diff --git a/base/Makefile.am b/base/Makefile.am
index 51111332a..d93337638 100644
--- a/base/Makefile.am
+++ b/base/Makefile.am
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ libbase_la_SOURCES =  \
 	ringbuffer.h \
 	socket.cpp \
 	socket.h \
+	sysloglogger.cpp \
+	sysloglogger.h \
 	tcpclient.cpp \
 	tcpclient.h \
 	tcpserver.cpp \
diff --git a/base/application.cpp b/base/application.cpp
index 352cbf2e8..7d2d4c636 100644
--- a/base/application.cpp
+++ b/base/application.cpp
@@ -140,12 +140,16 @@ Component::Ptr Application::LoadComponent(const string& path,
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	HMODULE hModule = LoadLibrary(path.c_str());
-#else /* _WIN32 */
-	lt_dlhandle hModule = lt_dlopen(path.c_str());
-#endif /* _WIN32 */
 
 	if (hModule == NULL)
-		throw runtime_error("Could not load module");
+		throw Win32Exception("LoadLibrary('" + path + "') failed", GetLastError());
+#else /* _WIN32 */
+	lt_dlhandle hModule = lt_dlopen(path.c_str());
+
+	if (hModule == NULL) {
+		throw runtime_error("Could not load module '" + path + "': " +  lt_dlerror());
+	}
+#endif /* _WIN32 */
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	pCreateComponent = (CreateComponentFunction)GetProcAddress(hModule,
@@ -215,11 +219,11 @@ Component::Ptr Application::GetComponent(const string& name) const
 }
 
 /**
- * Retrieves the directory the application's binary is contained in.
+ * Retrieves the full path of the executable.
  *
- * @returns The directory.
+ * @returns The path.
  */
-string Application::GetExeDirectory(void) const
+string Application::GetExePath(void) const
 {
 	static string result;
 
@@ -268,18 +272,16 @@ string Application::GetExeDirectory(void) const
 	if (realpath(executablePath.c_str(), buffer) == NULL)
 		throw PosixException("realpath failed", errno);
 
-	executablePath = buffer;
+	result = buffer;
 #else /* _WIN32 */
 	char FullExePath[MAXPATHLEN];
 
 	if (!GetModuleFileName(NULL, FullExePath, sizeof(FullExePath)))
 		throw Win32Exception("GetModuleFileName() failed", GetLastError());
 
-	executablePath = FullExePath;
+	result = FullExePath;
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 
-	result = Utility::DirName(executablePath);
-
 	return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/base/application.h b/base/application.h
index 5b22e60af..9d8aa4930 100644
--- a/base/application.h
+++ b/base/application.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
 	void RunEventLoop(void);
-	string GetExeDirectory(void) const;
+	string GetExePath(void) const;
 
 private:
 	static Application::Ptr m_Instance; /**< The application instance. */
diff --git a/base/consolelogger.h b/base/consolelogger.h
index 93c525b7e..22b5e06ae 100644
--- a/base/consolelogger.h
+++ b/base/consolelogger.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ namespace icinga
 {
 
 /**
- * A logger that logs to stderr.
+ * A logger that logs to stdout.
  */
 class ConsoleLogger : public Logger
 {
diff --git a/base/i2-base.h b/base/i2-base.h
index 75e5bb289..2732a7df8 100644
--- a/base/i2-base.h
+++ b/base/i2-base.h
@@ -170,5 +170,6 @@ using boost::system_time;
 #include "threadpool.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 #include "consolelogger.h"
+#include "sysloglogger.h"
 
 #endif /* I2BASE_H */
diff --git a/base/sysloglogger.cpp b/base/sysloglogger.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..974d1248d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/sysloglogger.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#include "i2-base.h"
+
+using namespace icinga;
+
+/**
+ * Constructor for the SyslogLogger class.
+ *
+ * @param minSeverity Minimum severity for log messages.
+ */
+SyslogLogger::SyslogLogger(const string& ident, LogSeverity minSeverity)
+	: Logger(minSeverity)
+{
+//	openlog(ident.c_str(), 0, LOG_USER);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Processes a log entry and outputs it to syslog.
+ *
+ * @param entry The log entry.
+ */
+void SyslogLogger::ProcessLogEntry(const LogEntry& entry)
+{
+	char timestamp[100];
+
+	int severity;
+	switch (entry.Severity) {
+		case LogDebug:
+			severity = LOG_DEBUG;
+			break;
+		case LogInformation:
+			severity = LOG_INFO;
+			break;
+		case LogWarning:
+			severity = LOG_WARNING;
+			break;
+		case LogCritical:
+			severity = LOG_CRIT;
+			break;
+		default:
+			assert(!"Invalid severity specified.");
+	}
+
+	syslog(severity | LOG_USER, "%s", entry.Message.c_str());
+}
diff --git a/base/sysloglogger.h b/base/sysloglogger.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff2483928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/sysloglogger.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#ifndef SYSLOGLOGGER_H
+#define SYSLOGLOGGER_H
+
+namespace icinga
+{
+
+/**
+ * A logger that logs to syslog.
+ */
+class SyslogLogger : public Logger
+{
+public:
+	SyslogLogger(const string& ident, LogSeverity minSeverity);
+
+protected:
+	virtual void ProcessLogEntry(const LogEntry& entry);
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif /* SYSLOGLOGGER_H */
diff --git a/base/unix.h b/base/unix.h
index a0130dcc3..cebe038df 100644
--- a/base/unix.h
+++ b/base/unix.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <libgen.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 
 void Sleep(unsigned long milliseconds);
 
diff --git a/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp b/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
index 714b8a41f..bc2ab91b5 100644
--- a/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
+++ b/icinga/icingaapplication.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ int IcingaApplication::Main(const vector<string>& args)
 	ConsoleLogger::Ptr consoleLogger = boost::make_shared<ConsoleLogger>(LogInformation);
 	Logger::RegisterLogger(consoleLogger);
 
+	SyslogLogger::Ptr syslogLogger = boost::make_shared<SyslogLogger>("icinga", LogDebug);
+	Logger::RegisterLogger(syslogLogger);
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	Logger::Write(LogInformation, "icinga", "Icinga component loader");
 #else /* _WIN32 */
@@ -54,7 +57,7 @@ int IcingaApplication::Main(const vector<string>& args)
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	string componentDirectory = GetExeDirectory() + "/../lib/icinga2";
+	string componentDirectory = Utility::DirName(GetExePath()) + "/../lib/icinga2";
 	AddComponentSearchDir(componentDirectory);
 
 	/* register handler for 'component' config objects */