diff --git a/cdba-server.c b/cdba-server.c
index c65f606..425b2b0 100644
--- a/cdba-server.c
+++ b/cdba-server.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 
 #include "cdba-server.h"
 #include "circ_buf.h"
@@ -356,6 +357,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	signal(SIGPIPE, sigpipe_handler);
 
 	username = getenv("CDBA_USER");
+	if (!username)
+		username = getenv("USER");
+	if (!username)
+		username = "nobody";
+
+	openlog("cdba-server", 0, LOG_DAEMON);
 
 	ret = device_parser(".cdba");
 	if (ret) {
diff --git a/device.c b/device.c
index 95cded8..329cf4f 100644
--- a/device.c
+++ b/device.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 
 #include "cdba-server.h"
 #include "device.h"
@@ -127,11 +128,17 @@ struct device *device_open(const char *board,
 			goto found;
 	}
 
+	syslog(LOG_INFO, "user %s asked for non-existing board %s", username, board);
 	return NULL;
 
 found:
-	if (!device_check_access(device, username))
+	if (!device_check_access(device, username)) {
+		syslog(LOG_INFO, "user %s access denied to the board %s", username, board);
+
 		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	syslog(LOG_INFO, "user %s opening board %s", username, board);
 
 	assert(device->console_ops);
 	assert(device->console_ops->open);