diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 59a66ca65..3f31bec6a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ fi
 AC_HEADER_STDC
 AC_HEADER_TIME
 
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS([lrintf strlcpy daemon dirname basename strcasecmp localtime_r posix_fallocate memmem strtold])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([lrintf strlcpy daemon dirname basename strcasecmp localtime_r posix_fallocate memmem strtold syslog])
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 ACX_PTHREAD
diff --git a/daemon/daemon.c b/daemon/daemon.c
index 63474c164..6fcf97e62 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.c
+++ b/daemon/daemon.c
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 
 #include <fcntl.h> /* open */
 #include <signal.h>
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG
+#include <syslog.h>
+#endif
 #include <unistd.h> /* daemon */
 
 #include <event.h>
@@ -217,6 +220,55 @@ onFileAdded( tr_session * session, const char * dir, const char * file )
     }
 }
 
+static void
+pumpLogMessages( tr_bool foreground )
+{
+    const tr_msg_list * l;
+    tr_msg_list * list = tr_getQueuedMessages( );
+
+    for( l=list; l!=NULL; l=l->next )
+    {
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG
+        if( foreground )
+        {
+            char timestr[64];
+            tr_getLogTimeStr( timestr, sizeof( timestr ) );
+            if( l->name )
+                fprintf( stderr, "[%s] %s %s (%s:%d)\n", timestr, l->name, l->message, l->file, l->line );
+            else
+                fprintf( stderr, "[%s] %s (%s:%d)\n", timestr, l->message, l->file, l->line );
+        }
+        else /* daemon... write to syslog */
+        {
+            int priority;
+
+            /* figure out the syslog priority */
+            switch( l->level ) {
+                case TR_MSG_ERR: priority = LOG_ERR; break;
+                case TR_MSG_DBG: priority = LOG_DEBUG; break;
+                default: priority = LOG_INFO; break;
+            }
+
+            if( l->name )
+                syslog( priority, "%s %s (%s:%d)", l->name, l->message, l->file, l->line );
+            else
+                syslog( priority, "%s (%s:%d)", l->message, l->file, l->line );
+        }
+#else
+        {
+            char timestr[64];
+            tr_getLogTimeStr( timestr, sizeof( timestr ) );
+            if( l->name )
+                fprintf( stderr, "[%s] %s %s (%s:%d)\n", timestr, l->name, l->message, l->file, l->line );
+            else
+                fprintf( stderr, "[%s] %s (%s:%d)\n", timestr, l->message, l->file, l->line );
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+
+    tr_freeMessageList( list );
+}
+
 int
 main( int argc, char ** argv )
 {
@@ -324,7 +376,7 @@ main( int argc, char ** argv )
     }
 
     /* start the session */
-    mySession = tr_sessionInit( "daemon", configDir, FALSE, &settings );
+    mySession = tr_sessionInit( "daemon", configDir, TRUE, &settings );
     tr_sessionSaveSettings( mySession, configDir, &settings );
 
     if( tr_bencDictFindBool( &settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_RPC_AUTH_REQUIRED, &boolVal ) && boolVal )
@@ -356,13 +408,24 @@ main( int argc, char ** argv )
         tr_ctorFree( ctor );
     }
 
-    while( !closing )
-    {
+#ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG
+    if( !foreground )
+        openlog( MY_NAME, LOG_CONS, LOG_DAEMON );
+#endif
+
+    while( !closing ) {
         tr_wait( 1000 ); /* sleep one second */
         dtr_watchdir_update( watchdir );
+        pumpLogMessages( foreground );
     }
 
+    closelog( );
+
     /* shutdown */
+#if HAVE_SYSLOG
+    if( !foreground )
+        syslog( LOG_INFO, "%s", "Closing session" );
+#endif
     printf( "Closing transmission session..." );
     tr_sessionSaveSettings( mySession, configDir, &settings );
     dtr_watchdir_free( watchdir );
diff --git a/libtransmission/session.c b/libtransmission/session.c
index 68376db58..51b00dc74 100644
--- a/libtransmission/session.c
+++ b/libtransmission/session.c
@@ -589,6 +589,7 @@ tr_sessionInit( const char  * tag,
                 tr_bool       messageQueuingEnabled,
                 tr_benc     * clientSettings )
 {
+    int64_t i;
     tr_session * session;
     struct init_data data;
 
@@ -602,6 +603,10 @@ tr_sessionInit( const char  * tag,
     session->magicNumber = SESSION_MAGIC_NUMBER;
     tr_bencInitList( &session->removedTorrents, 0 );
 
+    /* nice to start logging at the very beginning */
+    if( tr_bencDictFindInt( clientSettings, TR_PREFS_KEY_MSGLEVEL, &i ) )
+        tr_setMessageLevel( i );
+
     /* start the libtransmission thread */
     tr_netInit( ); /* must go before tr_eventInit */
     tr_eventInit( session );
@@ -722,6 +727,9 @@ sessionSetImpl( void * vdata )
     assert( tr_bencIsDict( settings ) );
     assert( tr_amInEventThread( session ) );
 
+    if( tr_bencDictFindInt( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_MSGLEVEL, &i ) )
+        tr_setMessageLevel( i );
+
     if( tr_bencDictFindInt( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_UMASK, &i ) ) {
         session->umask = (mode_t)i;
         umask( session->umask );
@@ -732,8 +740,6 @@ sessionSetImpl( void * vdata )
         tr_sessionSetLazyBitfieldEnabled( session, boolVal );
     if( tr_bencDictFindInt( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_PEER_LIMIT_TORRENT, &i ) )
         tr_sessionSetPeerLimitPerTorrent( session, i );
-    if( tr_bencDictFindInt( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_MSGLEVEL, &i ) )
-        tr_setMessageLevel( i );
     if( tr_bencDictFindBool( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_PEX_ENABLED, &boolVal ) )
         tr_sessionSetPexEnabled( session, boolVal );
     if( tr_bencDictFindBool( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_DHT_ENABLED, &boolVal ) )
@@ -857,20 +863,6 @@ sessionSetImpl( void * vdata )
     else if( tr_bencDictFindBool( settings, TR_PREFS_KEY_ALT_SPEED_ENABLED, &boolVal ) )
         useAltSpeed( session, boolVal, FALSE );
 
-
-
-    fprintf( stderr, "what was passed in: \n%s\n", tr_bencToStr( settings, TR_FMT_JSON, NULL ) );
-
-    fprintf( stderr, "-=-=-=-=-=-\n" );
-
-    {
-    tr_benc tmp;
-    tr_bencInitDict( &tmp, 0 );
-    tr_sessionGetSettings( session, &tmp );
-    fprintf( stderr, "and the session's state now: \n%s\n", tr_bencToStr( &tmp, TR_FMT_JSON, NULL ) );
-    tr_bencFree( &tmp );
-    }
-
     --session->waiting;
 }