diff --git a/manifests/syslog.pp b/manifests/syslog.pp
index eb2f95c1d39353970f878a553d8c64c4434e0b1e..7d724ec0afe0349774d4678c698a0d05c8be7686 100644
--- a/manifests/syslog.pp
+++ b/manifests/syslog.pp
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@
 
 class base::syslog {
 
+  base::syslog::config::syslog { '/etc/syslog.conf':
+    ensure => present,
+  }
+
   # RHEL4/5 are ancient and use syslog, everything modern uses rsyslog
   if ( $::operatingsystem == 'RedHat' and $::lsbmajdistrelease < 6 ) {
     service { 'syslog': ensure => running }
-    base::syslog::config::syslog { '/etc/syslog.conf':
-      ensure => present,
-    }
   } else {
     file { '/etc/rsyslog.d':
       ensure => directory,
diff --git a/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp b/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
index 6f99c24f551d09d8463b291cb0647e1e2efa9014..de4021b226b2fd9cca40dae7cd7a52be2428f8a1 100644
--- a/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
+++ b/manifests/syslog/config/rsyslog.pp
@@ -10,13 +10,7 @@ define base::syslog::config::rsyslog(
     $use_syslog_conf = true,
 ) {
 
-  # Install the last chance syslog handling.  This is either in
-  # /etc/syslog.conf (depreciated) or in a rsyslog fragment.
-  if $use_syslog_conf {
-    base::syslog::config::syslog {'/etc/syslog.conf':
-      ensure => present,
-    }
-  } else {
+  if !$use_syslog_conf {
     file {
       '/etc/syslog.conf':
         ensure => absent;