diff --git a/bashhist.c b/bashhist.c
index 9979f99..793c81f 100644
--- a/bashhist.c
+++ b/bashhist.c
@@ -754,6 +754,12 @@ extern char *shell_name;
 #define OPENLOG_OPTS 0
 #endif
 
+#if defined (SYSLOG_SHOPT)
+int syslog_history = SYSLOG_SHOPT;
+#else
+int syslog_history = 1;
+#endif
+
 void
 bash_syslog_history (line)
      const char *line;
@@ -851,7 +857,8 @@ bash_add_history (line)
     really_add_history (line);
 
 #if defined (SYSLOG_HISTORY)
-  bash_syslog_history (line);
+  if (syslog_history)
+    bash_syslog_history (line);
 #endif
 
   using_history ();
diff --git a/builtins/shopt.def b/builtins/shopt.def
index 2febb7e..38c398e 100644
--- a/builtins/shopt.def
+++ b/builtins/shopt.def
@@ -118,6 +118,10 @@ extern char *shell_name;
 extern int debugging_mode;
 #endif
 
+#if defined (SYSLOG_HISTORY) && defined (SYSLOG_SHOPT)
+extern int syslog_history;
+#endif
+
 static void shopt_error __P((char *));
 
 static int set_shellopts_after_change __P((char *, int));
@@ -223,6 +227,9 @@ static struct {
 #endif
   { "shift_verbose", &print_shift_error, (shopt_set_func_t *)NULL },
   { "sourcepath", &source_uses_path, (shopt_set_func_t *)NULL },
+#if defined (SYSLOG_HISTORY) && defined (SYSLOG_SHOPT)
+  { "syslog_history", &syslog_history, (shopt_set_func_t *)NULL },
+#endif
   { "xpg_echo", &xpg_echo, (shopt_set_func_t *)NULL },
   { (char *)0, (int *)0, (shopt_set_func_t *)NULL }
 };
diff --git a/config-top.h b/config-top.h
index cb0e002..39cf6b5 100644
--- a/config-top.h
+++ b/config-top.h
@@ -122,6 +122,13 @@
 #  define OPENLOG_OPTS LOG_PID
 #endif
 
+/* Define if you want syslogging history to be controllable at runtime via a
+   shell option; if defined, the value is the default for the syslog_history
+   shopt option */
+#if defined (SYSLOG_HISTORY)
+#define SYSLOG_SHOPT 0
+#endif
+
 /* Define if you want to include code in shell.c to support wordexp(3) */
 /* #define WORDEXP_OPTION */
 
diff --git a/doc/bash.1 b/doc/bash.1
index d6cee1d..9dfa0b3 100644
--- a/doc/bash.1
+++ b/doc/bash.1
@@ -9889,6 +9889,9 @@ If set, the
 to find the directory containing the file supplied as an argument.
 This option is enabled by default.
 .TP 8
+.B syslog_history
+If set, command history is logged to syslog.
+.TP 8
 .B xpg_echo
 If set, the \fBecho\fP builtin expands backslash-escape sequences
 by default.