diff --git a/src/Reporter.cc b/src/Reporter.cc
index 145bce4aea..a652ba50d6 100644
--- a/src/Reporter.cc
+++ b/src/Reporter.cc
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Reporter::Reporter(bool arg_abort_on_scripting_errors)
 	weird_sampling_duration = 0;
 	weird_sampling_threshold = 0;
 
-	openlog("bro", 0, LOG_LOCAL5);
+	syslog_open = false;
 	}
 
 Reporter::~Reporter()
@@ -265,6 +265,12 @@ void Reporter::Syslog(const char* fmt, ...)
 	if ( run_state::reading_traces )
 		return;
 
+	if ( ! syslog_open )
+		{
+		openlog("bro", 0, LOG_LOCAL5);
+		syslog_open = true;
+		}
+
 	va_list ap;
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 	vsyslog(LOG_NOTICE, fmt, ap);
diff --git a/src/Reporter.h b/src/Reporter.h
index be5515ee11..12ed830f00 100644
--- a/src/Reporter.h
+++ b/src/Reporter.h
@@ -325,6 +325,7 @@ private:
 
 	int errors;
 	bool via_events;
+	bool syslog_open;
 	int in_error_handler;
 	bool info_to_stderr;
 	bool warnings_to_stderr;