diff --git a/src/kmsg-syslogd.c b/src/kmsg-syslogd.c
index c78011fe226..60d3244b3bd 100644
--- a/src/kmsg-syslogd.c
+++ b/src/kmsg-syslogd.c
@@ -154,50 +154,6 @@ fail:
         return r;
 }
 
-static int read_priority(const char **buf) {
-        int priority;
-        size_t n;
-        const char *p;
-        int a, b, c;
-
-        assert(buf);
-        assert(*buf);
-
-        p = *buf;
-        n = strlen(p);
-
-        if (n < 3 || p[0] != '<')
-                goto fail;
-
-        if (p[2] == '>') {
-                a = b = 0;
-                c = undecchar(p[1]);
-                p += 3;
-        } else if (n >= 4 && p[3] == '>') {
-                a = 0;
-                b = undecchar(p[1]);
-                c = undecchar(p[2]);
-                p += 4;
-        } else if (n >= 5 && p[4] == '>') {
-                a = undecchar(p[1]);
-                b = undecchar(p[2]);
-                c = undecchar(p[3]);
-                p += 5;
-        } else
-                goto fail;
-
-        if (a < 0 || b < 0 || c < 0)
-                goto fail;
-
-        *buf = p;
-
-        priority = 100*a + 10*b + c;
-        return LOG_PRI(priority);
-
-fail:
-        return LOG_INFO;
-}
-
 static void skip_date(const char **buf) {
         enum {
                 LETTER,
@@ -334,17 +290,26 @@ static void skip_pid(const char **buf) {
 
 static int write_message(Server *s, const char *buf, struct ucred *ucred) {
         ssize_t k;
-        char priority[4], pid[16];
+        char priority[6], pid[16];
         struct iovec iovec[5];
         unsigned i = 0;
         char *process = NULL;
         int r = 0;
+        int prio = LOG_USER | LOG_INFO;
 
         assert(s);
         assert(buf);
 
+        parse_syslog_priority((char**) &buf, &prio);
+
+        if (*buf == 0)
+                return 0;
+
+        if ((prio & LOG_FACMASK) == 0)
+                prio = LOG_USER | LOG_PRI(prio);
+
         /* First, set priority field */
-        snprintf(priority, sizeof(priority), "<%i>", read_priority(&buf));
+        snprintf(priority, sizeof(priority), "<%i>", prio);
         char_array_0(priority);
         IOVEC_SET_STRING(iovec[i++], priority);
 
diff --git a/src/logger.c b/src/logger.c
index eb62688f40a..faa6c9721f2 100644
--- a/src/logger.c
+++ b/src/logger.c
@@ -93,42 +93,6 @@ struct Stream {
         LIST_FIELDS(Stream, stream);
 };
 
-static void parse_priority(char **p, int *priority) {
-        int a = 0, b = 0, c = 0;
-        int k;
-
-        assert(p);
-        assert(*p);
-        assert(priority);
-
-        if ((*p)[0] != '<')
-                return;
-
-        if (!strchr(*p, '>'))
-                return;
-
-        if ((*p)[2] == '>') {
-                c = undecchar((*p)[1]);
-                k = 3;
-        } else if ((*p)[3] == '>') {
-                b = undecchar((*p)[1]);
-                c = undecchar((*p)[2]);
-                k = 4;
-        } else if ((*p)[4] == '>') {
-                a = undecchar((*p)[1]);
-                b = undecchar((*p)[2]);
-                c = undecchar((*p)[3]);
-                k = 5;
-        } else
-                return;
-
-        if (a < 0 || b < 0 || c < 0)
-                return;
-
-        *priority = a*100+b*10+c;
-        *p += k;
-}
-
 static int stream_log(Stream *s, char *p, usec_t ts) {
 
         char header_priority[16], header_time[64], header_pid[16];
@@ -141,7 +105,7 @@ static int stream_log(Stream *s, char *p, usec_t ts) {
         priority = s->priority;
 
         if (s->prefix)
-                parse_priority(&p, &priority);
+                parse_syslog_priority(&p, &priority);
 
         if (*p == 0)
                 return 0;
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 2a5f3074b65..a1686ed3892 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -4191,6 +4191,42 @@ bool plymouth_running(void) {
         return access("/run/plymouth/pid", F_OK) >= 0;
 }
 
+void parse_syslog_priority(char **p, int *priority) {
+        int a = 0, b = 0, c = 0;
+        int k;
+
+        assert(p);
+        assert(*p);
+        assert(priority);
+
+        if ((*p)[0] != '<')
+                return;
+
+        if (!strchr(*p, '>'))
+                return;
+
+        if ((*p)[2] == '>') {
+                c = undecchar((*p)[1]);
+                k = 3;
+        } else if ((*p)[3] == '>') {
+                b = undecchar((*p)[1]);
+                c = undecchar((*p)[2]);
+                k = 4;
+        } else if ((*p)[4] == '>') {
+                a = undecchar((*p)[1]);
+                b = undecchar((*p)[2]);
+                c = undecchar((*p)[3]);
+                k = 5;
+        } else
+                return;
+
+        if (a < 0 || b < 0 || c < 0)
+                return;
+
+        *priority = a*100+b*10+c;
+        *p += k;
+}
+
 static const char *const ioprio_class_table[] = {
         [IOPRIO_CLASS_NONE] = "none",
         [IOPRIO_CLASS_RT] = "realtime",
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index cc63dd1a830..ff38b358047 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -394,6 +394,8 @@ bool nulstr_contains(const char*nulstr, const char *needle);
 
 bool plymouth_running(void);
 
+void parse_syslog_priority(char **p, int *priority);
+
 #define NULSTR_FOREACH(i, l)                                    \
         for ((i) = (l); (i) && *(i); (i) = strchr((i), 0)+1)