diff --git a/conf/options/charon-logging.opt b/conf/options/charon-logging.opt
index 31ebf6c32..e850c4487 100644
--- a/conf/options/charon-logging.opt
+++ b/conf/options/charon-logging.opt
@@ -2,37 +2,38 @@ charon.filelog {}
 	Section to define file loggers, see LOGGER CONFIGURATION in
 	**strongswan.conf**(5).
 
-charon.filelog.<filename> { # }
-	<filename> is the full path to the log file.
+charon.filelog.<name> { # }
+	<name> may be the full path to the log file if it only contains
+	characters permitted in section names. Is ignored if _path_ is specified.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.path =
-	Optional path to the log file. Overrides the section name, may be used
+charon.filelog.<name>.path =
+	Optional path to the log file. Overrides the section name. Must be used
 	if the path contains characters that aren't allowed in section names.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.default = 1
+charon.filelog.<name>.default = 1
 	Default loglevel.
 
 	Specifies the default loglevel to be used for subsystems for which no
 	specific loglevel is defined.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.<subsystem> = <default>
+charon.filelog.<name>.<subsystem> = <default>
 	Loglevel for a specific subsystem.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.append = yes
+charon.filelog.<name>.append = yes
 	If this option is enabled log entries are appended to the existing file.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.flush_line = no
+charon.filelog.<name>.flush_line = no
 	Enabling this option disables block buffering and enables line buffering.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.ike_name = no
+charon.filelog.<name>.ike_name = no
 	Prefix each log entry with the connection name and a unique numerical
 	identifier for each IKE_SA.
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.time_format
+charon.filelog.<name>.time_format
 	Prefix each log entry with a timestamp. The option accepts a format string
 	as passed to **strftime**(3).
 
-charon.filelog.<filename>.time_add_ms = no
+charon.filelog.<name>.time_add_ms = no
 	Adds the milliseconds within the current second after the timestamp
 	(separated by a dot, so _time_format_ should end with %S or %T).
 
diff --git a/conf/strongswan.conf.5.tail.in b/conf/strongswan.conf.5.tail.in
index a93fe020a..830ed4f2e 100644
--- a/conf/strongswan.conf.5.tail.in
+++ b/conf/strongswan.conf.5.tail.in
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@ does not have any effect.
 There are currently two types of loggers:
 .TP
 .B File loggers
-Log directly to a file and are defined by specifying the full path to the
-file as subsection in the
+Log directly to a file and are defined by specifying an arbitrarily named
+subsection in the
 .B charon.filelog
-section. To log to the console the two special filenames
+section. The full path to the file is configured in the \fIpath\fR setting of
+that subsection, however, if it only contains characters permitted in section
+names, the setting may also be omitted and the path specified as name of the
+subsection. To log to the console the two special filenames
 .BR stdout " and " stderr
-can be used.
+may be used.
 .TP
 .B Syslog loggers
 Log into a syslog facility and are defined by specifying the facility to log to
@@ -108,7 +111,8 @@ Also include sensitive material in dumps, e.g. keys
 .EX
 	charon {
 		filelog {
-			/var/log/charon.log {
+			charon {
+				path = /var/log/charon.log
 				time_format = %b %e %T
 				append = no
 				default = 1