diff --git a/alsaloop/alsaloop.c b/alsaloop/alsaloop.c
index 20150dd..3b20682 100644
--- a/alsaloop/alsaloop.c
+++ b/alsaloop/alsaloop.c
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ void help(void)
 "-w,--workaround use workaround (serialopen)\n"
 "-U,--xrun      xrun profiling\n"
 "-W,--wake      process wake timeout in ms\n"
+"-z,--syslog    use syslog for errors\n"
 );
 	printf("\nRecognized sample formats are:");
 	for (k = 0; k < SND_PCM_FORMAT_LAST; ++k) {
@@ -334,6 +335,14 @@ static int add_oss_mixers(struct loopback *loop,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void enable_syslog(void)
+{
+	if (!use_syslog) {
+		use_syslog = 1;
+		openlog("alsaloop", LOG_NDELAY|LOG_PID, LOG_DAEMON);
+	}
+}
+
 static int parse_config_file(const char *file, snd_output_t *output);
 
 static int parse_config(int argc, char *argv[], snd_output_t *output,
@@ -368,6 +377,7 @@ static int parse_config(int argc, char *argv[], snd_output_t *output,
 		{"ossmixer", 1, NULL, 'O'},
 		{"workaround", 1, NULL, 'w'},
 		{"xrun", 0, NULL, 'U'},
+		{"syslog", 0, NULL, 'z'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0},
 	};
 	int err, morehelp;
@@ -405,7 +415,7 @@ static int parse_config(int argc, char *argv[], snd_output_t *output,
 	while (1) {
 		int c;
 		if ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv,
-				"hdg:P:C:X:Y:l:t:F:f:c:r:s:benvA:S:a:m:T:O:w:UW:",
+				"hdg:P:C:X:Y:l:t:F:f:c:r:s:benvA:S:a:m:T:O:w:UW:z",
 				long_option, NULL)) < 0)
 			break;
 		switch (c) {
@@ -417,8 +427,7 @@ static int parse_config(int argc, char *argv[], snd_output_t *output,
 			break;
 		case 'd':
 			daemonize = 1;
-			use_syslog = 1;
-			openlog("alsaloop", LOG_NDELAY|LOG_PID, LOG_DAEMON);
+			enable_syslog();
 			break;
 		case 'P':
 			arg_pdevice = strdup(optarg);
@@ -561,6 +570,9 @@ static int parse_config(int argc, char *argv[], snd_output_t *output,
 			if (cmdline)
 				arg_default_wake = arg_wake;
 			break;
+		case 'z':
+			enable_syslog();
+			break;
 		}
 	}