diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b054ebd..0b152f7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -31,12 +31,15 @@ AC_C_INLINE
 AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([systemd],
-  [ AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemd],[Add systemd logging support])],
+  [ AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemd],[Add systemd-lib support])]
 )
 AS_IF(
-  [test "x$with_systemd" = xyes],
-    [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_SYSTEMD, 1, [systemd support])]
-)
+  [test "x$with_systemd" = xyes], [
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SYSTEMD], [libsystemd-journal], [journal_lib=yes])
+    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBSYSTEMD, 1, [systemd support])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([systemd], [sd_journal_print_with_location])
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([systemd], [sd_journal_print])
+])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([glib2],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--without-glib2],
diff --git a/irqbalance.c b/irqbalance.c
index f25e9a9..a5079b9 100644
--- a/irqbalance.c
+++ b/irqbalance.c
@@ -85,9 +85,7 @@ struct option lopts[] = {
 	{"deepestcache", 1, NULL, 'c'},
 	{"policyscript", 1, NULL, 'l'},
 	{"pid", 1, NULL, 's'},
-#ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
 	{"journal", 0, NULL, 'j'},
-#endif /* HAVE_SYSTEMD */
 	{0, 0, 0, 0}
 };
 
@@ -178,13 +176,10 @@ static void parse_command_line(int argc, char **argv)
 			case 's':
 				pidfile = optarg;
 				break;
-#ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
 			case 'j':
 				journal_logging=1;
 				foreground_mode=1;
-				debug_mode=1;
 				break;
-#endif /* HAVE_SYSTEMD */
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -270,13 +265,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 		foreground_mode=1;
 	if (argc>1 && strstr(argv[1],"--oneshot"))
 		one_shot_mode=1;
-#	ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
 	if (argc>1 && strstr(argv[1],"--journal")) {
 		journal_logging=1;
 		foreground_mode=1;
-		debug_mode=1;
 	}
-#	endif /* HAVE_SYSTEMD */
 #endif /* HAVE_GETOPT_LONG */
 
 	/*
diff --git a/irqbalance.h b/irqbalance.h
index 98d2193..a498dc2 100644
--- a/irqbalance.h
+++ b/irqbalance.h
@@ -12,12 +12,17 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 
 #include "types.h"
+#include "config.h"
 #ifdef HAVE_NUMA_H
 #include <numa.h>
 #else
 #define numa_available() -1
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSYSTEMD
+#include <systemd/sd-journal.h>
+#endif
+
 extern int package_count;
 extern int cache_domain_count;
 extern int core_count;
@@ -137,9 +142,22 @@ static inline void for_each_object(GList *list, void (*cb)(struct topo_obj *obj,
 
 extern char * log_indent;
 extern unsigned int log_mask;
-#ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBSYSTEMD
 #define log(mask, lvl, fmt, args...) do {					\
-	if (journal_logging) { 							\
+	if (journal_logging) {							\
+		sd_journal_print(lvl, fmt, ##args);				\
+		if (log_mask & mask & TO_CONSOLE)				\
+			printf(fmt, ##args);					\
+	} else { 								\
+		if (log_mask & mask & TO_SYSLOG) 				\
+			syslog(lvl, fmt, ##args); 				\
+		if (log_mask & mask & TO_CONSOLE) 				\
+			printf(fmt, ##args); 					\
+	} 									\
+}while(0)
+#else /* ! HAVE_LIBSYSTEMD */
+#define log(mask, lvl, fmt, args...) do {					\
+	if (journal_logging) {							\
 		printf("<%d>", lvl); 						\
 		printf(fmt, ##args);						\
 	} else { 								\
@@ -149,14 +167,7 @@ extern unsigned int log_mask;
 			printf(fmt, ##args); 					\
 	} 									\
 }while(0)
-#else /* ! HAVE_SYSTEMD */
-#define log(mask, lvl, fmt, args...) do {\
-	if (log_mask & mask & TO_SYSLOG)\
-		syslog(lvl, fmt, ##args);\
-	if (log_mask & mask & TO_CONSOLE)\
-		printf(fmt, ##args);\
-}while(0)
-#endif /* HAVE_SYSTEMD */
+#endif /* HAVE_LIBSYSTEMD */
 
 #endif /* __INCLUDE_GUARD_IRQBALANCE_H_ */