 = erlang:monotonic_time(),
-    ct:pal(
+    ct:log(
       ?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
       "Time to run ~tp for all nodes: ~b us",
       [Fun, erlang:convert_time_unit(T3 - T0, native, microsecond)]),
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ configured_metadata_store(Config) ->
     end.
 
 configure_metadata_store(Config) ->
-    ct:pal("Configuring metadata store..."),
+    ct:log("Configuring metadata store..."),
     case configured_metadata_store(Config) of
         {khepri, FFs0} ->
             case enable_khepri_metadata_store(Config, FFs0) of
@@ -967,12 +967,12 @@ configure_metadata_store(Config) ->
                     Config1
             end;
         mnesia ->
-            ct:pal("Enabling Mnesia metadata store"),
+            ct:log("Enabling Mnesia metadata store"),
             Config
     end.
 
 enable_khepri_metadata_store(Config, FFs0) ->
-    ct:pal("Enabling Khepri metadata store"),
+    ct:log("Enabling Khepri metadata store"),
     FFs = [khepri_db | FFs0],
     lists:foldl(fun(_FF, {skip, _Reason} = Skip) ->
                         Skip;
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ stop_rabbitmq_node(Config, NodeConfig) ->
     NodeConfig.
 
 find_crashes_in_logs(NodeConfigs, IgnoredCrashes) ->
-    ct:pal(
+    ct:log(
       "Looking up any crash reports in the nodes' log files. If we find "
       "some, they will appear below:"),
     CrashesCount = lists:foldl(
@@ -1152,7 +1152,11 @@ find_crashes_in_logs(NodeConfigs, IgnoredCrashes) ->
                                        NodeConfig, IgnoredCrashes),
                              Total + Count
                      end, 0, NodeConfigs),
-    ct:pal("Found ~b crash report(s)", [CrashesCount]),
+    LogFn = case CrashesCount of
+        0 -> log;
+        _ -> pal
+    end,
+    ct:LogFn("Found ~b crash report(s)", [CrashesCount]),
     ?assertEqual(0, CrashesCount).
 
 count_crashes_in_logs(NodeConfig, IgnoredCrashes) ->
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_helpers.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_helpers.erl
index d9e34cf38fa..c9b351ddd6a 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_helpers.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_helpers.erl
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
 
 log_environment() ->
     Vars = lists:sort(fun(A, B) -> A =< B end, os:getenv()),
-    ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Environment variables:~n~ts",
+    ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Environment variables:~n~ts",
            [[io_lib:format("  ~ts~n", [V]) || V <- Vars]]).
 
 run_setup_steps(Config) ->
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ run_steps(Config, []) ->
     Config.
 
 redirect_logger_to_ct_logs(Config) ->
-    ct:pal(
+    ct:log(
       ?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
       "Configuring logger to send logs to common_test logs"),
     ok = logger:set_handler_config(cth_log_redirect, level, debug),
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ redirect_logger_to_ct_logs(Config) ->
 
     ok = logger:remove_handler(default),
 
-    ct:pal(
+    ct:log(
       ?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
       "Logger configured to send logs to common_test logs; you should see "
       "a message below saying so"),
@@ -433,12 +433,12 @@ ensure_rabbitmqctl_cmd(Config) ->
                 false ->
                     find_script(Config, "rabbitmqctl");
                 R ->
-                    ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+                    ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
                       "Using rabbitmqctl from RABBITMQCTL: ~tp~n", [R]),
                     R
             end;
         R ->
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
               "Using rabbitmqctl from rabbitmqctl_cmd: ~tp~n", [R]),
             R
     end,
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ find_script(Config, Script) ->
                     filelib:is_file(File)],
     case Locations of
         [Location | _] ->
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Using ~ts at ~tp~n", [Script, Location]),
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Using ~ts at ~tp~n", [Script, Location]),
             Location;
         [] ->
             false
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ ensure_rabbitmq_queues_cmd(Config) ->
                 R -> R
             end;
         R ->
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
               "Using rabbitmq-queues from rabbitmq_queues_cmd: ~tp~n", [R]),
             R
     end,
@@ -654,12 +654,12 @@ symlink_priv_dir(Config) ->
                     Target = filename:join([SrcDir, "logs", Name]),
                     case exec(["ln", "-snf", PrivDir, Target]) of
                         {ok, _} -> ok;
-                        _ -> ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+                        _ -> ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
                                     "Failed to symlink private_log directory.")
                     end,
                     Config;
                 not_found ->
-                    ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+                    ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
                            "Failed to symlink private_log directory."),
                     Config
             end
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ load_elixir(Config) ->
         {skip, _} = Skip ->
             Skip;
         ElixirLibDir ->
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Elixir lib dir: ~ts~n", [ElixirLibDir]),
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Elixir lib dir: ~ts~n", [ElixirLibDir]),
             true = code:add_pathz(ElixirLibDir),
             {ok, _} = application:ensure_all_started(elixir),
             Config
@@ -720,14 +720,18 @@ long_running_testsuite_monitor(TimerRef, Testcases) ->
             long_running_testsuite_monitor(TimerRef, Testcases1);
         ping_ct ->
             T1 = erlang:monotonic_time(seconds),
-            ct:pal(?STD_IMPORTANCE, "Testcases still in progress:~ts",
-              [[
+            InProgress = [
                   begin
                       TDiff = format_time_diff(T1, T0),
                       rabbit_misc:format("~n - ~ts (~ts)", [TC, TDiff])
                   end
                   || {TC, T0} <- Testcases
-                ]]),
+                ],
+            case InProgress of
+                [] -> ok;
+                _ -> ct:pal(?STD_IMPORTANCE, "Testcases still in progress:~ts",
+                         [InProgress])
+            end,
             long_running_testsuite_monitor(TimerRef, Testcases);
         stop ->
             timer:cancel(TimerRef)
@@ -905,7 +909,7 @@ exec([Cmd | Args], Options) when is_list(Cmd) orelse is_binary(Cmd) ->
     %% Because Args1 may contain binaries, we don't use string:join().
     %% Instead we do a list comprehension.
     ArgsIoList = [Cmd1, [[$\s, Arg] || Arg <- Args1]],
-    ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, Log1, [ArgsIoList, self()]),
+    ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, Log1, [ArgsIoList, self()]),
     try
         Port = erlang:open_port(
           {spawn_executable, Cmd1}, [
@@ -951,10 +955,10 @@ port_receive_loop(Port, Stdout, Options, Until, DumpTimer) ->
               Stdout =:= "",
           if
               DropStdout ->
-                  ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Exit code: ~tp (pid ~tp)",
+                  ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "Exit code: ~tp (pid ~tp)",
                          [X, self()]);
               true ->
-                  ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "~ts~nExit code: ~tp (pid ~tp)",
+                  ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "~ts~nExit code: ~tp (pid ~tp)",
                          [Stdout, X, self()])
           end,
           case proplists:get_value(match_stdout, Options) of
@@ -976,7 +980,7 @@ port_receive_loop(Port, Stdout, Options, Until, DumpTimer) ->
               DropStdout ->
                   ok;
               true ->
-                  ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "~ts~n[Command still in progress] (pid ~tp)",
+                  ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE, "~ts~n[Command still in progress] (pid ~tp)",
                          [Stdout, self()])
           end,
           port_receive_loop(Port, Stdout, Options, Until, stdout_dump_timer());
@@ -1101,7 +1105,7 @@ eventually({Line, Assertion} = TestObj, PollInterval, PollCount)
         ok ->
             ok;
         Err ->
-            ct:pal(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
+            ct:log(?LOW_IMPORTANCE,
                    "Retrying in ~bms for ~b more times due to failed assertion in line ~b: ~tp",
                    [PollInterval, PollCount - 1, Line, Err]),
             timer:sleep(PollInterval),