diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index c17e0257..f060a50e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ http://codingteam.net/project/poezio/roadmap
 - default nickname is now $USER
 - Server on /join command can be omitted
 - /query command can now take a message in parameters
+- logs are now save in $XDG_DATA_HOME and this can be configured
 
 * Poezio 0.6.1 - 13 Jun 2010
 - Enable tracebacks
diff --git a/data/default_config.cfg b/data/default_config.cfg
index 8de84037..cfe00206 100644
--- a/data/default_config.cfg
+++ b/data/default_config.cfg
@@ -75,9 +75,14 @@ hide_exit_join = -1
 hide_status_change = 120
 
 # set to 'true' if you want to save logs of all the messages
-# in files. They will be saved in ~/.config/poezio/logs
+# in files.
 use_log = false
 
+# If log_dir is not set, logs will be saved in $XDG_DATA_HOME/poezio/logs,
+# i.e. in ~/.local/share/poezio/logs. So, you should specify the directory
+# you want to use instead. This directory will be created if it doesn't exist
+log_dir = 
+
 # the full path to the photo (avatar) you want to use
 # it should be less than 16Ko
 # The avatar is not set by default, because it slows
diff --git a/src/logging.py b/src/logging.py
index 42a82760..a3321cdf 100644
--- a/src/logging.py
+++ b/src/logging.py
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ from os import environ, makedirs
 from datetime import datetime
 from config import config
 
-CONFIG_HOME = environ.get("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")
-if not CONFIG_HOME:
-    CONFIG_HOME = environ.get('HOME')+'/.config'
-CONFIG_PATH = CONFIG_HOME + '/poezio/'
+DATA_HOME = config.get('log_dir', environ.get("XDG_DATA_HOME"))
+if not DATA_HOME:
+    DATA_HOME = environ.get('HOME')+'/.local/share'
+DATA_PATH = DATA_HOME + '/poezio/'
 
 class Logger(object):
     """
@@ -63,11 +63,15 @@ class Logger(object):
         """
         if config.get('use_log', 'false') == 'false':
             return
-        dir = CONFIG_PATH+'logs/'
+        dir = DATA_PATH+'logs/'
         try:
             makedirs(dir)
-        except:pass
-        fd = open(dir+room, 'a')
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            fd = open(dir+room, 'a')
+        except IOError:
+            return
         if nick:
             fd.write(datetime.now().strftime('%d-%m-%y [%H:%M:%S] ')+nick.encode('utf-8')+': '+msg.encode('utf-8')+'\n')
         else: