diff --git a/drivers/syslog/syslog.h b/drivers/syslog/syslog.h
index 090ae6aba4..cfc97dab07 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/syslog.h
+++ b/drivers/syslog/syslog.h
@@ -187,6 +187,24 @@ int syslog_dev_channel(void);
 int syslog_console_channel(void);
 #endif
 
+/****************************************************************************
+ * Name: syslog_register
+ *
+ * Description:
+ *   Register a simple character driver at /dev/syslog whose write() method
+ *   will transfer data to the SYSLOG device.  This can be useful if, for
+ *   example, you want to redirect the output of a program to the SYSLOG.
+ *
+ *   NOTE that unlike other syslog output, this data is unformatted raw
+ *   byte output with no time-stamping or any other SYSLOG features
+ *   supported.
+ *
+ ****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_SYSLOG_CHARDEV
+void syslog_register(void);
+#endif
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Name: syslog_add_intbuffer
  *
diff --git a/drivers/syslog/syslog_chardev.c b/drivers/syslog/syslog_chardev.c
index 0db139ab82..bbb1194be6 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/syslog_chardev.c
+++ b/drivers/syslog/syslog_chardev.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/fs/fs.h>
-#include <nuttx/syslog/syslog.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 
 #include "syslog.h"
 
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ static const struct file_operations syslog_fops =
 static ssize_t syslog_chardev_write(FAR struct file *filep,
                                     FAR const char *buffer, size_t len)
 {
-  return syslog_write(buffer, len);
+  syslog(LOG_INFO, "%.*s", (int)len, buffer);
+  return len;
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/drivers/syslog/syslog_initialize.c b/drivers/syslog/syslog_initialize.c
index 3c408e61db..87c575b2bb 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/syslog_initialize.c
+++ b/drivers/syslog/syslog_initialize.c
@@ -109,6 +109,13 @@ int syslog_initialize(enum syslog_init_e phase)
 
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_SYSLOG_CHARDEV
+  if (phase == SYSLOG_INIT_EARLY)
+    {
+      syslog_register();
+    }
+#endif
+
   return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/nuttx/syslog/syslog.h b/include/nuttx/syslog/syslog.h
index f6a4005c07..2dc54e7fe1 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/syslog/syslog.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/syslog/syslog.h
@@ -277,24 +277,6 @@ int syslog_flush(void);
 
 int nx_vsyslog(int priority, FAR const IPTR char *src, FAR va_list *ap);
 
-/****************************************************************************
- * Name: syslog_register
- *
- * Description:
- *   Register a simple character driver at /dev/syslog whose write() method
- *   will transfer data to the SYSLOG device.  This can be useful if, for
- *   example, you want to redirect the output of a program to the SYSLOG.
- *
- *   NOTE that unlike other syslog output, this data is unformatted raw
- *   byte output with no time-stamping or any other SYSLOG features
- *   supported.
- *
- ****************************************************************************/
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_SYSLOG_CHARDEV
-void syslog_register(void);
-#endif
-
 #undef EXTERN
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }