diff --git a/src/cluster/Backend.cc b/src/cluster/Backend.cc
index c89fd74f8e..0068c64715 100644
--- a/src/cluster/Backend.cc
+++ b/src/cluster/Backend.cc
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ bool Backend::ProcessLogMessage(std::string_view format, byte_buffer_span payloa
     return zeek::log_mgr->WriteBatchFromRemote(result->header, std::move(result->records));
 }
 
+void Backend::SetNodeId(std::string nid) { node_id = std::move(nid); }
+
 bool ThreadedBackend::ProcessBackendMessage(int tag, byte_buffer_span payload) {
     return DoProcessBackendMessage(tag, payload);
 }
diff --git a/src/cluster/Backend.h b/src/cluster/Backend.h
index 3b0d956448..f451f3246e 100644
--- a/src/cluster/Backend.h
+++ b/src/cluster/Backend.h
@@ -361,6 +361,16 @@ protected:
      */
     bool ProcessLogMessage(std::string_view format, byte_buffer_span payload);
 
+    /**
+     * Set this backend's identifier to the given value.
+     *
+     * This may be called by backend implementations during DoInitPostScript() if
+     * their node identifier is generated internally.
+     *
+     * @param nid
+     */
+    void SetNodeId(std::string nid);
+
 private:
     /**
      * Called after all Zeek scripts have been loaded.