diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c6ece26e6..e380203fd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -144,11 +144,16 @@ AC_SUBST([rt_LIBS],[$LIBS])
 AX_RESTORE_FLAGS
 
 USE_JOURNAL="no"
+QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS="no"
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([SYSTEMD], [libsystemd], [have_systemd=yes],[have_systemd=no])
 if test "x$enable_systemd_journal" = "xyes" ; then
   if test "x$have_systemd" = "xyes" ; then
      AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(USE_JOURNAL, 1, [Use systemd journal logging])
      USE_JOURNAL="yes"
+	 if test "x$enable_systemd_catalogs" = "xyes" ; then
+	   AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS, 1, [Use systemd catalogs])
+	   QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS="yes"
+	 fi
   else
      echo "systemd libraries not found, will just use syslog"
   fi
@@ -572,6 +577,9 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([socket-dir],
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([systemd-journal],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-systemd-journal],[Allow use of systemd journal instead of syslog])])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([systemd-catalogs],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-systemd-catalogs],[Allow use of systemd catalogs. Use together with --enable-systemd-journal])])
+
 AC_ARG_WITH([force-sockets-config-file],
   [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-force-sockets-config-file=FILE],[config file to force IPC to use filesystem sockets (Linux & Cygwin only) @<:@SYSCONFDIR/libqb/force-filesystem-sockets@:>@])],
 	[ FORCESOCKETSFILE="$withval" ],
@@ -875,6 +883,7 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT([  System configuration     = ${sysconfdir}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  SOCKETDIR                = ${SOCKETDIR}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  Features                 = ${PACKAGE_FEATURES}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  Use systemd journal      = ${USE_JOURNAL}])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([  Use systemd catalogs     = ${QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS}])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([$PACKAGE build info:])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([  Optimization             = ${OPT_CFLAGS}])
diff --git a/include/qb/qblog.h b/include/qb/qblog.h
index b659e4747..b11482fa4 100644
--- a/include/qb/qblog.h
+++ b/include/qb/qblog.h
@@ -252,7 +252,9 @@ typedef const char *(*qb_log_tags_stringify_fn)(uint32_t tags);
  * with the message-id
  */
 struct qb_log_callsite {
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
 	const char *message_id;
+#endif
 	const char *function;
 	const char *filename;
 	const char *format;
@@ -315,7 +317,10 @@ void qb_log_from_external_source(const char *function,
  * @param lineno file line number
  * @param tags the tag
  */
-struct qb_log_callsite* qb_log_callsite_get(const char *message_id,
+struct qb_log_callsite* qb_log_callsite_get(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+					    const char *message_id,
+#endif
 					    const char *function,
 					    const char *filename,
 					    const char *format,
@@ -323,7 +328,10 @@ struct qb_log_callsite* qb_log_callsite_get(const char *message_id,
 					    uint32_t lineno,
 					    uint32_t tags);
 
-void qb_log_from_external_source_va2(const char *message_id,
+void qb_log_from_external_source_va(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+				    const char *message_id,
+#endif
 				    const char *function,
 				    const char *filename,
 				    const char *format,
@@ -333,15 +341,6 @@ void qb_log_from_external_source_va2(const char *message_id,
 				    va_list ap)
 	__attribute__ ((format (printf, 3, 0)));
 
-void qb_log_from_external_source_va(const char *function,
-				    const char *filename,
-				    const char *format,
-				    uint8_t priority,
-				    uint32_t lineno,
-				    uint32_t tags,
-				    va_list ap)
-	__attribute__ ((format (printf, 3, 0)));
-
 /**
  * This is the function to generate a log message if you want to
  * manually add tags.
@@ -354,12 +353,21 @@ void qb_log_from_external_source_va(const char *function,
  * @param fmt usual printf style format specifiers
  * @param args usual printf style args
  */
-#define qb_logt(priority, tags, fmt, args...) do {	\
-	struct qb_log_callsite* descriptor_pt =		\
-	qb_log_callsite_get(NULL, __func__, __FILE__, fmt,	\
-			    priority, __LINE__, tags);	\
-	qb_log_real_(descriptor_pt, ##args);		\
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+#define qb_logt(priority, tags, fmt, args...) do {     \
+    struct qb_log_callsite* descriptor_pt =            \
+    qb_log_callsite_get(NULL, __func__, __FILE__, fmt, \
+                        priority, __LINE__, tags);     \
+    qb_log_real_(descriptor_pt, ##args);               \
     } while(0)
+#else
+#define qb_logt(priority, tags, fmt, args...) do {  \
+    struct qb_log_callsite* descriptor_pt =         \
+    qb_log_callsite_get(__func__, __FILE__, fmt,    \
+                        priority, __LINE__, tags);  \
+    qb_log_real_(descriptor_pt, ##args);            \
+    } while(0)
+#endif
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/log.c b/lib/log.c
index 0c24d1e50..542b50f8a 100644
--- a/lib/log.c
+++ b/lib/log.c
@@ -317,7 +317,10 @@ qb_log_thread_log_write(struct qb_log_callsite *cs,
 }
 
 struct qb_log_callsite*
-qb_log_callsite_get(const char *message_id,
+qb_log_callsite_get(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+		    const char *message_id,
+#endif
 		    const char *function,
 		    const char *filename,
 		    const char *format,
@@ -336,8 +339,11 @@ qb_log_callsite_get(const char *message_id,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	cs = qb_log_dcs_get(&new_dcs, message_id, function, filename,
-			    format, priority, lineno, tags);
+	cs = qb_log_dcs_get(&new_dcs,
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+			    message_id,
+#endif
+			    function, filename, format, priority, lineno, tags);
 	if (cs == NULL) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
@@ -382,7 +388,10 @@ qb_log_callsite_get(const char *message_id,
 }
 
 void
-qb_log_from_external_source_va2(const char *message_id,
+qb_log_from_external_source_va(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+			       const char *message_id,
+#endif
 			       const char *function,
 			       const char *filename,
 			       const char *format,
@@ -395,22 +404,14 @@ qb_log_from_external_source_va2(const char *message_id,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cs = qb_log_callsite_get(message_id, function, filename,
-				 format, priority, lineno, tags);
+	cs = qb_log_callsite_get(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+				 message_id,
+#endif
+				 function, filename, format, priority, lineno, tags);
 	qb_log_real_va_(cs, ap);
 }
 
-void
-qb_log_from_external_source_va(const char *function,
-			       const char *filename,
-			       const char *format,
-			       uint8_t priority,
-			       uint32_t lineno, uint32_t tags, va_list ap)
-{
-	qb_log_from_external_source_va2(NULL, function, filename,
-				   format, priority, lineno, tags, ap);
-}
-
 void
 qb_log_from_external_source(const char *function,
 			    const char *filename,
@@ -425,7 +426,11 @@ qb_log_from_external_source(const char *function,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	cs = qb_log_callsite_get(NULL, function, filename,
+	cs = qb_log_callsite_get(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+				 NULL,
+#endif
+				 function, filename,
 				 format, priority, lineno, tags);
 	va_start(ap, tags);
 	qb_log_real_va_(cs, ap);
diff --git a/lib/log_dcs.c b/lib/log_dcs.c
index f7758b26c..227e34ef8 100644
--- a/lib/log_dcs.c
+++ b/lib/log_dcs.c
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ _log_register_callsites(qb_array_t * a, uint32_t bin)
 }
 
 static struct qb_log_callsite *
-_log_dcs_new_cs(const char *message_id,
+_log_dcs_new_cs(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+		const char *message_id,
+#endif
 		const char *function,
 		const char *filename,
 		const char *format,
@@ -71,7 +74,9 @@ _log_dcs_new_cs(const char *message_id,
 	assert(rc == 0);
 	assert(cs != NULL);
 
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
 	cs->message_id = strdup(message_id);
+#endif
 	cs->function = strdup(function);
 	cs->filename = strdup(filename);
 	cs->format = strdup(format);
@@ -84,7 +89,9 @@ _log_dcs_new_cs(const char *message_id,
 
 struct qb_log_callsite *
 qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
 	       const char *message_id,
+#endif
 	       const char *function,
 	       const char *filename,
 	       const char *format,
@@ -95,14 +102,17 @@ qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
 	struct callsite_list *csl_head;
 	struct callsite_list *csl_last = NULL;
 	struct callsite_list *csl;
-	const char *safe_message_id = message_id;
 	const char *safe_filename = filename;
 	const char *safe_function = function;
 	const char *safe_format = format;
 
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+	const char *safe_message_id = message_id;
 	if (message_id == NULL) {
 		safe_message_id = "";
 	}
+#endif
+
 	if (filename == NULL) {
 		safe_filename = "";
 	}
@@ -127,7 +137,9 @@ qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
 	(void)qb_thread_lock(arr_next_lock);
 	if (csl_head->cs &&
 		priority == csl_head->cs->priority &&
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
 		strcmp(safe_message_id, csl_head->cs->message_id) == 0 &&
+#endif
 		strcmp(safe_filename, csl_head->cs->filename) == 0 &&
 		strcmp(safe_format, csl_head->cs->format) == 0) {
 		(void)qb_thread_unlock(arr_next_lock);
@@ -138,7 +150,11 @@ qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
 	 * so we will either have to create it or go through a list
 	 */
 	if (csl_head->cs == NULL) {
-		csl_head->cs = _log_dcs_new_cs(safe_message_id, safe_function,
+		csl_head->cs = _log_dcs_new_cs(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+					       safe_message_id,
+#endif
+					       safe_function,
 					       safe_filename, safe_format,
 					       priority, lineno, tags);
 		cs = csl_head->cs;
@@ -149,9 +165,7 @@ qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
 			assert(csl->cs->lineno == lineno);
 			if (priority == csl->cs->priority &&
 			    strcmp(safe_format, csl->cs->format) == 0 &&
-			    strcmp(safe_filename, csl->cs->filename) == 0 &&
-			    strcmp(safe_message_id, csl->cs->message_id) == 0)
-			{
+			    strcmp(safe_filename, csl->cs->filename) == 0) {
 			    cs = csl->cs;
 			    break;
 			}
@@ -163,7 +177,11 @@ qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t * newly_created,
 			if (csl == NULL) {
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
-			csl->cs = _log_dcs_new_cs(safe_message_id, safe_function,
+			csl->cs = _log_dcs_new_cs(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+						  safe_message_id,
+#endif
+						  safe_function,
 						  safe_filename, safe_format,
 						  priority, lineno, tags);
 			csl->next = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/log_int.h b/lib/log_int.h
index 3d17fd669..e45989400 100644
--- a/lib/log_int.h
+++ b/lib/log_int.h
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ void qb_log_thread_resume(struct qb_log_target *t);
 void qb_log_dcs_init(void);
 void qb_log_dcs_fini(void);
 struct qb_log_callsite *qb_log_dcs_get(int32_t *newly_created,
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
 				       const char *message_id,
+#endif
 				       const char *function,
 				       const char *filename,
 				       const char *format,
diff --git a/lib/log_syslog.c b/lib/log_syslog.c
index 40c34d340..2a569ad5f 100644
--- a/lib/log_syslog.c
+++ b/lib/log_syslog.c
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ _syslog_logger(int32_t target,
 	}
 #ifdef USE_JOURNAL
 	if (t->use_journal) {
-		sd_journal_send("MESSAGE_ID=%s", cs->message_id,
+		sd_journal_send(
+#ifdef QB_SUPPORTS_MESSAGE_IDS
+				"MESSAGE_ID=%s", cs->message_id,
+#endif
 				"PRIORITY=%d", final_priority,
 				"CODE_LINE=%d", cs->lineno,
 				"CODE_FILE=%s", cs->filename,