diff --git a/src/core/ngx_syslog.c b/src/core/ngx_syslog.c
index e6d40f48a..2555f29b8 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_syslog.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_syslog.c
@@ -234,11 +234,11 @@ ngx_syslog_writer(ngx_log_t *log, ngx_uint_t level, u_char *buf,
 
     peer = log->wdata;
 
-    if (peer->processing) {
+    if (peer->busy) {
         return;
     }
 
-    peer->processing = 1;
+    peer->busy = 1;
     peer->severity = level - 1;
 
     p = ngx_syslog_add_header(peer, msg);
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ ngx_syslog_writer(ngx_log_t *log, ngx_uint_t level, u_char *buf,
 
     (void) ngx_syslog_send(peer, msg, p - msg);
 
-    peer->processing = 0;
+    peer->busy = 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -267,6 +267,9 @@ ngx_syslog_send(ngx_syslog_peer_t *peer, u_char *buf, size_t len)
         }
     }
 
+    /* log syslog socket events with valid log */
+    peer->conn.log = ngx_cycle->log;
+
     if (ngx_send) {
         return ngx_send(&peer->conn, buf, len);
 
@@ -285,7 +288,6 @@ ngx_syslog_init_peer(ngx_syslog_peer_t *peer)
 
     peer->conn.read = &ngx_syslog_dummy_event;
     peer->conn.write = &ngx_syslog_dummy_event;
-    peer->conn.log = &ngx_syslog_dummy_log;
 
     ngx_syslog_dummy_event.log = &ngx_syslog_dummy_log;
 
@@ -339,6 +341,9 @@ ngx_syslog_cleanup(void *data)
 {
     ngx_syslog_peer_t  *peer = data;
 
+    /* prevents further use of this peer */
+    peer->busy = 1;
+
     if (ngx_close_socket(peer->conn.fd) == -1) {
         ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ALERT, ngx_cycle->log, ngx_socket_errno,
                       ngx_close_socket_n " failed");
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_syslog.h b/src/core/ngx_syslog.h
index 92d47d5f5..a9150516f 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_syslog.h
+++ b/src/core/ngx_syslog.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
     ngx_addr_t        server;
     ngx_connection_t  conn;
-    ngx_uint_t        processing;  /* unsigned processing:1; */
+    ngx_uint_t        busy;  /* unsigned busy:1; */
 } ngx_syslog_peer_t;