diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
index a1412bc3290..3d9fa53ce52 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd.nix
@@ -587,6 +587,15 @@ in
       '';
     };
 
+    services.journald.forwardToSyslog = mkOption {
+      default = config.services.rsyslogd.enable || config.services.syslog-ng.enable;
+      defaultText = "config.services.rsyslogd.enable || config.services.syslog-ng.enable";
+      type = types.bool;
+      description = ''
+        Whether to forward log messages to syslog.
+      '';
+    };
+
     services.logind.extraConfig = mkOption {
       default = "";
       type = types.lines;
@@ -754,6 +763,9 @@ in
           ForwardToConsole=yes
           TTYPath=${config.services.journald.console}
         ''}
+        ${optionalString (config.services.journald.forwardToSyslog) ''
+          ForwardToSyslog=yes
+        ''}
         ${config.services.journald.extraConfig}
       '';
 
diff --git a/nixos/release.nix b/nixos/release.nix
index 5412080cca1..46dbe4aa77b 100644
--- a/nixos/release.nix
+++ b/nixos/release.nix
@@ -399,6 +399,7 @@ in rec {
   tests.radicale = callTest tests/radicale.nix {};
   tests.redmine = callTest tests/redmine.nix {};
   tests.rspamd = callSubTests tests/rspamd.nix {};
+  tests.rsyslogd = callSubTests tests/rsyslogd.nix {};
   tests.runInMachine = callTest tests/run-in-machine.nix {};
   tests.rxe = callTest tests/rxe.nix {};
   tests.samba = callTest tests/samba.nix {};
diff --git a/nixos/tests/rsyslogd.nix b/nixos/tests/rsyslogd.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4836419f0c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/tests/rsyslogd.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+{ system ? builtins.currentSystem }:
+
+with import ../lib/testing.nix { inherit system; };
+{
+  test1 = makeTest {
+    name = "rsyslogd-test1";
+    meta.maintainers = [ lib.maintainers.aanderse ];
+
+    machine =
+      { config, pkgs, ... }:
+      { services.rsyslogd.enable = true;
+        services.journald.forwardToSyslog = false;
+      };
+
+    # ensure rsyslogd isn't receiving messages from journald if explicitly disabled
+    testScript = ''
+      $machine->waitForUnit("default.target");
+      $machine->fail("test -f /var/log/messages");
+    '';
+  };
+
+  test2 = makeTest {
+    name = "rsyslogd-test2";
+    meta.maintainers = [ lib.maintainers.aanderse ];
+
+    machine =
+      { config, pkgs, ... }:
+      { services.rsyslogd.enable = true;
+      };
+
+    # ensure rsyslogd is receiving messages from journald
+    testScript = ''
+      $machine->waitForUnit("default.target");
+      $machine->succeed("test -f /var/log/messages");
+    '';
+  };
+}