diff --git a/drivers/syslog/Kconfig b/drivers/syslog/Kconfig
index 5f558d325e6..976717bffb5 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/syslog/Kconfig
@@ -273,15 +273,18 @@ menuconfig SYSLOG_FILE
 
 if SYSLOG_FILE
 
-config SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATE
-	bool "Log file rotate"
-	default n
+config SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATIONS
+	int "Log file rotations"
+	default 0
 	depends on SYSLOG_FILE
 	---help---
-		If enabled, the log file size will be checked before opening.
-		If it is larger than the specified limit it will be "rotated",
-		i.e. the old file will be kept as a backup, and a new empty
-		file will be created.
+		If enabled (set to a non-zero number), the log file size will be
+		checked before opening. If it is larger than the specified limit
+		it will be "rotated", i.e. the old file will be kept as a backup,
+		and a new empty	file will be created.
+		
+		The number of rotations specifies the number of old log files to
+		keep.
 		
 		This option is useful to ensure that log files do not get
 		huge after prolonged periods of system operation.
@@ -289,7 +292,7 @@ config SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATE
 config SYSLOG_FILE_SIZE_LIMIT
 	int "Log file size limit"
 	default 524288
-	depends on SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATE
+	depends on SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATIONS > 0
 	---help---
 		File size limit when the log is rotated automatically.
 		If a log file is found larger than this limit, it will
diff --git a/drivers/syslog/syslog_filechannel.c b/drivers/syslog/syslog_filechannel.c
index 94ae81dffeb..7263ae27dac 100644
--- a/drivers/syslog/syslog_filechannel.c
+++ b/drivers/syslog/syslog_filechannel.c
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include <nuttx/syslog/syslog.h>
+#include <nuttx/kmalloc.h>
 
 #include "syslog.h"
 
@@ -58,25 +60,24 @@ FAR static struct syslog_channel_s *g_syslog_file_channel;
  * Private Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATE
+#if CONFIG_SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATIONS > 0
 static void log_rotate(FAR const char *log_file)
 {
-  int fd;
+  int i;
   off_t size;
   struct stat f_stat;
-  char *backup_file;
+  size_t name_size;
+  FAR char *rotate_to;
+  FAR char *rotate_from;
 
   /* Get the size of the current log file. */
 
-  fd = open(log_file, O_RDONLY);
-  if (fd < 0)
+  if (stat(log_file, &f_stat) < 0)
     {
       return;
     }
 
-  fstat(fd, &f_stat);
   size = f_stat.st_size;
-  close(fd);
 
   /* If it does not exceed the limit we are OK. */
 
@@ -85,28 +86,34 @@ static void log_rotate(FAR const char *log_file)
       return;
     }
 
-  /* Construct the backup file name. */
+  /* Rotated file names. */
 
-  backup_file = malloc(strlen(log_file) + 3);
-  if (backup_file == NULL)
+  name_size = strlen(log_file) + 8;
+  rotate_to = kmm_malloc(name_size);
+  rotate_from = kmm_malloc(name_size);
+  if ((rotate_to == NULL) || (rotate_from == NULL))
     {
-      return;
+      goto end;
     }
 
-  sprintf(backup_file, "%s.0", log_file);
+  /* Rotate the logs. */
 
-  /* Delete any old backup files. */
-
-  if (access(backup_file, F_OK) == 0)
+  for (i = (CONFIG_SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATIONS - 1); i > 0; i--)
     {
-      remove(backup_file);
+      snprintf(rotate_to, name_size, "%s.%d", log_file, i);
+      snprintf(rotate_from, name_size, "%s.%d", log_file, i - 1);
+
+      rename(rotate_from, rotate_to);
     }
 
-  /* Rotate the log. */
+  snprintf(rotate_to, name_size, "%s.0", log_file);
 
-  rename(log_file, backup_file);
+  rename(log_file, rotate_to);
 
-  free(backup_file);
+end:
+
+  kmm_free(rotate_to);
+  kmm_free(rotate_from);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -170,7 +177,7 @@ FAR struct syslog_channel_s *syslog_file_channel(FAR const char *devpath)
 
   /* Rotate the log file, if needed. */
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATE
+#if CONFIG_SYSLOG_FILE_ROTATIONS > 0
   log_rotate(devpath);
 #endif