diff --git a/src/base.h b/src/base.h
index 1c93f5a3..52b4b174 100644
--- a/src/base.h
+++ b/src/base.h
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned short high_precision_timestamps;
 	time_t loadts;
 	double loadavg[3];
+	buffer *syslog_facility;
 } server_config;
 
 typedef struct server_socket {
diff --git a/src/configfile.c b/src/configfile.c
index 1b2697bd..179d9642 100644
--- a/src/configfile.c
+++ b/src/configfile.c
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ static int config_insert(server *srv) {
 		{ "server.stream-response-body",       NULL, T_CONFIG_SHORT,   T_CONFIG_SCOPE_CONNECTION }, /* 77 */
 		{ "server.max-request-field-size",     NULL, T_CONFIG_INT,     T_CONFIG_SCOPE_SERVER     }, /* 78 */
 		{ "server.error-intercept",            NULL, T_CONFIG_BOOLEAN, T_CONFIG_SCOPE_CONNECTION }, /* 79 */
+		{ "server.syslog-facility",            NULL, T_CONFIG_STRING,  T_CONFIG_SCOPE_SERVER     }, /* 80 */
 
 		{ NULL,                                NULL, T_CONFIG_UNSET,   T_CONFIG_SCOPE_UNSET      }
 	};
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@ static int config_insert(server *srv) {
 	cv[73].destination = &(srv->srvconf.http_host_strict);
 	cv[74].destination = &(srv->srvconf.http_host_normalize);
 	cv[78].destination = &(srv->srvconf.max_request_field_size);
+	cv[80].destination = srv->srvconf.syslog_facility;
 
 	srv->config_storage = calloc(1, srv->config_context->used * sizeof(specific_config *));
 
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index 3c56d8fa..640b73fc 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -197,7 +197,70 @@ int open_logfile_or_pipe(server *srv, const char* logfile) {
 int log_error_open(server *srv) {
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG_H
 	/* perhaps someone wants to use syslog() */
-	openlog("lighttpd", LOG_CONS | LOG_PID, LOG_DAEMON);
+	int facility = 0;
+	if (!buffer_string_is_empty(srv->srvconf.syslog_facility)) {
+		static const struct facility_name_st {
+		  const char *name;
+		  int val;
+		} facility_names[] = {
+		    { "auth",     LOG_AUTH }
+		  #ifdef LOG_AUTHPRIV
+		   ,{ "authpriv", LOG_AUTHPRIV }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_CRON
+		   ,{ "cron",     LOG_CRON }
+		  #endif
+		   ,{ "daemon",   LOG_DAEMON }
+		  #ifdef LOG_FTP
+		   ,{ "ftp",      LOG_FTP }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_KERN
+		   ,{ "kern",     LOG_KERN }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_LPR
+		   ,{ "lpr",      LOG_LPR }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_MAIL
+		   ,{ "mail",     LOG_MAIL }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_NEWS
+		   ,{ "news",     LOG_NEWS }
+		  #endif
+		   ,{ "security", LOG_AUTH }           /* DEPRECATED */
+		  #ifdef LOG_SYSLOG
+		   ,{ "syslog",   LOG_SYSLOG }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_USER
+		   ,{ "user",     LOG_USER }
+		  #endif
+		  #ifdef LOG_UUCP
+		   ,{ "uucp",     LOG_UUCP }
+		  #endif
+		   ,{ "local0",   LOG_LOCAL0 }
+		   ,{ "local1",   LOG_LOCAL1 }
+		   ,{ "local2",   LOG_LOCAL2 }
+		   ,{ "local3",   LOG_LOCAL3 }
+		   ,{ "local4",   LOG_LOCAL4 }
+		   ,{ "local5",   LOG_LOCAL5 }
+		   ,{ "local6",   LOG_LOCAL6 }
+		   ,{ "local7",   LOG_LOCAL7 }
+		};
+		unsigned int i;
+		for (i = 0; i < sizeof(facility_names)/sizeof(facility_names[0]); ++i) {
+			const struct facility_name_st *f = facility_names+i;
+			if (0 == strcmp(srv->srvconf.syslog_facility->ptr, f->name)) {
+				facility = f->val;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (0 == facility) {
+			log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "SBS",
+					"unrecognized server.syslog-facility: \"",
+					srv->srvconf.syslog_facility,
+					"\"; defaulting to \"daemon\" facility");
+		}
+	}
+	openlog("lighttpd", LOG_CONS | LOG_PID, facility ? facility : LOG_DAEMON);
 #endif
 
 	srv->errorlog_mode = ERRORLOG_FD;
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index cb695f80..c7f114e6 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ static server *server_init(void) {
 	CLEAN(srvconf.bindhost);
 	CLEAN(srvconf.event_handler);
 	CLEAN(srvconf.pid_file);
+	CLEAN(srvconf.syslog_facility);
 
 	CLEAN(tmp_chunk_len);
 #undef CLEAN
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ static void server_free(server *srv) {
 	CLEAN(srvconf.modules_dir);
 	CLEAN(srvconf.network_backend);
 	CLEAN(srvconf.xattr_name);
+	CLEAN(srvconf.syslog_facility);
 
 	CLEAN(tmp_chunk_len);
 #undef CLEAN