diff --git twisted/python/syslog.py twisted/python/syslog.py
index 7f8afad..b1f8ce0 100644
--- twisted/python/syslog.py
+++ twisted/python/syslog.py
@@ -10,12 +10,21 @@ You probably want to call L{startLogging}.
 
 syslog = __import__('syslog')
 
+import logging
 from twisted.python import log
 
 # These defaults come from the Python syslog docs.
 DEFAULT_OPTIONS = 0
 DEFAULT_FACILITY = syslog.LOG_USER
 
+# Mappings from/to Python's syslog module
+_toSyslogLevelMapping = {
+    logging.DEBUG: syslog.LOG_DEBUG,
+    logging.INFO: syslog.LOG_INFO,
+    logging.WARN: syslog.LOG_WARNING,
+    logging.ERROR: syslog.LOG_ERR,
+    logging.CRITICAL: syslog.LOG_ALERT,
+}
 
 
 class SyslogObserver:
@@ -49,7 +58,6 @@ class SyslogObserver:
         """
         self.openlog(prefix, options, facility)
 
-
     def emit(self, eventDict):
         """
         Send a message event to the I{syslog}.
@@ -71,10 +79,17 @@ class SyslogObserver:
         # Figure out what syslog parameters we might need to use.
         priority = syslog.LOG_INFO
         facility = 0
-        if eventDict['isError']:
-            priority = syslog.LOG_ALERT
+
+        # Set priority by loglevel and eventually
+        #  override it if isError or syslogPriority is defined
         if 'syslogPriority' in eventDict:
             priority = int(eventDict['syslogPriority'])
+        elif 'logLevel' in eventDict:
+            priority = _toSyslogLevelMapping.get(
+                eventDict['logLevel'], syslog.LOG_INFO)
+        elif eventDict['isError']:
+            priority = syslog.LOG_ALERT
+
         if 'syslogFacility' in eventDict:
             facility = int(eventDict['syslogFacility'])
 
@@ -93,7 +108,6 @@ class SyslogObserver:
                         '[%s] %s' % (eventDict['system'], line))
 
 
-
 def startLogging(prefix='Twisted', options=DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
                  facility=DEFAULT_FACILITY, setStdout=1):
     """
diff --git twisted/python/test/test_syslog.py twisted/python/test/test_syslog.py
index 559c62f..3e8cbd8 100644
--- twisted/python/test/test_syslog.py
+++ twisted/python/test/test_syslog.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from twisted.trial.unittest import TestCase
 from twisted.python.failure import Failure
 
+import logging
 try:
     import syslog as stdsyslog
 except ImportError:
@@ -149,3 +150,90 @@ class SyslogObserverTests(TestCase):
             self.events,
             [(stdsyslog.LOG_INFO, '[-] hello,'),
              (stdsyslog.LOG_INFO, '[-] \tworld')])
+
+
+    def assertPriorityMapping(self, expected, event):
+        """
+        Check that when emitted, event is translated into expected syslog level
+        """
+        m = {
+            'message': ('hello,\nworld\n\n',),
+            'isError': False,
+            'system': '-',
+        }
+        m.update(event)
+        self.observer.emit(m)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.events,
+            [(expected, '[-] hello,'),
+             (expected, '[-] \tworld')])
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelMissingLevelUseDefault(self):
+        """
+        On missing logLevel defaults to stdsyslog.LOG_INFO
+        """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_INFO, {}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelInvalidLevelUseDefault(self):
+        """
+        On invalid logLevel defaults to stdsyslog.LOG_INFO
+        """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_INFO, {'logLevel': 'INVALID'}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelWARN(self):
+        """
+        Logging levels are nicely mapped to syslog priorities
+        https://twistedmatrix.com/documents/14.0.0/core/howto/logging.html
+         """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_WARNING, {'logLevel': logging.WARN}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelERR(self):
+        """
+        Logging levels are nicely mapped to syslog priorities
+        https://twistedmatrix.com/documents/14.0.0/core/howto/logging.html
+         """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_ERR, {'logLevel': logging.ERROR}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelDEBUG(self):
+        """
+        Logging levels are nicely mapped to syslog priorities
+        https://twistedmatrix.com/documents/14.0.0/core/howto/logging.html
+         """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_DEBUG, {'logLevel': logging.DEBUG}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelIsError(self):
+        """
+        Messages with isError=True are mapped to LOG_ALERT
+        """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_ALERT, {'isError': True}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelOvverrideIsError(self):
+        """
+        Using logLevel ovverrides isError
+        """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_INFO, {'isError': True,
+                                                'logLevel': logging.INFO}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
+
+
+    def test_emitLevelPriorityOverridesLogLevel(self):
+        """
+        Using syslogPriority overrides logLevel
+        """
+        expected, event = stdsyslog.LOG_ALERT, {'isError': False,
+                                                 'logLevel': logging.INFO,
+                                                 'syslogPriority': stdsyslog.LOG_ALERT}
+        self.assertPriorityMapping(expected, event)
diff --git twisted/topfiles/7549.feature twisted/topfiles/7549.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..396fe4f
--- /dev/null
+++ twisted/topfiles/7549.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+twisted.python.syslog now maps logLevel to syslog priorities