diff --git a/bin/cryptobox.conf b/bin/cryptobox.conf
index 0262b23..31c80c8 100644
--- a/bin/cryptobox.conf
+++ b/bin/cryptobox.conf
@@ -99,3 +99,8 @@ CryptoBoxRootActions = CryptoBoxRootActionsLocal
 #[[network]]
 #interface = eth0
 
+## Uncomment the following lines to enable downloads of system
+## logfiles via frontend. Make sure they are readable for the uid the
+## cryptobox server runs with.
+#[[logs]]
+#syslogfile = /var/log/syslog
diff --git a/plugins/logs/language.hdf b/plugins/logs/language.hdf
index 6af1d81..11f18a1 100644
--- a/plugins/logs/language.hdf
+++ b/plugins/logs/language.hdf
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Text {
 	AtLeastWarnings	= Show warnings and errors
 	OnlyErrors	= Show errors only
 	DownloadLogFile	= Download complete log
+	DownloadSysLogFile	= Download complete syslog
 	AgeOfEvent	= Time passed
 	EventText	= Description
 	TimeUnits {
diff --git a/plugins/logs/logs.py b/plugins/logs/logs.py
index 5a6766b..5910e3c 100644
--- a/plugins/logs/logs.py
+++ b/plugins/logs/logs.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 __revision__ = "$Id$"
 
 import cryptobox.plugins.base
-import re
+import re, os
 import datetime
 import cherrypy
 
@@ -71,6 +71,20 @@ class logs(cryptobox.plugins.base.CryptoBoxPlugin):
 			self.__set_line_hdf_data(self.hdf_prefix + "Content.%d" % index, line)
 		self.hdf[self.hdf_prefix + "Destination"] = \
 				self.cbox.prefs["Log"]["Destination"].lower()
+
+		## this generates more download buttons if the files are available
+		try:
+			syslogfile = self.defaults["syslogfile"].lower()
+			if os.access(syslogfile, os.R_OK):
+				self.cbox.log.info("[logs]->syslogfile: '%s' will be exported" % syslogfile)
+				self.hdf[self.hdf_prefix + "syslogfile"] = "readable"
+			else:
+				self.cbox.log.warn("[logs]->syslogfile: '%s' is not readable for cryptobox user" % syslogfile)
+				self.hdf[self.hdf_prefix + "syslogfile"] = "not readable"
+		except KeyError:
+			self.cbox.log.error(
+					"could not evaluate the config setting: "
+					+ "[logs]->syslogfile")
 		return "show_log"
 
 
@@ -87,7 +101,6 @@ class logs(cryptobox.plugins.base.CryptoBoxPlugin):
 			return cherrypy.lib.cptools.serveFile(log_file,
 					disposition="attachment", name="cryptobox_logfile.txt")
 
-
 	def get_status(self):
 		"""The current status includes the log configuration details.
 		"""
diff --git a/plugins/logs/show_log.cs b/plugins/logs/show_log.cs
index 96c8dcb..314b3f2 100644
--- a/plugins/logs/show_log.cs
+++ b/plugins/logs/show_log.cs
@@ -66,10 +66,18 @@
 		</table>
 	<?cs call:print_form_header("download-log", "downloads/logs") ?>
 		<p style="text-align:center">	
-		<button type="submit" value="refresh"><?cs
-			var:html_escape(Lang.Plugins.logs.Text.DownloadLogFile) ?></button>
+			<button type="submit" value="refresh"><?cs
+				var:html_escape(Lang.Plugins.logs.Text.DownloadLogFile) ?></button>
 		</p>
 	</form>
+		<?cs if:Data.Plugins.logs.syslogfile == "readable" ?>
+			<?cs call:print_form_header("download-syslog", "syslog") ?>
+				<p style="text-align:center">	
+					<button type="submit" value="refresh"><?cs
+						var:html_escape(Lang.Plugins.logs.Text.DownloadSysLogFile) ?></button>
+				</p>
+			</form><?cs
+		/if ?>
 	<?cs else ?>
 		<p style="text-align:center">	
 		<?cs call:hint("Plugins.logs.EmptyLog") ?>
diff --git a/src/cryptobox/web/sites.py b/src/cryptobox/web/sites.py
index 68bf92b..6eeca34 100644
--- a/src/cryptobox/web/sites.py
+++ b/src/cryptobox/web/sites.py
@@ -434,7 +434,22 @@ class WebInterfaceSites:
 			time.sleep(1)
 		yield "</ul></p></html>"
 
-
+	@cherrypy.expose
+	def syslog(self, weblang="", help="0", device=None):
+		"""export syslog
+		"""
+		from cherrypy.lib.cptools import serveFile
+		try:
+			syslogfile = self.cbox.prefs["PluginSettings"]["logs"]["syslogfile"]
+			if os.access(syslogfile, os.R_OK):
+				return serveFile(syslogfile, disposition="attachment", name="syslog")
+			else:
+				self.cbox.log.error("'%s' could not be exposed" % syslogfile)
+		except KeyError:
+			self.cbox.log.error(
+					"could not evaluate the config setting: "
+					+ "[logs]->syslogfile %s")
+	
 
 	##################### input checker ##########################