diff --git a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
index 739062f23..18dceafc2 100644
--- a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
+++ b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output.go
@@ -104,16 +104,14 @@ func (k *KinesisOutput) Close() error {
 	return errors.New("Error")
 }
 
-func formatmetric(k *KinesisOutput, point *client.Point) (string, error) {
+func FormatMetric(k *KinesisOutput, point *client.Point) (string, error) {
 	if k.Format == "string" {
 		return point.String(), nil
 	} else {
-		m := fmt.Sprintf("%+v,%+v,%+v %+v",
+		m := fmt.Sprintf("%+v,%+v,%+v",
 			point.Name(),
 			point.Tags(),
-			point.String(),
-			point.Time(),
-		)
+			point.String())
 		return m, nil
 	}
 }
@@ -153,7 +151,7 @@ func (k *KinesisOutput) Write(points []*client.Point) error {
 	for _, p := range points {
 		atomic.AddUint32(&sz, 1)
 
-		metric, _ := formatmetric(k, p)
+		metric, _ := FormatMetric(k, p)
 		d := kinesis.PutRecordsRequestEntry{
 			Data:         []byte(metric),
 			PartitionKey: aws.String(k.PartitionKey),
diff --git a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output_test.go b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output_test.go
index 778865c36..00abfb235 100644
--- a/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output_test.go
+++ b/outputs/kinesis/kinesis_output_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package kinesis_output
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/ec2metadata"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/kinesis"
+	"github.com/influxdb/telegraf/testutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -18,10 +18,14 @@ func TestConnectAndWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip("Skipping integration test in short mode")
 	}
 
+	k := &KinesisOutput{
+		Region: "us-west-2",
+	}
+
 	// Verify that we can connect kinesis endpoint. This test allows for a chain of credential
 	// so that various authentication methods can pass depending on the system that executes.
 	Config := &aws.Config{
-		Region: aws.String("us-west-1"),
+		Region: aws.String(k.Region),
 		Credentials: credentials.NewChainCredentials(
 			[]credentials.Provider{
 				&ec2rolecreds.EC2RoleProvider{Client: ec2metadata.New(session.New())},
@@ -33,9 +37,42 @@ func TestConnectAndWrite(t *testing.T) {
 
 	KinesisParams := &kinesis.ListStreamsInput{
 		Limit: aws.Int64(1)}
-	resp, err := svc.ListStreams(KinesisParams)
-
-	fmt.Println(resp)
+	_, err := svc.ListStreams(KinesisParams)
 
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("Unable to connect to Kinesis")
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestFormatMetric(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping integration test in short mode")
+	}
+
+	k := &KinesisOutput{
+		Format: "string",
+	}
+
+	p := testutil.MockBatchPoints().Points()[0]
+
+	valid_string := "test1,tag1=value1 value=1 1257894000000000000"
+	func_string, err := FormatMetric(k, p)
+
+	if func_string != valid_string {
+		t.Error("Expected ", valid_string)
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	k = &KinesisOutput{
+		Format: "custom",
+	}
+
+	valid_custom := "test1,map[tag1:value1],test1,tag1=value1 value=1 1257894000000000000"
+	func_custom, err := FormatMetric(k, p)
+
+	if func_custom != valid_custom {
+		t.Error("Expected ", valid_custom)
+	}
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }