diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 161f5e15..0eb0f38d 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 xbps-0.37 (???):
 
+ * Enabled syslog logging by default, may be still disabled via xbps.conf.
+
  * Added support for system and configuration virtualpkg directories.
 
    The system virtualpkg directory set to <rootdir>/usr/share/xbps/virtualpkg.d contains
diff --git a/bin/xbps-install/state_cb.c b/bin/xbps-install/state_cb.c
index 80f3d4a2..ba9accd3 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-install/state_cb.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-install/state_cb.c
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 	const char *instver, *newver;
 	char *pkgname;
 	int rv = 0;
+	bool slog = false;
 
-	if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+	if ((xscd->xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG) == 0) {
+		slog = true;
 		openlog("xbps-install", LOG_CONS, LOG_USER);
 	}
 
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 		break;
 	case XBPS_STATE_INSTALL_DONE:
 		printf("%s: installed successfully.\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "Installed `%s' successfully "
 			    "(rootdir: %s).", xscd->arg,
 			    xscd->xhp->rootdir);
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 		break;
 	case XBPS_STATE_UPDATE_DONE:
 		printf("%s: updated successfully.\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "Updated `%s' successfully "
 			    "(rootdir: %s).", xscd->arg,
 			    xscd->xhp->rootdir);
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 		break;
 	case XBPS_STATE_REMOVE_DONE:
 		printf("%s: removed successfully.\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "Removed `%s' successfully "
 			    "(rootdir: %s).", xscd->arg,
 			    xscd->xhp->rootdir);
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 	case XBPS_STATE_REPOSYNC_FAIL:
 	case XBPS_STATE_CONFIG_FILE_FAIL:
 		xbps_error_printf("%s\n", xscd->desc);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", xscd->desc);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -152,7 +154,7 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 			return 0;
 
 		xbps_error_printf("%s\n", xscd->desc);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", xscd->desc);
 		}
 		break;
diff --git a/bin/xbps-reconfigure/main.c b/bin/xbps-reconfigure/main.c
index 46ae931d..300e7dbb 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-reconfigure/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-reconfigure/main.c
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ usage(bool fail)
 static int
 state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbd _unused)
 {
-	if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+	bool slog = false;
+
+	if ((xscd->xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG) == 0) {
+		slog = true;
 		openlog("xbps-reconfigure", LOG_CONS, LOG_USER);
 	}
 
@@ -61,19 +64,19 @@ state_cb(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbd _unused)
 	/* notifications */
 	case XBPS_STATE_CONFIGURE:
 		printf("%s: configuring ...\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog)
+		if (slog)
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "%s: configuring ...", xscd->arg);
 		break;
 	case XBPS_STATE_CONFIGURE_DONE:
 		printf("%s: configured successfully.\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog)
+		if (slog)
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE,
 			    "%s: configured successfully.", xscd->arg);
 		break;
 	/* errors */
 	case XBPS_STATE_CONFIGURE_FAIL:
 		xbps_error_printf("%s\n", xscd->desc);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog)
+		if (slog)
 			syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", xscd->desc);
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/bin/xbps-remove/main.c b/bin/xbps-remove/main.c
index 723bb3ea..5f17a865 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-remove/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-remove/main.c
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ usage(bool fail)
 static int
 state_cb_rm(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 {
-	if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+	bool slog = false;
+
+	if ((xscd->xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG) == 0) {
+		slog = true;
 		openlog("xbps-remove", LOG_CONS, LOG_USER);
 	}
 
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ state_cb_rm(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 		break;
 	case XBPS_STATE_REMOVE_DONE:
 		printf("Removed `%s' successfully.\n", xscd->arg);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "Removed `%s' successfully "
 			    "(rootdir: %s).", xscd->arg,
 			    xscd->xhp->rootdir);
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@ state_cb_rm(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 	/* errors */
 	case XBPS_STATE_REMOVE_FAIL:
 		xbps_error_printf("%s\n", xscd->desc);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", xscd->desc);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ state_cb_rm(struct xbps_state_cb_data *xscd, void *cbdata _unused)
 			return 0;
 
 		xbps_error_printf("%s\n", xscd->desc);
-		if (xscd->xhp->syslog) {
+		if (slog) {
 			syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s", xscd->desc);
 		}
 		break;
diff --git a/etc/xbps.conf b/etc/xbps.conf
index 4bbfb8b5..3f856fa7 100644
--- a/etc/xbps.conf
+++ b/etc/xbps.conf
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 # otherwise it's relative to rootdir.
 #cachedir=var/cache/xbps
 
-# comment it out to disable syslog logging.
-syslog=true
+# Set it to false to disable syslog logging.
+#syslog=true
 
 ## REPOSITORIES
 #
diff --git a/include/xbps.h.in b/include/xbps.h.in
index 47ad104d..f4d88cba 100644
--- a/include/xbps.h.in
+++ b/include/xbps.h.in
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
  *
  * This header documents the full API for the XBPS Library.
  */
-#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20140531"
+#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20140604"
 
 #ifndef XBPS_VERSION
  #define XBPS_VERSION		"UNSET"
@@ -198,6 +198,13 @@
  */
 #define XBPS_FLAG_FORCE_UNPACK 		0x00000040
 
+/**
+ * @def XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG
+ * Disable syslog logging, enabled by default.
+ * Must be set through the xbps_handle::flags member.
+ */
+#define XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG 	0x00000080
+
 /**
  * @def XBPS_FETCH_CACHECONN
  * Default (global) limit of cached connections used in libfetch.
@@ -594,14 +601,9 @@ struct xbps_handle {
 	 *  - XBPS_FLAG_FORCE_REMOVE_FILES
 	 *  - XBPS_FLAG_DEBUG
 	 *  - XBPS_FLAG_INSTALL_AUTO
+	 *  - XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG
 	 */
 	int flags;
-	/**
-	 * @var syslog
-	 *
-	 * Set it to true to enable syslog logging.
-	 */
-	bool syslog;
 };
 
 void xbps_dbg_printf(struct xbps_handle *, const char *, ...);
diff --git a/lib/initend.c b/lib/initend.c
index c36433bc..29b51a68 100644
--- a/lib/initend.c
+++ b/lib/initend.c
@@ -234,8 +234,11 @@ parse_file(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *path, bool nested, bool vpkgconf
 			snprintf(xhp->cachedir, sizeof(xhp->cachedir), "%s", v);
 		} else if (strcmp(k, "syslog") == 0) {
 			if (strcasecmp(v, "true") == 0) {
-				xhp->syslog = true;
+				xhp->flags &= ~XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG;
 				xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: syslog enabled\n", path);
+			} else {
+				xhp->flags |= XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG;
+				xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: syslog disabled\n", path);
 			}
 		} else if (strcmp(k, "repository") == 0) {
 			if (store_repo(xhp, v))
@@ -439,7 +442,7 @@ xbps_init(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "rootdir=%s\n", xhp->rootdir);
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "metadir=%s\n", xhp->metadir);
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "cachedir=%s\n", xhp->cachedir);
-	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "syslog=%s\n", xhp->syslog ? "true" : "false");
+	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "syslog=%s\n", xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_DISABLE_SYSLOG ? "false" : "true");
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "Architecture: %s\n", xhp->native_arch);
 	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "Target Architecture: %s\n", xhp->target_arch);