diff --git a/syslog.go b/syslog.go
index 23ec6fa..8d56ba9 100644
--- a/syslog.go
+++ b/syslog.go
@@ -2,17 +2,26 @@
 
 package zerolog
 
-import (
-	"log/syslog"
-)
+import "io"
 
-type syslogWriter struct {
-	w *syslog.Writer
+// SyslogWriter is an interface matching a syslog.Writer struct.
+type SyslogWriter interface {
+	io.Writer
+	Debug(m string) error
+	Info(m string) error
+	Warning(m string) error
+	Err(m string) error
+	Emerg(m string) error
+	Crit(m string) error
 }
 
-// SyslogWriter wraps a syslog.Writer and set the right syslog level
-// matching the log even level.
-func SyslogWriter(w *syslog.Writer) LevelWriter {
+type syslogWriter struct {
+	w SyslogWriter
+}
+
+// SyslogLevelWriter wraps a SyslogWriter and call the right syslog level
+// method matching the zerolog level.
+func SyslogLevelWriter(w SyslogWriter) LevelWriter {
 	return syslogWriter{w}
 }
 
diff --git a/syslog_test.go b/syslog_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fea026
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syslog_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+package zerolog
+
+import "testing"
+import "reflect"
+
+type syslogEvent struct {
+	level string
+	msg   string
+}
+type syslogTestWriter struct {
+	events []syslogEvent
+}
+
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	return 0, nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Debug(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Debug", m})
+	return nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Info(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Info", m})
+	return nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Warning(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Warning", m})
+	return nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Err(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Err", m})
+	return nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Emerg(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Emerg", m})
+	return nil
+}
+func (w *syslogTestWriter) Crit(m string) error {
+	w.events = append(w.events, syslogEvent{"Crit", m})
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestSyslogWriter(t *testing.T) {
+	sw := &syslogTestWriter{}
+	log := New(SyslogLevelWriter(sw))
+	log.Debug().Msg("debug")
+	log.Info().Msg("info")
+	log.Warn().Msg("warn")
+	log.Error().Msg("error")
+	want := []syslogEvent{
+		{"Debug", `{"level":"debug","message":"debug"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Info", `{"level":"info","message":"info"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Warning", `{"level":"warning","message":"warn"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Err", `{"level":"error","message":"error"}` + "\n"},
+	}
+	if got := sw.events; !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("Invalid syslog message routing: want %v, got %v", want, got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/writer_test.go b/writer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a2dc5ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/writer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package zerolog
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestMultiSyslogWriter(t *testing.T) {
+	sw := &syslogTestWriter{}
+	log := New(MultiLevelWriter(SyslogLevelWriter(sw)))
+	log.Debug().Msg("debug")
+	log.Info().Msg("info")
+	log.Warn().Msg("warn")
+	log.Error().Msg("error")
+	want := []syslogEvent{
+		{"Debug", `{"level":"debug","message":"debug"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Info", `{"level":"info","message":"info"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Warning", `{"level":"warning","message":"warn"}` + "\n"},
+		{"Err", `{"level":"error","message":"error"}` + "\n"},
+	}
+	if got := sw.events; !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("Invalid syslog message routing: want %v, got %v", want, got)
+	}
+}