diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c90980b..6edf9be 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ pam_use_namespace: False
 pam_tmp_inst_dir: /l/tmp-inst/
 pam_var_tmp_inst_dir: /l/vartmp_inst/
 
+# template in a file to manage slurm logs via rsyslog
+slurm_manage_rsyslog_conf: True
 # sysctl settings from slurm htc guide.
 slurm_manage_sysctl: True
 slurm_sysctl_core_somaxconn: 4096 # 128 is the default in el7
diff --git a/handlers/main.yml b/handlers/main.yml
index 9804aa4..7686088 100644
--- a/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/handlers/main.yml
@@ -22,3 +22,7 @@
   - name: restart slurmdbd
     service: name=slurmdbd state=restarted
     when: slurm_accounting_storage_host == ansible_hostname
+
+  - name: Restart rsyslog
+    service: name=rsyslog state=restarted
+
diff --git a/tasks/common.yml b/tasks/common.yml
index 43ed258..c03bdfb 100644
--- a/tasks/common.yml
+++ b/tasks/common.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
 
   - name: write all slurm logs handled by rsyslog to one file
     template: src=slurm_rsyslog.conf dest=/etc/rsyslog.d/10_slurm_rsyslog.conf owner=root mode=0644 backup=yes
+    notify: Restart rsyslog
+    when: slurm_manage_rsyslog_conf
 
   - name: configure logrotate to rotate slurm_logs in slurm_log_dir
     template: src=slurm_logrotate.j2 dest=/etc/logrotate.d/slurm owner=root mode=0644 backup=no
diff --git a/tests/test.yml b/tests/test.yml
index 97eae2e..76bbe15 100644
--- a/tests/test.yml
+++ b/tests/test.yml
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@
 
    pre_tasks:
    - debug: var=group_names
+   - package: name=rsyslog state=present