diff --git a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslog.conf.5 b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslog.conf.5
index 4b07d75e7c9f..a2ddf5fe85b2 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslog.conf.5
+++ b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslog.conf.5
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 .\" SUCH DAMAGE.
 .\"
 .\"     @(#)syslog.conf.5	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/9/93
-.\"	$Id: syslog.conf.5,v 1.10 1998/06/10 04:34:54 julian Exp $
+.\"	$Id: syslog.conf.5,v 1.11 1998/07/22 06:15:16 phk Exp $
 .\"
 .Dd June 9, 1993
 .Dt SYSLOG.CONF 5
@@ -62,7 +62,19 @@ The
 .Em selector
 field is separated from the
 .Em action
-field by one or more tab characters.
+field by one or more tab characters or spaces. 
+.Pp
+Note that if you use spaces as separators, your 
+.Em syslog.conf
+might be incompatible with other Unices or Unix-like systems.
+This functionality was added for the ease of configuration
+(e.g. it is possible to cut-and-paste into 
+.Em syslog.conf
+), 
+and to avoid possible mistakes. This change however preserves 
+backwards compatibility with the old style of the
+.Em syslog.conf
+(i.e. tab characters only).
 .Pp
 The
 .Em Selectors
diff --git a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
index 66d33c396e4b..685adaf8790b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static const char copyright[] =
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)syslogd.c	8.3 (Berkeley) 4/4/94";
 #endif
 static const char rcsid[] =
-	"$Id: syslogd.c,v 1.41 1998/08/25 21:16:47 julian Exp $";
+	"$Id: syslogd.c,v 1.42 1998/11/05 10:51:21 dg Exp $";
 #endif /* not lint */
 
 /*
@@ -1366,12 +1366,12 @@ cfline(line, f, prog)
 	}
 
 	/* scan through the list of selectors */
-	for (p = line; *p && *p != '\t';) {
+	for (p = line; *p && *p != '\t' && *p != ' ';) {
 		int pri_done;
 		int pri_cmp;
 
 		/* find the end of this facility name list */
-		for (q = p; *q && *q != '\t' && *q++ != '.'; )
+		for (q = p; *q && *q != '\t' && *q != ' ' && *q++ != '.'; )
 			continue;
 
 		/* get the priority comparison */
@@ -1403,12 +1403,12 @@ cfline(line, f, prog)
 				  ;
 
 		/* collect priority name */
-		for (bp = buf; *q && !strchr("\t,;", *q); )
+		for (bp = buf; *q && !strchr("\t,; ", *q); )
 			*bp++ = *q++;
 		*bp = '\0';
 
 		/* skip cruft */
-		while (strchr(", ;", *q))
+		while (strchr(",;", *q))
 			q++;
 
 		/* decode priority name */
@@ -1425,8 +1425,8 @@ cfline(line, f, prog)
 		}
 
 		/* scan facilities */
-		while (*p && !strchr("\t.;", *p)) {
-			for (bp = buf; *p && !strchr("\t,;.", *p); )
+		while (*p && !strchr("\t.; ", *p)) {
+			for (bp = buf; *p && !strchr("\t,;. ", *p); )
 				*bp++ = *p++;
 			*bp = '\0';
 
@@ -1455,7 +1455,7 @@ cfline(line, f, prog)
 	}
 
 	/* skip to action part */
-	while (*p == '\t')
+	while (*p == '\t' || *p == ' ')
 		p++;
 
 	switch (*p)