diff --git a/fetchmail.changes b/fetchmail.changes
index 01b26c4..fa944be 100644
--- a/fetchmail.changes
+++ b/fetchmail.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fri Mar  2 19:32:52 UTC 2018 - pmonrealgonzalez@suse.com
+
+- By default, the status messages are redirected to 
+  /var/log/fetchmail. The syslog option or no-logging are also
+  available. (bsc#1033081)
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Thu Nov 23 13:43:10 UTC 2017 - rbrown@suse.com
 
diff --git a/fetchmail.exec b/fetchmail.exec
index a9d4964..b0b0d32 100644
--- a/fetchmail.exec
+++ b/fetchmail.exec
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@ OPTS="-d $FETCHMAIL_POLLING_INTERVAL"
 [ "`whoami`" = "fetchmail" -a -z "$FETCHMAILHOME" ] && \
     export FETCHMAILHOME=/var/lib/fetchmail
 
-if [ "$FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE" = "syslog" -o "$FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE" = "" ]; then
-    OPTS="$OPTS --syslog"
-else
-    OPTS="$OPTS -L $FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE"
+if [ ! -z "$FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE" ] ; then
+    if [ "$FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE" = "syslog" ]; then
+        OPTS="$OPTS --syslog"
+    else
+        OPTS="$OPTS -L $FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE"
+    fi
 fi
 
 exec /usr/bin/fetchmail $OPTS $FETCHMAIL_EXPERT_OPTIONS \
diff --git a/fetchmail.spec b/fetchmail.spec
index 443ac0a..ca0c2db 100644
--- a/fetchmail.spec
+++ b/fetchmail.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package fetchmail
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2017 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
+# Copyright (c) 2018 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
diff --git a/sysconfig.fetchmail b/sysconfig.fetchmail
index b83f942..2df208b 100644
--- a/sysconfig.fetchmail
+++ b/sysconfig.fetchmail
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ FETCHMAIL_FETCHALL="yes"
 FETCHMAIL_SILENT="no"
 
 ## Type:        string
-## Default:     "syslog"
-## Options:     "syslog", "/path/to/file"
+## Default:     "/var/log/fetchmail"
+## Options:     "/path/to/file", "syslog", ""
 #
 # This option allows to redirect status messages in daemon mode to the
-# specified log file or syslog(3) system if available. If empty, status
-# messages are redirected syslog.
+# specified log file or syslog(3) system if available. If empty, omits
+# any logging options.
 #
-FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE="syslog"
+FETCHMAIL_DEFAULT_LOGFILE="/var/log/fetchmail"
 
 ## Type:        string
 ## Default:     ""