diff --git a/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp b/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
index 8eab84ed8..ca5fb4256 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/alert_types.hpp
@@ -2247,9 +2247,28 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		std::string msg;
 	};
 
+	// posted if the local service discovery socket fails to start properly.
+	// it's categorized as ``error_notification``.
+	struct TORRENT_EXPORT lsd_error_alert : alert
+	{
+		// internal
+		lsd_error_alert(error_code const& ec)
+			: alert()
+			, error(ec)
+		{}
+	
+		TORRENT_DEFINE_ALERT(lsd_error_alert, 82);
+
+		const static int static_category = alert::error_notification;
+		virtual std::string message() const;
+
+		// The error code
+		error_code error;
+	};
+
 #undef TORRENT_DEFINE_ALERT
 
-	enum { num_alert_types = 82 };
+	enum { num_alert_types = 83 };
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
index 2d4e62b6e..bca9a54da 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
@@ -346,6 +346,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			void on_port_map_log(char const* msg, int map_transport);
 
 			void on_lsd_announce(error_code const& e);
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+			void on_lsd_log(char const* log);
+#endif
 
 			// called when a port mapping is successful, or a router returns
 			// a failure to map a port
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/lsd.hpp b/include/libtorrent/lsd.hpp
index 68b2566cc..406e05082 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/lsd.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/lsd.hpp
@@ -44,21 +44,28 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <boost/enable_shared_from_this.hpp>
 
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-#include <stdio.h>
+#include <boost/function/function1.hpp>
 #endif
 
 namespace libtorrent
 {
 
 typedef boost::function<void(tcp::endpoint, sha1_hash)> peer_callback_t;
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+typedef boost::function<void(char const*)> log_callback_t;
+#endif
 
 class lsd : public boost::enable_shared_from_this<lsd>
 {
 public:
-	lsd(io_service& ios, peer_callback_t const& cb);
+	lsd(io_service& ios, peer_callback_t const& cb
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+		, log_callback_t const& log
+#endif
+		);
 	~lsd();
 
-	void start();
+	void start(error_code& ec);
 
 	void announce(sha1_hash const& ih, int listen_port, bool broadcast = false);
 	void close();
@@ -82,6 +89,10 @@ private:
 #if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
 	broadcast_socket m_socket6;
 #endif
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+	log_callback_t m_log_cb;
+	void debug_log(char const* fmt, ...) const;
+#endif
 
 	// used to resend udp packets in case
 	// they time out
@@ -98,9 +109,6 @@ private:
 #if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
 	bool m_disabled6;
 #endif
-#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	FILE* m_log;
-#endif
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/alert.cpp b/src/alert.cpp
index ec30ff64d..96d779f16 100644
--- a/src/alert.cpp
+++ b/src/alert.cpp
@@ -730,5 +730,10 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 		return torrent_alert::message() + " [" + print_endpoint(ip) + "] " + msg;
 	}
 
+	std::string lsd_error_alert::message() const
+	{
+		return "Local Service Discovery error: " + error.message();
+	}
+
 } // namespace libtorrent
 
diff --git a/src/lsd.cpp b/src/lsd.cpp
index 429b9a2b6..145542a92 100644
--- a/src/lsd.cpp
+++ b/src/lsd.cpp
@@ -65,11 +65,18 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 static error_code ec;
 
-lsd::lsd(io_service& ios, peer_callback_t const& cb)
+lsd::lsd(io_service& ios, peer_callback_t const& cb
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+	, log_callback_t const& log
+#endif
+	)
 	: m_callback(cb)
 	, m_socket(udp::endpoint(address_v4::from_string("239.192.152.143", ec), 6771))
 #if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
 	, m_socket6(udp::endpoint(address_v6::from_string("ff15::efc0:988f", ec), 6771))
+#endif
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+	, m_log_cb(log)
 #endif
 	, m_broadcast_timer(ios)
 	, m_cookie(random())
@@ -77,55 +84,35 @@ lsd::lsd(io_service& ios, peer_callback_t const& cb)
 #if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
 	, m_disabled6(false)
 #endif
-#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	, m_log(NULL)
-#endif
 {
 }
 
-void lsd::start()
-{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	// TODO: 3 instead if writing to a file, post alerts. Or call a log callback
-	m_log = fopen("lsd.log", "w+");
-	if (m_log == NULL)
-	{
-		fprintf(stderr, "failed to open 'lsd.log': (%d) %s"
-			, errno, strerror(errno));
-	}
+void lsd::debug_log(char const* fmt, ...) const
+{
+	va_list v;
+	va_start(v, fmt);
+
+	char buf[1024];
+	vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, v);
+	va_end(v);
+	m_log_cb(buf);
+}
 #endif
 
-	error_code ec;
+void lsd::start(error_code& ec)
+{
 	m_socket.open(boost::bind(&lsd::on_announce, self(), _1, _2, _3)
 		, m_broadcast_timer.get_io_service(), ec);
-
-#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	if (ec)
-	{
-		if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "FAILED TO OPEN SOCKET: (%d) %s\n"
-			, ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
-	}
-#endif
+	if (ec) return;
 
 #if TORRENT_USE_IPV6
 	m_socket6.open(boost::bind(&lsd::on_announce, self(), _1, _2, _3)
 		, m_broadcast_timer.get_io_service(), ec);
-#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	if (ec)
-	{
-		if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "FAILED TO OPEN SOCKET6: (%d) %s\n"
-			, ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
-	}
-#endif
 #endif
 }
 
-lsd::~lsd()
-{
-#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	if (m_log) fclose(m_log);
-#endif
-}
+lsd::~lsd() {}
 
 int render_lsd_packet(char* dst, int len, int listen_port
 	, char const* info_hash_hex, int m_cookie, char const* host)
@@ -158,8 +145,7 @@ void lsd::announce_impl(sha1_hash const& ih, int listen_port, bool broadcast
 	char msg[200];
 
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-	if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s ==> announce: ih: %s port: %u\n"
-		, time_now_string(), ih_hex, listen_port);
+	debug_log("==> announce: ih: %s port: %u\n", ih_hex, listen_port);
 #endif
 
 	error_code ec;
@@ -172,8 +158,8 @@ void lsd::announce_impl(sha1_hash const& ih, int listen_port, bool broadcast
 		{
 			m_disabled = true;
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-			if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s failed to send message: (%d) %s"
-				, time_now_string(), ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
+			debug_log("failed to send message: (%d) %s", ec.value()
+				, ec.message().c_str());
 #endif
 		}
 	}
@@ -188,8 +174,8 @@ void lsd::announce_impl(sha1_hash const& ih, int listen_port, bool broadcast
 		{
 			m_disabled6 = true;
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-			if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s failed to send message6: (%d) %s"
-				, time_now_string(), ec.value(), ec.message().c_str());
+			debug_log("failed to send message6: (%d) %s", ec.value()
+				, ec.message().c_str());
 #endif
 		}
 	}
@@ -237,7 +223,7 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 	if (!p.header_finished() || error)
 	{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-		if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s <== announce: incomplete HTTP message\n", time_now_string());
+		debug_log("<== announce: incomplete HTTP message\n");
 #endif
 		return;
 	}
@@ -245,8 +231,7 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 	if (p.method() != "bt-search")
 	{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-		if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s <== announce: invalid HTTP method: %s\n"
-			, time_now_string(), p.method().c_str());
+		debug_log("<== announce: invalid HTTP method: %s\n", p.method().c_str());
 #endif
 		return;
 	}
@@ -255,8 +240,7 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 	if (port_str.empty())
 	{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-		if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s <== announce: invalid BT-SEARCH, missing port\n"
-			, time_now_string());
+		debug_log("<== announce: invalid BT-SEARCH, missing port\n");
 #endif
 		return;
 	}
@@ -275,8 +259,8 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 		if (cookie == m_cookie)
 		{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-			if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s <== announce: ignoring packet (cookie matched our own): %x == %x\n"
-				, time_now_string(), cookie, m_cookie);
+			debug_log("<== announce: ignoring packet (cookie matched our own): %x == %x\n"
+				, cookie, m_cookie);
 #endif
 			return;
 		}
@@ -291,8 +275,8 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 		if (ih_str.size() != 40)
 		{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-			if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s <== announce: invalid BT-SEARCH, invalid infohash: %s\n"
-				, time_now_string(), ih_str.c_str());
+			debug_log("<== announce: invalid BT-SEARCH, invalid infohash: %s\n"
+				, ih_str.c_str());
 #endif
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -303,8 +287,8 @@ void lsd::on_announce(udp::endpoint const& from, char* buffer
 		if (!ih.is_all_zeros() && port != 0)
 		{
 #if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
-			if (m_log) fprintf(m_log, "%s *** incoming local announce %s:%d ih: %s\n"
-				, time_now_string(), print_address(from.address()).c_str()
+			debug_log("*** incoming local announce %s:%d ih: %s\n"
+				, print_address(from.address()).c_str()
 				, port, ih_str.c_str());
 #endif
 			// we got an announce, pass it on through the callback
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index e03a7ec52..68932884f 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -4279,7 +4279,6 @@ retry:
 
 		char buf[1024];
 		vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, v);
-		va_end(v);
 
 		m_alerts.post_alert(log_alert(buf));
 	}
@@ -6216,9 +6215,25 @@ retry:
 		if (m_lsd) return;
 
 		m_lsd = boost::make_shared<lsd>(boost::ref(m_io_service)
-			, boost::bind(&session_impl::on_lsd_peer, this, _1, _2));
+			, boost::bind(&session_impl::on_lsd_peer, this, _1, _2)
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+			, boost::bind(&session_impl::on_lsd_log, this, _1)
+#endif
+			);
+		error_code ec;
+		m_lsd->start(ec);
+		if (ec && m_alerts.should_post<lsd_error_alert>())
+			m_alerts.post_alert(lsd_error_alert(ec));
 	}
 	
+#if defined TORRENT_LOGGING
+	void session_impl::on_lsd_log(char const* log)
+	{
+		if (!m_alerts.should_post<log_alert>()) return;
+		m_alerts.post_alert(log_alert(log));
+	}
+#endif
+
 	natpmp* session_impl::start_natpmp()
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;