diff --git a/data/templates/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.j2 b/data/templates/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.j2
index 97e0ee0b7..effc2ea14 100644
--- a/data/templates/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.j2
+++ b/data/templates/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.j2
@@ -1,78 +1,76 @@
 ### Autogenerated by system_syslog.py ###
 
 {% if global.marker is vyos_defined %}
 $ModLoad immark
 {%     if global.marker.interval is vyos_defined %}
 $MarkMessagePeriod {{ global.marker.interval }}
 {%     endif %}
 {% endif %}
 {% if global.preserve_fqdn is vyos_defined %}
 $PreserveFQDN on
 {% endif %}
 
 # We always log to /var/log/messages
 $outchannel global,/var/log/messages,262144,/usr/sbin/logrotate {{ logrotate }}
 {% if global.facility is vyos_defined %}
 {%     set tmp = [] %}
 {%     for facility, facility_options in global.facility.items() %}
 {%         set _ = tmp.append(facility.replace('all', '*') + '.' + facility_options.level.replace('all', '*')) %}
 {%     endfor %}
 {{ tmp | join(';') }} :omfile:$global
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if file is vyos_defined %}
 # File based configuration section
 {%     for file_name, file_options in file.items() %}
 {%         set tmp = [] %}
 $outchannel {{ file_name }},/var/log/user/{{ file_name }},{{ file_options.archive.size }},/usr/sbin/logrotate {{ logrotate }}
 {%         if file_options.facility is vyos_defined %}
 {%             for facility, facility_options in file_options.facility.items() %}
 {%                 set _ = tmp.append(facility.replace('all', '*') + '.' + facility_options.level.replace('all', '*')) %}
 {%             endfor %}
 {%         endif %}
 {{ tmp | join(';') }} :omfile:${{ file }}
 {%     endfor %}
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if console.facility is vyos_defined %}
 # Console logging
 {%     set tmp = [] %}
 {%     for facility, facility_options in console.facility.items() %}
 {%         set _ = tmp.append(facility.replace('all', '*') + '.' + facility_options.level.replace('all', '*')) %}
 {%     endfor %}
 {{ tmp | join(';') }} /dev/console
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if host is vyos_defined %}
 # Remote logging
 {%     for host_name, host_options in host.items() %}
 {%         set tmp = [] %}
 {%         if host_options.facility is vyos_defined %}
 {%             for facility, facility_options in host_options.facility.items() %}
 {%                 set _ = tmp.append(facility.replace('all', '*') + '.' + facility_options.level.replace('all', '*')) %}
 {%             endfor %}
 {%         endif %}
 {%         if host_options.protocol is vyos_defined('tcp') %}
 {%             if host_options.format.octet_counted is vyos_defined %}
-{{ tmp | join(';') }} @@(o){{ host_name | bracketize_ipv6 }}:{{ host_options.port }};RSYSLOG_SyslogProtocol23Format
-{%             else %}
-{{ tmp | join(';') }} @@{{ host_name | bracketize_ipv6 }}:{{ host_options.port }}
+{{ tmp | join(';') }} @@{{ '(o)' if host_options.format.octet_counted is vyos_defined }}{{ host_name | bracketize_ipv6 }}:{{ host_options.port }}{{ ';RSYSLOG_SyslogProtocol23Format' if host_options.format.include_timezone is vyos_defined }}
 {%             endif %}
 {%         else %}
-{{ tmp | join(';') }} @{{ host_name | bracketize_ipv6 }}:{{ host_options.port }}{{ ';RSYSLOG_SyslogProtocol23Format' if host_options.format.octet_counted is vyos_defined }}
+{{ tmp | join(';') }} @{{ host_name | bracketize_ipv6 }}:{{ host_options.port }}{{ ';RSYSLOG_SyslogProtocol23Format' if host_options.format.include_timezone is vyos_defined }}
 {%         endif %}
 {%     endfor %}
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if user is defined and user is not none %}
 # Log to user terminal
 {%     for username, user_options in user.items() %}
 {%         set tmp = [] %}
 {%         if user_options.facility is vyos_defined %}
 {%             for facility, facility_options in user_options.facility.items() %}
 {%                 set _ = tmp.append(facility.replace('all', '*') + '.' + facility_options.level.replace('all', '*')) %}
 {%             endfor %}
 {%         endif %}
 {{ tmp | join(';') }} :omusrmsg:{{ username }}
 {%     endfor %}
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/interface-definitions/system_syslog.xml.in b/interface-definitions/system_syslog.xml.in
index 3343e2c59..0a9a00572 100644
--- a/interface-definitions/system_syslog.xml.in
+++ b/interface-definitions/system_syslog.xml.in
@@ -1,155 +1,161 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <interfaceDefinition>
   <node name="system">
     <children>
       <node name="syslog" owner="${vyos_conf_scripts_dir}/system_syslog.py">
         <properties>
           <help>System logging</help>
           <priority>400</priority>
         </properties>
         <children>
           <tagNode name="user">
             <properties>
               <help>Logging to specific terminal of given user</help>
               <completionHelp>
                 <path>system login user</path>
               </completionHelp>
               <valueHelp>
                 <format>txt</format>
                 <description>Local user account</description>
               </valueHelp>
               <constraint>
                 #include <include/constraint/login-username.xml.i>
               </constraint>
               <constraintErrorMessage>illegal characters in user</constraintErrorMessage>
             </properties>
             <children>
               #include <include/syslog-facility.xml.i>
             </children>
           </tagNode>
           <tagNode name="host">
             <properties>
               <help>Logging to remote host</help>
               <constraint>
                 <validator name="ip-address"/>
                 <validator name="fqdn"/>
               </constraint>
               <constraintErrorMessage>Invalid host (FQDN or IP address)</constraintErrorMessage>
               <valueHelp>
                 <format>ipv4</format>
                 <description>Remote syslog server IPv4 address</description>
               </valueHelp>
               <valueHelp>
                 <format>ipv6</format>
                 <description>Remote syslog server IPv6 address</description>
               </valueHelp>
               <valueHelp>
                 <format>hostname</format>
                 <description>Remote syslog server FQDN</description>
               </valueHelp>
             </properties>
             <children>
               #include <include/port-number.xml.i>
               <leafNode name="port">
                 <defaultValue>514</defaultValue>
               </leafNode>
               #include <include/protocol-tcp-udp.xml.i>
               #include <include/syslog-facility.xml.i>
               <node name="format">
                 <properties>
                   <help>Logging format</help>
                 </properties>
                 <children>
                   <leafNode name="octet-counted">
                     <properties>
                       <help>Allows for the transmission of all characters inside a syslog message</help>
                       <valueless/>
                     </properties>
                   </leafNode>
+                  <leafNode name="include-timezone">
+                    <properties>
+                      <help>Include system timezone in syslog message</help>
+                      <valueless/>
+                    </properties>
+                  </leafNode>
                 </children>
               </node>
             </children>
           </tagNode>
           <node name="global">
             <properties>
               <help>Logging to system standard location</help>
             </properties>
             <children>
               #include <include/syslog-facility.xml.i>
               <node name="marker">
                 <properties>
                   <help>mark messages sent to syslog</help>
                 </properties>
                 <children>
                   <leafNode name="interval">
                     <properties>
                       <help>time interval how often a mark message is being sent in seconds</help>
                       <constraint>
                         <validator name="numeric" argument="--positive"/>
                       </constraint>
                     </properties>
                     <defaultValue>1200</defaultValue>
                   </leafNode>
                 </children>
               </node>
               <leafNode name="preserve-fqdn">
                 <properties>
                   <help>uses FQDN for logging</help>
                   <valueless/>
                 </properties>
               </leafNode>
             </children>
           </node>
           <tagNode name="file">
             <properties>
               <help>Logging to a file</help>
               <constraint>
                 <regex>[a-zA-Z0-9\-_.]{1,255}</regex>
               </constraint>
               <constraintErrorMessage>illegal characters in filename or filename longer than 255 characters</constraintErrorMessage>
             </properties>
             <children>
               <node name="archive">
                 <properties>
                   <help>Log file size and rotation characteristics</help>
                 </properties>
                 <children>
                   <leafNode name="file">
                     <properties>
                       <help>Number of saved files</help>
                       <constraint>
                         <regex>[0-9]+</regex>
                       </constraint>
                       <constraintErrorMessage>illegal characters in number of files</constraintErrorMessage>
                     </properties>
                     <defaultValue>5</defaultValue>
                   </leafNode>
                   <leafNode name="size">
                     <properties>
                       <help>Size of log files in kbytes</help>
                       <constraint>
                         <regex>[0-9]+</regex>
                       </constraint>
                       <constraintErrorMessage>illegal characters in size</constraintErrorMessage>
                     </properties>
                     <defaultValue>256</defaultValue>
                   </leafNode>
                 </children>
               </node>
               #include <include/syslog-facility.xml.i>
             </children>
           </tagNode>
           <node name="console">
             <properties>
               <help>logging to serial console</help>
             </properties>
             <children>
               #include <include/syslog-facility.xml.i>
             </children>
           </node>
           #include <include/interface/vrf.xml.i>
         </children>
       </node>
     </children>
   </node>
 </interfaceDefinition>
diff --git a/src/conf_mode/system_syslog.py b/src/conf_mode/system_syslog.py
index 07fbb0734..2497c5bb6 100755
--- a/src/conf_mode/system_syslog.py
+++ b/src/conf_mode/system_syslog.py
@@ -1,103 +1,110 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2018-2023 VyOS maintainers and contributors
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2024 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 os
 
 from sys import exit
 
+from vyos.base import Warning
 from vyos.config import Config
 from vyos.configdict import is_node_changed
 from vyos.configverify import verify_vrf
 from vyos.utils.process import call
 from vyos.template import render
 from vyos import ConfigError
 from vyos import airbag
 airbag.enable()
 
 rsyslog_conf = '/etc/rsyslog.d/00-vyos.conf'
 logrotate_conf = '/etc/logrotate.d/vyos-rsyslog'
 systemd_override = r'/run/systemd/system/rsyslog.service.d/override.conf'
 
 def get_config(config=None):
     if config:
         conf = config
     else:
         conf = Config()
     base = ['system', 'syslog']
     if not conf.exists(base):
         return None
 
     syslog = conf.get_config_dict(base, key_mangling=('-', '_'),
                                   get_first_key=True, no_tag_node_value_mangle=True)
 
     syslog.update({ 'logrotate' : logrotate_conf })
 
     tmp = is_node_changed(conf, base + ['vrf'])
     if tmp: syslog.update({'restart_required': {}})
 
     syslog = conf.merge_defaults(syslog, recursive=True)
     if syslog.from_defaults(['global']):
         del syslog['global']
 
     return syslog
 
 def verify(syslog):
     if not syslog:
         return None
 
+    if 'host' in syslog:
+         for host, host_options in syslog['host'].items():
+             if 'protocol' in host_options and host_options['protocol'] == 'udp':
+                 if 'format' in host_options and 'octet_counted' in host_options['format']:
+                     Warning(f'Syslog UDP transport for "{host}" should not use octet-counted format!')
+
     verify_vrf(syslog)
 
 def generate(syslog):
     if not syslog:
         if os.path.exists(rsyslog_conf):
             os.unlink(rsyslog_conf)
         if os.path.exists(logrotate_conf):
             os.unlink(logrotate_conf)
 
         return None
 
     render(rsyslog_conf, 'rsyslog/rsyslog.conf.j2', syslog)
     render(systemd_override, 'rsyslog/override.conf.j2', syslog)
     render(logrotate_conf, 'rsyslog/logrotate.j2', syslog)
 
     # Reload systemd manager configuration
     call('systemctl daemon-reload')
     return None
 
 def apply(syslog):
     systemd_socket = 'syslog.socket'
     systemd_service = 'syslog.service'
     if not syslog:
         call(f'systemctl stop {systemd_service} {systemd_socket}')
         return None
 
     # we need to restart the service if e.g. the VRF name changed
     systemd_action = 'reload-or-restart'
     if 'restart_required' in syslog:
         systemd_action = 'restart'
 
     call(f'systemctl {systemd_action} {systemd_service}')
     return None
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     try:
         c = get_config()
         verify(c)
         generate(c)
         apply(c)
     except ConfigError as e:
         print(e)
         exit(1)