diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b69ea2ea9..c15d7c6d7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -149,6 +149,17 @@ AC_SEARCH_LIBS([clock_gettime], [rt],,[AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot find clock_gettime()
 AC_SUBST([rt_LIBS],[$LIBS])
 AX_RESTORE_FLAGS
 
+USE_JOURNAL="no"
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SYSTEMD], [libsystemd], [have_systemd=yes],[have_systemd=no])
+if test "x$enable_systemd_journal" = "xyes" ; then
+  if test "x$have_systemd" = "xyes" ; then
+     AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(USE_JOURNAL, 1, [Use systemd journal logging])
+     USE_JOURNAL="yes"
+  else
+     echo "systemd libraries not found, will just use syslog"
+  fi
+fi
+
 # look for testing harness "check"
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([CHECK], [check >= 0.9.4],[with_check=yes],[with_check=no])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_CHECK, test "${with_check}" = "yes")
@@ -538,6 +549,9 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([socket-dir],
 	[ SOCKETDIR="$withval" ],
 	[ SOCKETDIR="$localstatedir/run" ])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([systemd-journal],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-systemd-journal],[Allow use of systemd journal instead of syslog])])
+
 AC_ARG_WITH([force-sockets-config-file],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-force-sockets-config-file=FILE],[config file to force IPC to use filesystem sockets (Linux & Cygwin only) @<:@SYSCONFDIR/libqb/force-filesystem-sockets@:>@])],
 	[ FORCESOCKETSFILE="$withval" ],
@@ -701,7 +715,6 @@ AC_SUBST([FORCESOCKETSFILE])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SOCKETDIR], "$(eval echo ${SOCKETDIR})", [Socket directory])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([LOCALSTATEDIR], "$(eval echo ${localstatedir})", [localstate directory])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([PACKAGE_FEATURES], "${PACKAGE_FEATURES}", [quarterback built-in features])
-
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([FORCESOCKETSFILE], "$(eval echo ${FORCESOCKETSFILE})", [for sockets config file])
 
 # version parsing (for qbconfig.h)
@@ -763,6 +776,7 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT([  State information        = ${localstatedir}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  System configuration     = ${sysconfdir}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  SOCKETDIR                = ${SOCKETDIR}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  Features                 = ${PACKAGE_FEATURES}])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([  Use systemd journal      = ${USE_JOURNAL}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$PACKAGE build info:])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  Optimization             = ${OPT_CFLAGS}])
diff --git a/include/qb/qblog.h b/include/qb/qblog.h
index 004bb4918..a2366fcb1 100644
--- a/include/qb/qblog.h
+++ b/include/qb/qblog.h
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ enum qb_log_conf {
 	QB_LOG_CONF_IDENT,
 	QB_LOG_CONF_MAX_LINE_LEN,
 	QB_LOG_CONF_ELLIPSIS,
+	QB_LOG_CONF_USE_JOURNAL,
 };
 
 enum qb_log_filter_type {
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index dbde4de74..3fc036b88 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ EXTRA_libqb_la_DEPENDENCIES = qblog_script.ld qblog_script.la
 EXTRA_DIST		= qblog_script.ld.in qblog_script.la.in qblog_script_noop.ld
 
 libqb_la_SOURCES	= $(source_to_lint) unix.c
-libqb_la_CFLAGS		= $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
-libqb_la_LIBADD		= $(LTLIBOBJS) $(dlopen_LIBS) $(PTHREAD_LIBS) $(socket_LIBS) $(rt_LIBS)
+libqb_la_CFLAGS		= $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS) $(SYSTEMD_CFLAGS)
+libqb_la_LIBADD		= $(LTLIBOBJS) $(dlopen_LIBS) $(PTHREAD_LIBS) $(socket_LIBS) $(rt_LIBS) $(SYSTEMD_LIBS)
 
 AM_LDFLAGS 	= $(LDFLAGS_COPY:-Bsymbolic-functions=)
 
diff --git a/lib/libqb.pc.in b/lib/libqb.pc.in
index a18685cba..3819b93fa 100644
--- a/lib/libqb.pc.in
+++ b/lib/libqb.pc.in
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ Version: @PACKAGE_VERSION@
 Description: libqb
 Requires:
 Libs: -L${libdir} -lqb
-Libs.private: @LIBS@
+Libs.private: @LIBS@ @SYSTEMD_LIBS@
 Cflags: -I${includedir}
diff --git a/lib/log.c b/lib/log.c
index 2cdc106ba..952c42753 100644
--- a/lib/log.c
+++ b/lib/log.c
@@ -1134,6 +1134,17 @@ qb_log_ctl2(int32_t t, enum qb_log_conf c, qb_log_ctl2_arg_t arg_not4directuse)
 	case QB_LOG_CONF_ELLIPSIS:
 		conf[t].ellipsis = arg_i32;
 		break;
+	case QB_LOG_CONF_USE_JOURNAL:
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+		if (t == QB_LOG_SYSLOG) {
+			conf[t].use_journal = arg_i32;
+		} else {
+			rc = -EINVAL;
+		}
+#else
+		rc = -EOPNOTSUPP;
+#endif
+		break;
 
 	default:
 		rc = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/lib/log_int.h b/lib/log_int.h
index b460b1255..ef8811703 100644
--- a/lib/log_int.h
+++ b/lib/log_int.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ struct qb_log_target {
 	int32_t file_sync;
 	int32_t debug;
 	int32_t extended;
+	int32_t use_journal;
 	size_t size;
 	size_t max_line_length;
 	int32_t ellipsis;
diff --git a/lib/log_syslog.c b/lib/log_syslog.c
index cf86368d2..14f3f9e7a 100644
--- a/lib/log_syslog.c
+++ b/lib/log_syslog.c
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG_H
 #include <syslog.h>
 #endif /* HAVE_SYSLOG_H */
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+#define SD_JOURNAL_SUPPRESS_LOCATION
+#include <systemd/sd-journal.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "log_int.h"
 
 static void
@@ -57,7 +62,21 @@ _syslog_logger(int32_t target,
 	if (final_priority < LOG_EMERG) {
 		final_priority = LOG_EMERG;
 	}
-	syslog(final_priority, "%s", output_buffer);
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+	if (t->use_journal) {
+		sd_journal_send("PRIORITY=%d", final_priority,
+				"CODE_LINE=%d", cs->lineno,
+				"CODE_FILE=%s", cs->filename,
+				"CODE_FUNC=%s", cs->function,
+				"SYSLOG_IDENTIFIER=%s", t->name,
+				"MESSAGE=%s", output_buffer,
+				NULL);
+	} else {
+#endif
+		syslog(final_priority, "%s", output_buffer);
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+	}
+#endif
 	if (t->max_line_length > QB_LOG_MAX_LEN) {
 		free(output_buffer);
 	}
@@ -66,15 +85,22 @@ _syslog_logger(int32_t target,
 static void
 _syslog_close(int32_t target)
 {
-	closelog();
+	struct qb_log_target *t = qb_log_target_get(target);
+
+	if (!t->use_journal) {
+		closelog();
+	}
 }
 
 static void
 _syslog_reload(int32_t target)
 {
 	struct qb_log_target *t = qb_log_target_get(target);
-	closelog();
-	openlog(t->name, LOG_PID, t->facility);
+
+	if (!t->use_journal) {
+		closelog();
+		openlog(t->name, LOG_PID, t->facility);
+	}
 }
 
 int32_t
@@ -84,6 +110,8 @@ qb_log_syslog_open(struct qb_log_target *t)
 	t->reload = _syslog_reload;
 	t->close = _syslog_close;
 
-	openlog(t->name, LOG_PID, t->facility);
+	if (!t->use_journal) {
+		openlog(t->name, LOG_PID, t->facility);
+	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/check_log.c b/tests/check_log.c
index 2713b8df0..a3f987606 100644
--- a/tests/check_log.c
+++ b/tests/check_log.c
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
 #include <qb/qbutil.h>
 #include <qb/qblog.h>
 
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+#include <systemd/sd-journal.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "_syslog_override.h"
 
 extern size_t qb_vsnprintf_serialize(char *serialize, size_t max_len, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
@@ -976,8 +980,55 @@ START_TEST(test_zero_tags)
 }
 END_TEST
 
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+START_TEST(test_journal)
+{
+	int rc;
+	const char *msg;
+	size_t len;
+	pid_t log_pid;
+	sd_journal *jnl;
+	int count = 0;
+
+	qb_log_init("check_log", LOG_USER, LOG_DEBUG);
+	qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_SYSLOG, QB_LOG_CONF_ENABLED, QB_TRUE);
+	rc = qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_SYSLOG, QB_LOG_CONF_USE_JOURNAL, 1);
+	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
+	qb_log(LOG_ERR, "Test message 1 from libqb");
+
+	qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_BLACKBOX, QB_LOG_CONF_ENABLED, QB_TRUE);
+	rc = qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_BLACKBOX, QB_LOG_CONF_USE_JOURNAL, 1);
+	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, -EINVAL);
+	sleep(1);
+
+	/* Check it reached the journal */
+	rc = sd_journal_open(&jnl, 0);
+	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
+	rc = sd_journal_seek_tail(jnl);
+	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
+	SD_JOURNAL_FOREACH_BACKWARDS(jnl) {
+	    rc = sd_journal_get_data(jnl, "_PID", (const void **)&msg, &len);
+	    ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
+	    sscanf(msg, "_PID=%d", &log_pid);
+	    fprintf(stderr, "PID message = '%s' - pid = %d (pid=%d, parent=%d)\n", msg, log_pid, getpid(), getppid());
+	    if (log_pid == getpid()) {
+	        rc = sd_journal_get_data(jnl, "MESSAGE", (const void **)&msg, &len);
+		ck_assert_int_eq(rc, 0);
+		break;
+	    }
+	    if (++count > 20) {
+		    break;
+            }
+        }
+	sd_journal_close(jnl);
+	ck_assert_int_lt(count, 20);
+}
+END_TEST
+#else
 START_TEST(test_syslog)
 {
+	int rc;
+
 	qb_log_init("flip", LOG_USER, LOG_INFO);
 	qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_SYSLOG, QB_LOG_CONF_ENABLED, QB_TRUE);
 
@@ -989,9 +1040,14 @@ START_TEST(test_syslog)
 	qb_log(LOG_ERR, "second as flop");
 	ck_assert_str_eq(_syslog_ident, "flop");
 
+	/* This test only runs if USE_JOURNAL is undefined, so should always fail */
+	rc = qb_log_ctl(QB_LOG_SYSLOG, QB_LOG_CONF_USE_JOURNAL, 1);
+	ck_assert_int_eq(rc, -EOPNOTSUPP);
+
 	qb_log_fini();
 }
 END_TEST
+#endif
 
 static Suite *
 log_suite(void)
@@ -1015,7 +1071,15 @@ log_suite(void)
 #endif
 	add_tcase(s, tc, test_extended_information);
 	add_tcase(s, tc, test_zero_tags);
+/*
+ * You can still use syslog and journal in a normal application,
+ * but the syslog_override code doesn't work when -lsystemd is present
+ */
+#ifdef USE_JOURNAL
+        add_tcase(s, tc, test_journal);
+#else
 	add_tcase(s, tc, test_syslog);
+#endif
 
 	return s;
 }