diff --git a/src/util/logging.c b/src/util/logging.c
index 2df9e2763a..b8dd8b4760 100644
--- a/src/util/logging.c
+++ b/src/util/logging.c
@@ -729,6 +729,7 @@ virLogVersionString(const char **rawmsg,
  * @filename: file where the message was emitted
  * @linenr: line where the message was emitted
  * @funcname: the function emitting the (debug) message
+ * @metadata: NULL or metadata array, terminated by an item with NULL key
  * @fmt: the string format
  * @...: the arguments
  *
@@ -741,13 +742,14 @@ virLogMessage(virLogSource source,
               const char *filename,
               int linenr,
               const char *funcname,
+              virLogMetadataPtr metadata,
               const char *fmt, ...)
 {
     va_list ap;
     va_start(ap, fmt);
     virLogVMessage(source, priority,
                    filename, linenr, funcname,
-                   fmt, ap);
+                   metadata, fmt, ap);
     va_end(ap);
 }
 
@@ -759,6 +761,7 @@ virLogMessage(virLogSource source,
  * @filename: file where the message was emitted
  * @linenr: line where the message was emitted
  * @funcname: the function emitting the (debug) message
+ * @metadata: NULL or metadata array, terminated by an item with NULL key
  * @fmt: the string format
  * @vargs: format args
  *
@@ -771,6 +774,7 @@ virLogVMessage(virLogSource source,
                const char *filename,
                int linenr,
                const char *funcname,
+               virLogMetadataPtr metadata ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                const char *fmt,
                va_list vargs)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/logging.h b/src/util/logging.h
index c67377f0d2..024814fdf1 100644
--- a/src/util/logging.h
+++ b/src/util/logging.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ typedef enum {
  */
 # ifdef ENABLE_DEBUG
 #  define VIR_DEBUG_INT(src, filename, linenr, funcname, ...)           \
-    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_DEBUG, filename, linenr, funcname, __VA_ARGS__)
+    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_DEBUG, filename, linenr, funcname, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 # else
 /**
  * virLogEatParams:
@@ -78,11 +78,11 @@ static inline void virLogEatParams(virLogSource unused, ...)
 # endif /* !ENABLE_DEBUG */
 
 # define VIR_INFO_INT(src, filename, linenr, funcname, ...)             \
-    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_INFO, filename, linenr, funcname, __VA_ARGS__)
+    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_INFO, filename, linenr, funcname, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 # define VIR_WARN_INT(src, filename, linenr, funcname, ...)             \
-    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_WARN, filename, linenr, funcname, __VA_ARGS__)
+    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_WARN, filename, linenr, funcname, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 # define VIR_ERROR_INT(src, filename, linenr, funcname, ...)            \
-    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_ERROR, filename, linenr, funcname, __VA_ARGS__)
+    virLogMessage(src, VIR_LOG_ERROR, filename, linenr, funcname, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 
 # define VIR_DEBUG(...)                                                 \
     VIR_DEBUG_INT(VIR_LOG_FROM_FILE, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, __VA_ARGS__)
@@ -93,6 +93,16 @@ static inline void virLogEatParams(virLogSource unused, ...)
 # define VIR_ERROR(...)                                                 \
     VIR_ERROR_INT(VIR_LOG_FROM_FILE, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, __VA_ARGS__)
 
+
+struct _virLogMetadata {
+    const char *key;
+    const char *s;              /* String value, or NULL to use "i" */
+    int i;
+};
+
+typedef struct _virLogMetadata virLogMetadata;
+typedef struct _virLogMetadata *virLogMetadataPtr;
+
 /**
  * virLogOutputFunc:
  * @src: the src for the message
@@ -164,14 +174,16 @@ extern void virLogMessage(virLogSource src,
                           const char *filename,
                           int linenr,
                           const char *funcname,
-                          const char *fmt, ...) ATTRIBUTE_FMT_PRINTF(6, 7);
+                          virLogMetadataPtr metadata,
+                          const char *fmt, ...) ATTRIBUTE_FMT_PRINTF(7, 8);
 extern void virLogVMessage(virLogSource src,
                            virLogPriority priority,
                            const char *filename,
                            int linenr,
                            const char *funcname,
+                           virLogMetadataPtr metadata,
                            const char *fmt,
-                           va_list vargs) ATTRIBUTE_FMT_PRINTF(6, 0);
+                           va_list vargs) ATTRIBUTE_FMT_PRINTF(7, 0);
 extern int virLogSetBufferSize(int size);
 extern void virLogEmergencyDumpAll(int signum);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/util/viraudit.c b/src/util/viraudit.c
index 61f09ebd82..9bdc5ed993 100644
--- a/src/util/viraudit.c
+++ b/src/util/viraudit.c
@@ -106,11 +106,11 @@ void virAuditSend(const char *filename,
         if (success)
             virLogMessage(VIR_LOG_FROM_AUDIT, VIR_LOG_INFO,
                           filename, linenr, funcname,
-                          "success=yes %s", str);
+                          NULL, "success=yes %s", str);
         else
             virLogMessage(VIR_LOG_FROM_AUDIT, VIR_LOG_WARN,
                           filename, linenr, funcname,
-                          "success=no %s", str);
+                          NULL, "success=no %s", str);
     }
 
 #if HAVE_AUDIT
diff --git a/src/util/virterror.c b/src/util/virterror.c
index e49e320ff8..213188e215 100644
--- a/src/util/virterror.c
+++ b/src/util/virterror.c
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ virRaiseErrorFull(const char *filename ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
     virLogMessage(virErrorLogPriorityFilter ? VIR_LOG_FROM_FILE : VIR_LOG_FROM_ERROR,
                   priority,
                   filename, linenr, funcname,
-                  "%s", str);
+                  NULL, "%s", str);
 
     errno = save_errno;
 }