diff --git a/log.c b/log.c
index a16baaf..af974f8 100644
--- a/log.c
+++ b/log.c
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
 	return len;
 }
 
+int log_local_buf(const char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	if (log_syslog)
+		syslog(LOG_INFO, "%s", buf);
+	else
+		len = fwrite(buf, len, 1, f_out);
+
+	return len;
+}
+
 int log_local(const char *format, ...)
 {
 	char buffer[1024];
@@ -51,7 +61,10 @@
 
 	if (is_backend)
 		return fio_server_text_output(buffer, len);
-	else
+	else if (log_syslog) {
+		syslog(LOG_INFO, "%s", buffer);
+		return len;
+	} else
 		return fwrite(buffer, len, 1, f_out);
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +80,10 @@
 
 	if (is_backend)
 		return fio_server_text_output(buffer, len);
-	else {
+	else if (log_syslog) {
+		syslog(LOG_INFO, "%s", buffer);
+		return len;
+	} else {
 		if (f_err != stderr) {
 			int fio_unused ret;