diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/rpm_key.py b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/rpm_key.py
index b3cb6c99ed7..5517394c82b 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/rpm_key.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/rpm_key.py
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 - rpm_key: state=absent key=DEADB33F
 '''
 import re
-import syslog
 import os.path
 import urllib2
 import tempfile
@@ -74,7 +73,6 @@ def is_pubkey(string):
 class RpmKey:
 
     def __init__(self, module):
-        self.syslogging = False
         # If the key is a url, we need to check if it's present to be idempotent,
         # to do that, we need to check the keyid, which we can get from the armor.
         keyfile = None
@@ -163,9 +161,6 @@ class RpmKey:
         return re.match('(0x)?[0-9a-f]{8}', keystr, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
 
     def execute_command(self, cmd):
-        if self.syslogging:
-            syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Command %s' % '|'.join(cmd))
         rc, stdout, stderr = self.module.run_command(cmd)
         if rc != 0:
             self.module.fail_json(msg=stderr)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
index cf375c73ddd..b1ed2a05484 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/os/yum.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import traceback
 import os
 import yum
 import rpm
-import syslog
 import platform
 import tempfile
 import shutil
@@ -169,10 +168,6 @@ BUFSIZE = 65536
 
 def_qf = "%{name}-%{version}-%{release}.%{arch}"
 
-def log(msg):
-    syslog.openlog('ansible-yum', 0, syslog.LOG_USER)
-    syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, msg)
-
 def yum_base(conf_file=None):
 
     my = yum.YumBase()
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/cron.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/cron.py
index 0c4fce3373f..92823f123e7 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/cron.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/cron.py
@@ -175,9 +175,6 @@ class CronTab(object):
         self.lines     = None
         self.ansible   = "#Ansible: "
 
-        # select whether we dump additional debug info through syslog
-        self.syslogging = False
-
         if cron_file:
             self.cron_file = '/etc/cron.d/%s' % cron_file
         else:
@@ -215,10 +212,6 @@ class CronTab(object):
                     self.lines.append(l)
                 count += 1
 
-    def log_message(self, message):
-        if self.syslogging:
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'ansible: "%s"' % message)
-
     def is_empty(self):
         if len(self.lines) == 0:
             return True
@@ -454,10 +447,8 @@ def main():
     # Ensure all files generated are only writable by the owning user.  Primarily relevant for the cron_file option.
     os.umask(022)
     crontab = CronTab(module, user, cron_file)
-
-    if crontab.syslogging:
-        syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-        syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'cron instantiated - name: "%s"' % name)
+]
+    module.debug('cron instantiated - name: "%s"' % name)
 
     # --- user input validation ---
 
@@ -492,6 +483,7 @@ def main():
         (backuph, backup_file) = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='crontab')
         crontab.write(backup_file)
 
+
     if crontab.cron_file and not name and not do_install:
         changed = crontab.remove_job_file()
         module.exit_json(changed=changed,cron_file=cron_file,state=state)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/group.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/group.py
index ab542d9bc47..b6c1178ff0d 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/group.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/group.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 '''
 
 import grp
-import syslog
 import platform
 
 class Group(object):
@@ -86,13 +85,8 @@ class Group(object):
         self.name       = module.params['name']
         self.gid        = module.params['gid']
         self.system     = module.params['system']
-        self.syslogging = False
 
     def execute_command(self, cmd):
-        if self.syslogging:
-            syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Command %s' % '|'.join(cmd))
-
         return self.module.run_command(cmd)
 
     def group_del(self):
@@ -395,11 +389,9 @@ def main():
 
     group = Group(module)
 
-    if group.syslogging:
-        syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-        syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Group instantiated - platform %s' % group.platform)
-        if user.distribution:
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Group instantiated - distribution %s' % group.distribution)
+    module.debug('Group instantiated - platform %s' % group.platform)
+    if user.distribution:
+        module.debug('Group instantiated - distribution %s' % group.distribution)
 
     rc = None
     out = ''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
index c80154724c6..f9a8b1e24c1 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py
@@ -159,9 +159,6 @@ class Service(object):
         self.rcconf_value   = None
         self.svc_change     = False
 
-        # select whether we dump additional debug info through syslog
-        self.syslogging = False
-
     # ===========================================
     # Platform specific methods (must be replaced by subclass).
 
@@ -181,9 +178,6 @@ class Service(object):
     # Generic methods that should be used on all platforms.
 
     def execute_command(self, cmd, daemonize=False):
-        if self.syslogging:
-            syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Command %s, daemonize %r' % (cmd, daemonize))
 
         # Most things don't need to be daemonized
         if not daemonize:
@@ -1433,11 +1427,9 @@ def main():
 
     service = Service(module)
 
-    if service.syslogging:
-        syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-        syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Service instantiated - platform %s' % service.platform)
-        if service.distribution:
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Service instantiated - distribution %s' % service.distribution)
+    module.debug('Service instantiated - platform %s' % service.platform)
+    if service.distribution:
+        module.debug('Service instantiated - distribution %s' % service.distribution)
 
     rc = 0
     out = ''
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
index 5f954694e40..499228953b2 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/user.py
@@ -212,7 +212,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 import os
 import pwd
 import grp
-import syslog
 import platform
 import socket
 import time
@@ -290,15 +289,8 @@ class User(object):
         else:
             self.ssh_file = os.path.join('.ssh', 'id_%s' % self.ssh_type)
 
-        # select whether we dump additional debug info through syslog
-        self.syslogging = False
-
 
     def execute_command(self, cmd, use_unsafe_shell=False, data=None):
-        if self.syslogging:
-            syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'Command %s' % '|'.join(cmd))
-
         return self.module.run_command(cmd, use_unsafe_shell=use_unsafe_shell, data=data)
 
     def remove_user_userdel(self):
@@ -2079,11 +2071,9 @@ def main():
 
     user = User(module)
 
-    if user.syslogging:
-        syslog.openlog('ansible-%s' % os.path.basename(__file__))
-        syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'User instantiated - platform %s' % user.platform)
-        if user.distribution:
-            syslog.syslog(syslog.LOG_NOTICE, 'User instantiated - distribution %s' % user.distribution)
+    module.debug('User instantiated - platform %s' % user.platform)
+    if user.distribution:
+        module.debug('User instantiated - distribution %s' % user.distribution)
 
     rc = None
     out = ''