diff --git a/tests/kafkatest/services/console_consumer.py b/tests/kafkatest/services/console_consumer.py
index 4df42b79e7e08..2124fc4efea37 100644
--- a/tests/kafkatest/services/console_consumer.py
+++ b/tests/kafkatest/services/console_consumer.py
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ def __init__(self, context, num_nodes, kafka, topic, group_id="test-consumer-gro
         self.messages_consumed = {idx: [] for idx in range(1, num_nodes + 1)}
         self.client_id = client_id
         self.print_key = print_key
-        self.log_values = True if version == TRUNK else False
         self.log_level = "TRACE"
 
     def prop_file(self, node):
@@ -192,7 +191,8 @@ def start_cmd(self, node):
         if self.print_key:
             cmd += " --property print.key=true"
 
-        if self.log_values:
+        # LoggingMessageFormatter was introduced in 0.9.0.0
+        if node.version > LATEST_0_8_2:
             cmd+=" --formatter kafka.tools.LoggingMessageFormatter"
 
         cmd += " 2>> %(stderr)s | tee -a %(stdout)s &" % args