diff --git a/Documentation/git-daemon.txt b/Documentation/git-daemon.txt
index 3c91db7bed..56d54a4898 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-daemon.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-daemon.txt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 	     [--inetd |
 	      [--listen=<host_or_ipaddr>] [--port=<n>]
 	      [--user=<user> [--group=<group>]]]
+	     [--log-destination=(stderr|syslog|none)]
 	     [<directory>...]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ OPTIONS
 	do not have the 'git-daemon-export-ok' file.
 
 --inetd::
-	Have the server run as an inetd service. Implies --syslog.
+	Have the server run as an inetd service. Implies --syslog (may be
+	overridden with `--log-destination=`).
 	Incompatible with --detach, --port, --listen, --user and --group
 	options.
 
@@ -110,8 +112,28 @@ OPTIONS
 	zero for no limit.
 
 --syslog::
-	Log to syslog instead of stderr. Note that this option does not imply
-	--verbose, thus by default only error conditions will be logged.
+	Short for `--log-destination=syslog`.
+
+--log-destination=<destination>::
+	Send log messages to the specified destination.
+	Note that this option does not imply --verbose,
+	thus by default only error conditions will be logged.
+	The <destination> must be one of:
++
+--
+stderr::
+	Write to standard error.
+	Note that if `--detach` is specified,
+	the process disconnects from the real standard error,
+	making this destination effectively equivalent to `none`.
+syslog::
+	Write to syslog, using the `git-daemon` identifier.
+none::
+	Disable all logging.
+--
++
+The default destination is `syslog` if `--inetd` or `--detach` is specified,
+otherwise `stderr`.
 
 --user-path::
 --user-path=<path>::
diff --git a/daemon.c b/daemon.c
index 72dfeaf6e2..fe833ea7de 100644
--- a/daemon.c
+++ b/daemon.c
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@
 #define initgroups(x, y) (0) /* nothing */
 #endif
 
-static int log_syslog;
+static enum log_destination {
+	LOG_DESTINATION_UNSET = -1,
+	LOG_DESTINATION_NONE = 0,
+	LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR = 1,
+	LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG = 2,
+} log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_UNSET;
 static int verbose;
 static int reuseaddr;
 static int informative_errors;
@@ -25,6 +30,7 @@ static const char daemon_usage[] =
 "           [--access-hook=<path>]\n"
 "           [--inetd | [--listen=<host_or_ipaddr>] [--port=<n>]\n"
 "                      [--detach] [--user=<user> [--group=<group>]]\n"
+"           [--log-destination=(stderr|syslog|none)]\n"
 "           [<directory>...]";
 
 /* List of acceptable pathname prefixes */
@@ -74,11 +80,14 @@ static const char *get_ip_address(struct hostinfo *hi)
 
 static void logreport(int priority, const char *err, va_list params)
 {
-	if (log_syslog) {
+	switch (log_destination) {
+	case LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG: {
 		char buf[1024];
 		vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), err, params);
 		syslog(priority, "%s", buf);
-	} else {
+		break;
+	}
+	case LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR:
 		/*
 		 * Since stderr is set to buffered mode, the
 		 * logging of different processes will not overlap
@@ -88,6 +97,11 @@ static void logreport(int priority, const char *err, va_list params)
 		vfprintf(stderr, err, params);
 		fputc('\n', stderr);
 		fflush(stderr);
+		break;
+	case LOG_DESTINATION_NONE:
+		break;
+	case LOG_DESTINATION_UNSET:
+		BUG("log destination not initialized correctly");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1286,7 +1300,6 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--inetd")) {
 			inetd_mode = 1;
-			log_syslog = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--verbose")) {
@@ -1294,9 +1307,22 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--syslog")) {
-			log_syslog = 1;
+			log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG;
 			continue;
 		}
+		if (skip_prefix(arg, "--log-destination=", &v)) {
+			if (!strcmp(v, "syslog")) {
+				log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG;
+				continue;
+			} else if (!strcmp(v, "stderr")) {
+				log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR;
+				continue;
+			} else if (!strcmp(v, "none")) {
+				log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_NONE;
+				continue;
+			} else
+				die("unknown log destination '%s'", v);
+		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--export-all")) {
 			export_all_trees = 1;
 			continue;
@@ -1353,7 +1379,6 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		}
 		if (!strcmp(arg, "--detach")) {
 			detach = 1;
-			log_syslog = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (skip_prefix(arg, "--user=", &v)) {
@@ -1399,7 +1424,14 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		usage(daemon_usage);
 	}
 
-	if (log_syslog) {
+	if (log_destination == LOG_DESTINATION_UNSET) {
+		if (inetd_mode || detach)
+			log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG;
+		else
+			log_destination = LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR;
+	}
+
+	if (log_destination == LOG_DESTINATION_SYSLOG) {
 		openlog("git-daemon", LOG_PID, LOG_DAEMON);
 		set_die_routine(daemon_die);
 	} else