diff --git a/helper/timeutil/timeutil.go b/helper/timeutil/timeutil.go
index 6904b67517..56a20615af 100644
--- a/helper/timeutil/timeutil.go
+++ b/helper/timeutil/timeutil.go
@@ -17,6 +17,20 @@ func StartOfPreviousMonth(t time.Time) time.Time {
 	return time.Date(year, month, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, t.Location()).AddDate(0, -1, 0)
 }
 
+func StartOfDay(t time.Time) time.Time {
+	year, month, day := t.Date()
+	return time.Date(year, month, day, 0, 0, 0, 0, t.Location())
+}
+
+// IsCurrentDay checks if :t: is in the current day, as defined by :compare:
+// generally, pass in time.Now().UTC() as :compare:
+func IsCurrentDay(t, compare time.Time) bool {
+	thisDayStart := StartOfDay(compare)
+	queryDayStart := StartOfDay(t)
+
+	return queryDayStart.Equal(thisDayStart)
+}
+
 func StartOfMonth(t time.Time) time.Time {
 	year, month, _ := t.Date()
 	return time.Date(year, month, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, t.Location())
diff --git a/helper/timeutil/timeutil_test.go b/helper/timeutil/timeutil_test.go
index f4098e4675..df14a6fd17 100644
--- a/helper/timeutil/timeutil_test.go
+++ b/helper/timeutil/timeutil_test.go
@@ -223,6 +223,47 @@ func TestTimeutil_IsCurrentMonth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestTimeutil_IsCurrentDay checks if the test times equals the current day or not.
+func TestTimeutil_IsCurrentDay(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	testCases := []struct {
+		input    time.Time
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			input:    now,
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    StartOfDay(now).AddDate(0, 0, -1),
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    StartOfDay(now).AddDate(-1, 0, 0),
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    StartOfDay(now).Add(1 * time.Second),
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    StartOfDay(now).Add(-1 * time.Second),
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    StartOfDay(now).Add(86400), // a day is 86400 seconds
+			expected: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		result := IsCurrentDay(tc.input, now)
+		if result != tc.expected {
+			t.Errorf("invalid result. expected %t for %v", tc.expected, tc.input)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTimeUtil_ContiguousMonths(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		input    []time.Time
diff --git a/vault/census.go b/vault/census.go
index 03a9790147..e492ac2c88 100644
--- a/vault/census.go
+++ b/vault/census.go
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ import "time"
 // CensusAgent is a stub for OSS
 type CensusReporter interface{}
 
-func (c *Core) setupCensusManager() error                   { return nil }
-func (c *Core) BillingStart() time.Time                     { return time.Time{} }
-func (c *Core) AutomatedLicenseReportingEnabled() bool      { return false }
-func (c *Core) CensusAgent() CensusReporter                 { return nil }
-func (c *Core) ReloadCensus() error                         { return nil }
-func (c *Core) teardownCensusManager() error                { return nil }
-func (c *Core) StartManualCensusSnapshots()                 {}
-func (c *Core) ManualLicenseReportingEnabled() bool         { return false }
-func (c *Core) ManualCensusSnapshotInterval() time.Duration { return time.Duration(0) }
+func (c *Core) setupCensusManager() error                        { return nil }
+func (c *Core) BillingStart() time.Time                          { return time.Time{} }
+func (c *Core) AutomatedLicenseReportingEnabled() bool           { return false }
+func (c *Core) CensusAgent() CensusReporter                      { return nil }
+func (c *Core) ReloadCensus() error                              { return nil }
+func (c *Core) teardownCensusManager() error                     { return nil }
+func (c *Core) StartManualCensusSnapshots()                      {}
+func (c *Core) ManualLicenseReportingEnabled() bool              { return false }
+func (c *Core) ManualCensusSnapshotInterval() time.Duration      { return time.Duration(0) }
+func (c *Core) ManualCensusSnapshotRetentionTime() time.Duration { return time.Duration(0) }
diff --git a/vault/core.go b/vault/core.go
index 518b168aa3..5c631a5f8f 100644
--- a/vault/core.go
+++ b/vault/core.go
@@ -2419,7 +2419,7 @@ func (s standardUnsealStrategy) unseal(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, c
 	if !c.IsDRSecondary() {
 		if !c.perfStandby {
 			if err := c.setupCensusManager(); err != nil {
-				logger.Error("skipping license reporting for nil agent", "error", err)
+				logger.Error("failed to instantiate the license reporting agent", "error", err)
 			}
 		}