diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 14c8467..5af087e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ configure_file(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/inc/sysrepo/values.h.in ${PROJECT_BINARY_DI
 configure_file(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/inc/sysrepo/xpath.h ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/inc/sysrepo/xpath.h COPYONLY)

 # find required libraries
+find_library(ZLOG zlog)
+if(NOT ZLOG)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "zlog must be installed.")
+endif()
+
 find_package(EV REQUIRED)
 include_directories(${EV_INCLUDE_DIR})

diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 342ad9d..d026a81 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ add_dependencies(SR_SRC COMMON)
 add_dependencies(SR_ENGINE COMMON)

 if(USE_AVL_LIB)
-    set(LINK_LIBRARIES pthread ${AVL_LIBRARIES} ${EV_LIBRARIES} ${PROTOBUF-C_LIBRARIES} ${YANG_LIBRARIES})
+    set(LINK_LIBRARIES pthread ${AVL_LIBRARIES} ${EV_LIBRARIES} ${PROTOBUF-C_LIBRARIES} ${YANG_LIBRARIES} ${ZLOG})
 else(USE_AVL_LIB)
-    set(LINK_LIBRARIES pthread ${REDBLACK_LIBRARIES} ${EV_LIBRARIES} ${PROTOBUF-C_LIBRARIES} ${YANG_LIBRARIES})
+    set(LINK_LIBRARIES pthread ${REDBLACK_LIBRARIES} ${EV_LIBRARIES} ${PROTOBUF-C_LIBRARIES} ${YANG_LIBRARIES} ${ZLOG})
 endif(USE_AVL_LIB)

 #handle rt library that doesn't exist on OS X
diff --git a/src/common/sr_logger.c b/src/common/sr_logger.c
index 8dd6f31..ea94044 100644
--- a/src/common/sr_logger.c
+++ b/src/common/sr_logger.c
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <pthread.h>

+#include <zlog.h>
+
 #include "sr_common.h"
 #include "sr_logger.h"

@@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ void
 sr_logger_init(const char *app_name)
 {
 #if SR_LOGGING_ENABLED
+    dzlog_init("/opt/etc/zlog.conf", app_name);
     if (NULL != sr_syslog_identifier) {
         /* if some syslog identifier was already set, release it as we are going to set new one */
         free((char*)sr_syslog_identifier);
diff --git a/src/common/sr_logger.h b/src/common/sr_logger.h
index 37c3487..c95a68d 100644
--- a/src/common/sr_logger.h
+++ b/src/common/sr_logger.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <syslog.h>
 #include <pthread.h>

+#include <zlog.h>
+
 #include "sr_constants.h"

 /**
@@ -156,37 +158,31 @@ extern __thread char strerror_buf [SR_MAX_STRERROR_LEN]; /**< thread local buffe
 /**
  * Internal output macro
  */
-#define SR_LOG__INTERNAL(LL, MSG, ...) \
-    do { \
-        if (sr_ll_stderr >= LL) \
-            SR_LOG__STDERR(LL, MSG, __VA_ARGS__) \
-        if (sr_ll_syslog >= LL) \
-            SR_LOG__SYSLOG(LL, MSG, __VA_ARGS__) \
-        if (NULL != sr_log_callback) \
-            SR_LOG__CALLBACK(LL, MSG, __VA_ARGS__) \
-    } while(0)
-
 #if SR_LOGGING_ENABLED

 /** Prints an error message (with format specifiers). */
-#define SR_LOG_ERR(MSG, ...) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_ERR, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define SR_LOG_ERR(MSG, ...) dzlog(__FILE__, sizeof(__FILE__)-1, __func__, sizeof(__func__)-1, \
+        __LINE__, ZLOG_LEVEL_ERROR, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
 /** Prints an error message. */
-#define SR_LOG_ERR_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_ERR, MSG "%s", "")
+#define SR_LOG_ERR_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG_ERR(MSG "%s", "")

 /** Prints a warning message (with format specifiers). */
-#define SR_LOG_WRN(MSG, ...) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_WRN, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define SR_LOG_WRN(MSG, ...) dzlog(__FILE__, sizeof(__FILE__)-1, __func__, sizeof(__func__)-1, \
+        __LINE__, ZLOG_LEVEL_WARN, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
 /** Prints a warning message. */
-#define SR_LOG_WRN_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_WRN, MSG "%s", "")
+#define SR_LOG_WRN_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG_WRN(MSG "%s", "")

 /** Prints an informational message (with format specifiers). */
-#define SR_LOG_INF(MSG, ...) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_INF, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define SR_LOG_INF(MSG, ...) dzlog(__FILE__, sizeof(__FILE__)-1, __func__, sizeof(__func__)-1, \
+        __LINE__, ZLOG_LEVEL_INFO, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
 /** Prints an informational message. */
-#define SR_LOG_INF_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_INF, MSG "%s", "")
+#define SR_LOG_INF_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG_INF(MSG "%s", "")

 /** Prints a development debug message (with format specifiers). */
-#define SR_LOG_DBG(MSG, ...) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_DBG, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define SR_LOG_DBG(MSG, ...) dzlog(__FILE__, sizeof(__FILE__)-1, __func__, sizeof(__func__)-1, \
+        __LINE__, ZLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, MSG, __VA_ARGS__)
 /** Prints a development debug message. */
-#define SR_LOG_DBG_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG__INTERNAL(SR_LL_DBG, MSG "%s", "")
+#define SR_LOG_DBG_MSG(MSG) SR_LOG_DBG(MSG "%s", "")

 #else
 #define SR_LOG_ERR(...)
diff --git a/src/executables/sysrepocfg.c b/src/executables/sysrepocfg.c
index 0000951..f48ed5e 100644
--- a/src/executables/sysrepocfg.c
+++ b/src/executables/sysrepocfg.c
@@ -2000,6 +2000,9 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
     }

+    /* init logger */
+    sr_logger_init("sysrepocfg");
+
     /* set log levels */
     sr_log_stderr(SR_LL_ERR);
     sr_log_syslog(SR_LL_NONE);
diff --git a/src/executables/sysrepoctl.c b/src/executables/sysrepoctl.c
index 3b02e7d..60ffd7e 100644
--- a/src/executables/sysrepoctl.c
+++ b/src/executables/sysrepoctl.c
@@ -1311,6 +1311,9 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
         search_dir_count = 1;
     }

+    /* init logger */
+    sr_logger_init("sysrepoctl");
+
     /* set log levels */
     sr_log_stderr(SR_LL_ERR);
     sr_log_syslog(SR_LL_NONE);
diff --git a/src/clientlib/client_library.c b/src/clientlib/client_library.c
index c3da2e5..b3beab7 100644
--- a/src/clientlib/client_library.c
+++ b/src/clientlib/client_library.c
@@ -377,6 +377,11 @@ sr_connect(const char *app_name, const sr_conn_options_t opts, sr_conn_ctx_t **c

     CHECK_NULL_ARG2(app_name, conn_ctx_p);

+    if (0 == connections_cnt) {
+        /* this is the first connection - initialize logging */
+        sr_logger_init(app_name);
+    }
+
     SR_LOG_DBG_MSG("Connecting to Sysrepo Engine.");

     /* create the connection */
@@ -385,11 +390,6 @@ sr_connect(const char *app_name, const sr_conn_options_t opts, sr_conn_ctx_t **c

     pthread_mutex_lock(&global_lock);

-    if (0 == connections_cnt) {
-        /* this is the first connection - initialize logging */
-        sr_logger_init(app_name);
-    }
-
     /* attempt to connect to sysrepo daemon socket */
     rc = cl_socket_connect(connection, SR_DAEMON_SOCKET);
     if (SR_ERR_OK != rc) {