diff --git a/pisi/api.py b/pisi/api.py
index d8e7e649..a8a5d855 100644
--- a/pisi/api.py
+++ b/pisi/api.py
@@ -67,11 +67,15 @@ def init(database = True, write = True,
     else:
         ctx.ui = ui
 
-    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
-                    format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)-8s %(message)s',
-                    datefmt='%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S',
-                    filename='/var/log/pisi.log',
-                    filemode='w')
+    
+    if os.access('/var/log', os.W_OK):
+        ctx.log = True
+        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
+            format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)-8s %(message)s',
+            datefmt='%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S',
+            filename='/var/log/pisi.log')
+    else:
+        ctx.log = False
 
     # If given define stdout and stderr. Needed by buildfarm currently
     # but others can benefit from this too.
@@ -110,7 +114,8 @@ def init(database = True, write = True,
 def finalize():
     if ctx.initialized:
     
-        logging.shutdown()
+        if ctx.log:
+            logging.shutdown()
     
         pisi.repodb.finalize()
         pisi.installdb.finalize()
diff --git a/pisi/cli/__init__.py b/pisi/cli/__init__.py
index 43fcf106..5e737ff2 100644
--- a/pisi/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/pisi/cli/__init__.py
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ class CLI(UI):
 
     def warning(self, msg, verbose = False):
         msg = unicode(msg)
-        logging.warning(msg)
+        if ctx.log:
+            logging.warning(msg)
         if ctx.get_option('no_color'):
             self.output(_('Warning: ') + msg + '\n', err=True, verbose=verbose)
         else:
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ class CLI(UI):
 
     def error(self, msg):
         msg = unicode(msg)
-        logging.error(msg)
+        if ctx.log:
+            logging.error(msg)
         if ctx.get_option('no_color'):
             self.output(_('Error: ') + msg + '\n', err=True)
         else:
@@ -92,7 +94,8 @@ class CLI(UI):
     def action(self, msg, verbose = False):
         #TODO: this seems quite redundant?
         msg = unicode(msg)
-        logging.info(msg)
+        if ctx.log:
+            logging.info(msg)
         self.output(colorize(msg + '\n', 'green'))
 
     def choose(self, msg, opts):
@@ -151,4 +154,5 @@ class CLI(UI):
             msg = None
         if msg:
             self.output(colorize(msg + '\n', 'cyan'))
-            logging.info(msg)
+            if ctx.log:
+                logging.info(msg)