diff --git a/spring-integration-syslog/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/DefaultMessageConverter.java b/spring-integration-syslog/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/DefaultMessageConverter.java
index a705bca975..f4bac2f576 100644
--- a/spring-integration-syslog/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/DefaultMessageConverter.java
+++ b/spring-integration-syslog/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/DefaultMessageConverter.java
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ import org.springframework.integration.transformer.SyslogToMapTransformer;
 import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
 
 /**
- * Default {@link MessageConverter}; delegates to a {@link SyslogToMapTransformer}
- * to convert the payload to a map of values and also provides some of the map
- * contents as message headers.
- * See @link {@link SyslogHeaders} for the headers that are mapped.
+ * Default {@link MessageConverter}; delegates to a {@link SyslogToMapTransformer} to
+ * convert the payload to a map of values and also provides some of the map contents as
+ * message headers. See @link {@link SyslogHeaders} for the headers that are mapped.
  * @author Gary Russell
+ * @author David Liu
  * @since 3.0
  *
  */
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ public class DefaultMessageConverter implements MessageConverter, BeanFactoryAwa
 
 	private volatile MessageBuilderFactory messageBuilderFactory = new DefaultMessageBuilderFactory();
 
+	private volatile boolean asMap = true;
+
+	/**
+	 * Set false will leave the payload as the original complete syslog.
+	 * @param asMap
+	 */
+	public void setAsMap(boolean asMap) {
+		this.asMap = asMap;
+	}
 
 	@Override
 	public final void setBeanFactory(BeanFactory beanFactory) {
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ public class DefaultMessageConverter implements MessageConverter, BeanFactoryAwa
 				out.put(SyslogHeaders.PREFIX + entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
 			}
 		}
-		return this.messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(map)
+		return this.messageBuilderFactory.withPayload(this.asMap ? map : message.getPayload())
 				.copyHeaders(out)
 				.build();
 	}
diff --git a/spring-integration-syslog/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/inbound/SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterTests.java b/spring-integration-syslog/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/inbound/SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterTests.java
index 8ad2439a21..4d70c5194f 100644
--- a/spring-integration-syslog/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/inbound/SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterTests.java
+++ b/spring-integration-syslog/src/test/java/org/springframework/integration/syslog/inbound/SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterTests.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
 import org.springframework.integration.channel.QueueChannel;
+import org.springframework.integration.syslog.DefaultMessageConverter;
 import org.springframework.integration.syslog.config.SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterFactoryBean;
 import org.springframework.integration.test.util.SocketUtils;
 import org.springframework.integration.test.util.TestUtils;
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ import org.springframework.messaging.PollableChannel;
 
 /**
  * @author Gary Russell
+ * @author David Liu
  * @since 3.0
  *
  */
@@ -132,4 +134,33 @@ public class SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterTests {
 		assertTrue(latch.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testAsMapFalse() throws Exception {
+		SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterFactoryBean factory = new SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterFactoryBean(
+				SyslogReceivingChannelAdapterFactoryBean.Protocol.udp);
+		int port = SocketUtils.findAvailableUdpSocket(1514);
+		factory.setPort(port);
+		PollableChannel outputChannel = new QueueChannel();
+		factory.setOutputChannel(outputChannel);
+		factory.setBeanFactory(mock(BeanFactory.class));
+		factory.afterPropertiesSet();
+		factory.start();
+		UdpSyslogReceivingChannelAdapter adapter = (UdpSyslogReceivingChannelAdapter) factory.getObject();
+		DefaultMessageConverter defaultMessageConverter = new DefaultMessageConverter();
+		defaultMessageConverter.setAsMap(false);
+		adapter.setConverter(defaultMessageConverter);
+		Thread.sleep(1000);
+		byte[] buf = "<157>JUL 26 22:08:35 WEBERN TESTING[70729]: TEST SYSLOG MESSAGE".getBytes("UTF-8");
+		DatagramPacket packet = new DatagramPacket(buf, buf.length, new InetSocketAddress("localhost", port));
+		DatagramSocket socket = new DatagramSocket();
+		socket.send(packet);
+		socket.close();
+		Message<?> message = outputChannel.receive(10000);
+		assertNotNull(message);
+		assertEquals("WEBERN", message.getHeaders().get("syslog_HOST"));
+		assertEquals("<157>JUL 26 22:08:35 WEBERN TESTING[70729]: TEST SYSLOG MESSAGE",
+				new String((byte[]) message.getPayload(), "UTF-8"));
+		adapter.stop();
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/reference/docbook/syslog.xml b/src/reference/docbook/syslog.xml
index 3d3b83e9d4..c5727ad440 100644
--- a/src/reference/docbook/syslog.xml
+++ b/src/reference/docbook/syslog.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@
 			being the <code>Map</code> of Syslog fields. In addition, all fields except the message
 			are also made available as headers in the message, prefixed with <code>syslog_</code>.
 		</para>
+		<para>
+			Since <emphasis>version 4.1</emphasis>,
+			the <classname>DefaultMessageConverter</classname> has a property <code>asMap</code>
+			(default <code>true</code>); when it is <code>false</code>, the converter will leave
+			the message payload as the original complete syslog message, in a <code>byte[]</code>,
+			while still setting the headers.
+		</para>
 		<section id="syslog-inbound-examplers">
 			<title>Example Configuration</title>
 			<programlisting language="xml"><![CDATA[<int-syslog:inbound-channel-adapter id="syslogIn" port="1514" />]]></programlisting>
diff --git a/src/reference/docbook/whats-new.xml b/src/reference/docbook/whats-new.xml
index 22257840b5..51e5265446 100644
--- a/src/reference/docbook/whats-new.xml
+++ b/src/reference/docbook/whats-new.xml
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@
 				for the JSON transformers. See <xref linkend="transformer"/> for more information.
 			</para>
 		</section>
-
+		<section id="4.1-syslog">
+			<title>Syslog Adapter</title>
+			<para>
+				The default syslog message converter now has an option to retain the original message in
+				the payload, while still setting the headers.
+				See <xref linkend="syslog-inbound-adapter"/> for more information.
+			</para>
+		</section>
 	</section>
 </chapter>