diff --git a/include/spdk/log.h b/include/spdk/log.h
index d281c71b84..6c5ac8e39a 100644
--- a/include/spdk/log.h
+++ b/include/spdk/log.h
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ enum spdk_log_level spdk_log_get_print_level(void);
 	spdk_log(SPDK_LOG_WARN, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, __VA_ARGS__)
 #define SPDK_ERRLOG(...) \
 	spdk_log(SPDK_LOG_ERROR, __FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDK_PRINTF(...) \
+	spdk_log(SPDK_LOG_NOTICE, NULL, -1, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 
 /**
  * Write messages to the log file. If \c level is set to \c SPDK_LOG_DISABLED,
diff --git a/lib/log/log.c b/lib/log/log.c
index 79b7b89609..93a037b952 100644
--- a/lib/log/log.c
+++ b/lib/log/log.c
@@ -150,12 +150,20 @@ spdk_log(enum spdk_log_level level, const char *file, const int line, const char
 	vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), format, ap);
 
 	if (level <= g_spdk_log_print_level) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:%4d:%s: *%s*: %s", file, line, func, spdk_level_names[level], buf);
-		spdk_log_unwind_stack(stderr, level);
+		if (file) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s:%4d:%s: *%s*: %s", file, line, func, spdk_level_names[level], buf);
+			spdk_log_unwind_stack(stderr, level);
+		} else {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s", buf);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (level <= g_spdk_log_level) {
-		syslog(severity, "%s:%4d:%s: *%s*: %s", file, line, func, spdk_level_names[level], buf);
+		if (file) {
+			syslog(severity, "%s:%4d:%s: *%s*: %s", file, line, func, spdk_level_names[level], buf);
+		} else {
+			syslog(severity, "%s", buf);
+		}
 	}
 
 	va_end(ap);