diff --git a/conf.py b/conf.py
index cb82602..e8ad1a6 100644
--- a/conf.py
+++ b/conf.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def _log(level, text, *args, logger=None, **kwargs):
     if logger:
         logger.log(level, text, *args, **kwargs)
     else:
-        world.log_queue.append((level, text))
+        world._log_queue.append((level, text))
 
 def validateConf(conf, logger=None):
     """Validates a parsed configuration dict."""
diff --git a/log.py b/log.py
index eee8cad..3df07bf 100644
--- a/log.py
+++ b/log.py
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ if files:
     for filename, config in files.items():
         makeFileLogger(filename, config.get('loglevel'))
 
-log.debug("log: Emptying log_queue")
+log.debug("log: Emptying _log_queue")
 # Process and empty the log queue
-while world.log_queue:
-    level, text = world.log_queue.popleft()
+while world._log_queue:
+    level, text = world._log_queue.popleft()
     log.log(level, text)
-log.debug("log: Emptied log_queue")
+log.debug("log: Emptied _log_queue")
 
 class PyLinkChannelLogger(logging.Handler):
     """
diff --git a/world.py b/world.py
index dd42640..6fda5e0 100644
--- a/world.py
+++ b/world.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ fallback_hostname = 'pylink.int'
 
 # Defines messages to be logged as soon as the log system is set up, for modules like conf that are
 # initialized before log. This is processed (and then not used again) when the log module loads.
-log_queue = deque()
+_log_queue = deque()
 
 # Determines whether we have a PID file that needs to be removed.
 _should_remove_pid = False