diff --git a/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLogger.php b/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLogger.php
index b1abd5bd5e..83c3fc3ce5 100644
--- a/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLogger.php
+++ b/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLogger.php
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ class SyslogLogger extends AbstractLogger
 	 */
 	private $logLevel;
 
+	/**
+	 * A error message of the current operation
+	 * @var string
+	 */
+	private $errorMessage;
+
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritdoc}
 	 * @param string $level       The minimum loglevel at which this logger will be triggered
@@ -141,8 +147,12 @@ class SyslogLogger extends AbstractLogger
 	 */
 	private function write($priority, $message)
 	{
-		if (!openlog(self::IDENT, $this->logOpts, $this->logFacility)) {
-			throw new InternalServerErrorException('Can\'t open syslog for ident "' . $this->channel . '" and facility "' . $this->logFacility . '""');
+		set_error_handler([$this, 'customErrorHandler']);
+		$opened = openlog(self::IDENT, $this->logOpts, $this->logFacility);
+		restore_error_handler();
+
+		if (!$opened) {
+			throw new \UnexpectedValueException(sprintf('Can\'t open syslog for ident "%s" and facility "%s": ' . $this->errorMessage, $this->channel, $this->logFacility));
 		}
 
 		$this->syslogWrapper($priority, $message);
@@ -172,6 +182,11 @@ class SyslogLogger extends AbstractLogger
 		return $logMessage;
 	}
 
+	private function customErrorHandler($code, $msg)
+	{
+		$this->errorMessage = preg_replace('{^(fopen|mkdir)\(.*?\): }', '', $msg);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * A syslog wrapper to make syslog functionality testable
 	 *
@@ -180,6 +195,12 @@ class SyslogLogger extends AbstractLogger
 	 */
 	protected function syslogWrapper($level, $entry)
 	{
-		syslog($level, $entry);
+		set_error_handler([$this, 'customErrorHandler']);
+		$written = syslog($level, $entry);
+		restore_error_handler();
+
+		if (!$written) {
+			throw new \UnexpectedValueException(sprintf('Can\'t write into syslog for ident "%s" and facility "%s": ' . $this->errorMessage, $this->channel, $this->logFacility));
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerTest.php b/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerTest.php
index 545f76b32f..fbd691d5eb 100644
--- a/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerTest.php
@@ -59,4 +59,15 @@ class SyslogLoggerTest extends AbstractLoggerTest
 
 		$logger->log('NOPE', 'a test');
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test when the logfacility is wrong (string)
+	 * @expectedException \UnexpectedValueException
+	 * @expectedExceptionMessageRegExp /Can\'t open syslog for ident ".*" and facility ".*": .* /
+	 */
+	public function testServerException()
+	{
+		$logger = new SyslogLoggerWrapper('test', $this->introspection, LogLevel::DEBUG, null, 'a string');
+		$logger->emergency('not working');
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerWrapper.php b/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerWrapper.php
index 63ad53690e..779067e28e 100644
--- a/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerWrapper.php
+++ b/tests/src/Util/Logger/SyslogLoggerWrapper.php
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ use Friendica\Util\Introspection;
 use Friendica\Util\Logger\SyslogLogger;
 use Psr\Log\LogLevel;
 
+/**
+ * Wraps the SyslogLogger for replacing the syslog call with a string field.
+ */
 class SyslogLoggerWrapper extends SyslogLogger
 {
 	private $content;