diff --git a/files/syslog/etc/apt/preferences.d/rsyslog-wheezy b/files/syslog/etc/apt/preferences.d/rsyslog-wheezy
deleted file mode 100644
index f6674c5cd0a899f941ef09fe0947b749985e6a84..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/files/syslog/etc/apt/preferences.d/rsyslog-wheezy
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,52 +0,0 @@
-Package: rsyslog
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-doc
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-gnutls
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-gssapi
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-mongodb
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-mysql
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-pgsql
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: rsyslog-relp
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: librelp0
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: libestr0
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: libjson0
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: liblognorm0
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
-Package: init-system-helpers
-Pin: release a=wheezy-backports
-Pin-Priority: 995
-
diff --git a/manifests/os/debian.pp b/manifests/os/debian.pp
index e4823c2c6198aa89281e173055c523d7145b59f4..9175b12051afec9e3d5d5bc4069d4a722ef1ff74 100644
--- a/manifests/os/debian.pp
+++ b/manifests/os/debian.pp
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ class base::os::debian {
         content => '';
       '/etc/apt/preferences.d/backports':
         content => template('base/os/preferences/backports.erb');
+      '/etc/apt/preferences.d/backports':
+        content => template('base/os/preferences/rsyslog.erb');
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp b/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
index 96aca8379a87ac0865ab490fa0873abb1540984e..32fb798b1b8dedacb5860943d644a23a3eff467a 100644
--- a/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
+++ b/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
@@ -46,19 +46,13 @@ define base::syslog::config::rsyslog(
     } else {
       $rsyslog_tmpl = 'etc/rsyslog.d/20-templates.conf'
       $rsyslog_def  = 'etc/rsyslog.d/95-default.conf.erb'
-      # handle preferences when v7 is requested
+      # Warn if trying to use v7 in the wrong place
       case $::operatingsystem {
         'debian', 'ubuntu': {
           case $::lsbdistcodename {
-            'squeeze': {
+            'lenny', 'squeeze': {
               fail('rsyslog v7 not supported on squeeze')
             }
-            'wheezy': {
-              file { '/etc/apt/preferences.d/rsyslog':
-                ensure => present,
-                source => 'puppet:///modules/base/syslog/etc/apt/preferences.d/rsyslog-wheezy',
-              }
-            }
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/templates/os/preferences/rsyslog.erb b/templates/os/preferences/rsyslog.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..378d6d295896d217764ea89033663c7a81ee8ade
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/os/preferences/rsyslog.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+Package: rsyslog*
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995
+
+Package: librelp0
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995
+
+Package: libestr0
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995
+
+Package: libjson0
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995
+
+Package: liblognorm0
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995
+
+Package: init-system-helpers
+Pin: release a=<%= lsbdistcodename %>-backports
+Pin-Priority: 995