diff --git a/smoketest/scripts/cli/test_system_syslog.py b/smoketest/scripts/cli/test_system_syslog.py
index b3eb616ee..ba325ced8 100755
--- a/smoketest/scripts/cli/test_system_syslog.py
+++ b/smoketest/scripts/cli/test_system_syslog.py
@@ -1,287 +1,302 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2019-2025 VyOS maintainers and contributors
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 or later as
 # published by the Free Software Foundation.
 #
 # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
 #
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 import unittest
 
 from base_vyostest_shim import VyOSUnitTestSHIM
 
+from vyos.configsession import ConfigSessionError
 from vyos.utils.file import read_file
 from vyos.utils.process import cmd
 from vyos.utils.process import process_named_running
 from vyos.xml_ref import default_value
 
 PROCESS_NAME = 'rsyslogd'
 RSYSLOG_CONF = '/run/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf'
 
 base_path = ['system', 'syslog']
 
+dummy_interface = 'dum372874'
+
 def get_config(string=''):
     """
     Retrieve current "running configuration" from FRR
     string:        search for a specific start string in the configuration
     """
     command = 'cat /run/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf'
     if string:
         command += f' | sed -n "/^{string}$/,/}}/p"' # }} required to escape } in f-string
     return cmd(command)
 
 class TestRSYSLOGService(VyOSUnitTestSHIM.TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
         super(TestRSYSLOGService, cls).setUpClass()
 
         # ensure we can also run this test on a live system - so lets clean
         # out the current configuration :)
         cls.cli_delete(cls, base_path)
         cls.cli_delete(cls, ['vrf'])
 
     def tearDown(self):
         # Check for running process
         self.assertTrue(process_named_running(PROCESS_NAME))
 
         # delete testing SYSLOG config
         self.cli_delete(base_path)
         self.cli_commit()
 
         # Check for running process
         self.assertFalse(process_named_running(PROCESS_NAME))
 
     def test_console(self):
         level = 'warning'
         self.cli_set(base_path + ['console', 'facility', 'all', 'level'], value=level)
         self.cli_commit()
 
         rsyslog_conf = get_config()
         config = [
             f'if prifilt("*.{level}") then {{', # {{ required to escape { in f-string
              'action(type="omfile" file="/dev/console")',
         ]
         for tmp in config:
             self.assertIn(tmp, rsyslog_conf)
 
     def test_basic(self):
         hostname = 'vyos123'
         domain_name = 'example.local'
         default_marker_interval = default_value(base_path + ['marker', 'interval'])
 
         facility = {
             'auth': {'level': 'info'},
             'kern': {'level': 'debug'},
             'all':  {'level': 'notice'},
         }
 
         self.cli_set(['system', 'host-name'], value=hostname)
         self.cli_set(['system', 'domain-name'], value=domain_name)
         self.cli_set(base_path + ['preserve-fqdn'])
 
         for tmp, tmp_options in facility.items():
             level = tmp_options['level']
             self.cli_set(base_path + ['local', 'facility', tmp, 'level'], value=level)
 
         self.cli_commit()
 
         config = get_config('')
         expected = [
             f'module(load="immark" interval="{default_marker_interval}")',
             'global(preserveFQDN="on")',
             f'global(localHostname="{hostname}.{domain_name}")',
         ]
         for e in expected:
             self.assertIn(e, config)
 
         config = get_config('#### GLOBAL LOGGING ####')
         prifilt = []
         for tmp, tmp_options in facility.items():
             if tmp == 'all':
                 tmp = '*'
             level = tmp_options['level']
             prifilt.append(f'{tmp}.{level}')
 
         prifilt.sort()
         prifilt = ','.join(prifilt)
 
         self.assertIn(f'if prifilt("{prifilt}") then {{', config)
         self.assertIn( '    action(', config)
         self.assertIn( '        type="omfile"', config)
         self.assertIn( '        file="/var/log/messages"', config)
         self.assertIn( '        rotation.sizeLimit="524288"', config)
         self.assertIn( '        rotation.sizeLimitCommand="/usr/sbin/logrotate /etc/logrotate.d/vyos-rsyslog"', config)
 
         self.cli_set(base_path + ['marker', 'disable'])
         self.cli_commit()
 
         config = get_config('')
         self.assertNotIn('module(load="immark"', config)
 
     def test_remote(self):
+        dummy_if_path = ['interfaces', 'dummy', dummy_interface]
         rhosts = {
             '169.254.0.1': {
                 'facility': {'auth' : {'level': 'info'}},
                 'protocol': 'udp',
             },
             '2001:db8::1': {
                 'facility': {'all' : {'level': 'debug'}},
                 'port': '1514',
                 'protocol': 'udp',
             },
             'syslog.vyos.net': {
                 'facility': {'all' : {'level': 'debug'}},
                 'port': '1515',
                 'protocol': 'tcp',
             },
             '169.254.0.3': {
                 'facility': {'auth' : {'level': 'info'},
                              'kern' : {'level': 'debug'},
                              'all'  : {'level': 'notice'},
                 },
                 'format': ['include-timezone', 'octet-counted'],
                 'protocol': 'tcp',
                 'port': '10514',
             },
         }
         default_port = default_value(base_path + ['remote', next(iter(rhosts)), 'port'])
         default_protocol = default_value(base_path + ['remote', next(iter(rhosts)), 'protocol'])
 
         for remote, remote_options in rhosts.items():
             remote_base = base_path + ['remote', remote]
 
             if 'port' in remote_options:
                 self.cli_set(remote_base + ['port'], value=remote_options['port'])
 
             if 'facility' in remote_options:
                 for facility, facility_options in remote_options['facility'].items():
                     level = facility_options['level']
                     self.cli_set(remote_base + ['facility', facility, 'level'],
                                  value=level)
 
             if 'format' in remote_options:
                 for format in remote_options['format']:
                     self.cli_set(remote_base + ['format'], value=format)
 
             if 'protocol' in remote_options:
                 protocol = remote_options['protocol']
                 self.cli_set(remote_base + ['protocol'], value=protocol)
 
+            if 'source_address' in remote_options:
+                source_address = remote_options['source_address']
+                self.cli_set(remote_base + ['source-address', source_address])
+
+                # check validate() - source address does not exist
+                with self.assertRaises(ConfigSessionError):
+                    self.cli_commit()
+                self.cli_set(dummy_if_path + ['address', f'{source_address}/32'])
+
         self.cli_commit()
 
         config = read_file(RSYSLOG_CONF)
         for remote, remote_options in rhosts.items():
             config = get_config(f'# Remote syslog to {remote}')
             prifilt = []
             if 'facility' in remote_options:
                 for facility, facility_options in remote_options['facility'].items():
                     level = facility_options['level']
                     if facility == 'all':
                         facility = '*'
                     prifilt.append(f'{facility}.{level}')
 
             prifilt.sort()
             prifilt = ','.join(prifilt)
             if not prifilt:
                 # Skip test - as we do not render anything if no facility is set
                 continue
 
             self.assertIn(f'if prifilt("{prifilt}") then {{', config)
             self.assertIn( '        type="omfwd"', config)
             self.assertIn(f'        target="{remote}"', config)
 
             port = default_port
             if 'port' in remote_options:
                 port = remote_options['port']
             self.assertIn(f'port="{port}"', config)
 
             protocol = default_protocol
             if 'protocol' in remote_options:
                 protocol = remote_options['protocol']
             self.assertIn(f'protocol="{protocol}"', config)
 
             if 'format' in remote_options:
                 if 'include-timezone' in remote_options['format']:
                     self.assertIn( '        template="SyslogProtocol23Format"', config)
 
                 if 'octet-counted' in remote_options['format']:
                     self.assertIn( '        TCP_Framing="octed-counted"', config)
                 else:
                     self.assertIn( '        TCP_Framing="traditional"', config)
 
+        # cleanup dummy interface
+        self.cli_delete(dummy_if_path)
+
     def test_vrf_source_address(self):
         rhosts = {
             '169.254.0.10': { },
             '169.254.0.11': {
                 'vrf': {'name' : 'red', 'table' : '12321'},
                 'source_address' : '169.254.0.11',
             },
             '169.254.0.12': {
                 'vrf': {'name' : 'green', 'table' : '12322'},
                 'source_address' : '169.254.0.12',
             },
             '169.254.0.13': {
                 'vrf': {'name' : 'blue', 'table' : '12323'},
                 'source_address' : '169.254.0.13',
             },
         }
 
         for remote, remote_options in rhosts.items():
             remote_base = base_path + ['remote', remote]
             self.cli_set(remote_base + ['facility', 'all'])
 
             vrf = None
             if 'vrf' in remote_options:
                 vrf = remote_options['vrf']['name']
                 self.cli_set(['vrf', 'name', vrf, 'table'],
                              value=remote_options['vrf']['table'])
                 self.cli_set(remote_base + ['vrf'], value=vrf)
 
             if 'source_address' in remote_options:
                 source_address = remote_options['source_address']
                 self.cli_set(remote_base + ['source-address'],
                              value=source_address)
 
                 idx = source_address.split('.')[-1]
                 self.cli_set(['interfaces', 'dummy', f'dum{idx}', 'address'],
                              value=f'{source_address}/32')
                 if vrf:
                     self.cli_set(['interfaces', 'dummy', f'dum{idx}', 'vrf'],
                                  value=vrf)
 
         self.cli_commit()
-        config = read_file(RSYSLOG_CONF)
 
         for remote, remote_options in rhosts.items():
             config = get_config(f'# Remote syslog to {remote}')
 
             self.assertIn(f'target="{remote}"', config)
             if 'vrf' in remote_options:
                 vrf = remote_options['vrf']['name']
                 self.assertIn(f'Device="{vrf}"', config)
 
             if 'source_address' in remote_options:
                 source_address = remote_options['source_address']
                 self.assertIn(f'Address="{source_address}"', config)
 
         # Cleanup VRF/Dummy interfaces
         for remote, remote_options in rhosts.items():
             if 'vrf' in remote_options:
                 vrf = remote_options['vrf']['name']
                 self.cli_delete(['vrf', 'name', vrf])
 
             if 'source_address' in remote_options:
                 source_address = remote_options['source_address']
                 idx = source_address.split('.')[-1]
                 self.cli_delete(['interfaces', 'dummy', f'dum{idx}'])
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main(verbosity=2)