diff --git a/actions/remotesubscribe.php b/actions/remotesubscribe.php
index 8f9dd3cb9f..e225fb683f 100644
--- a/actions/remotesubscribe.php
+++ b/actions/remotesubscribe.php
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@ class RemotesubscribeAction extends Action {
 		
 		$fetcher = Auth_Yadis_Yadis::getHTTPFetcher();
 		$yadis = Auth_Yadis_Yadis::discover($profile, $fetcher);
-		
+
+		common_debug('remotesubscribe.php: XRDS discovery result: "'.print_r($yadis, TRUE) .'"');
+					 
 		if (!$yadis || $yadis->fail) {
 			$this->show_form(_t('Not a valid profile URL (no YADIS document).'));
 			return;
diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index 1268011263..d9171c743a 100644
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -553,3 +553,21 @@ function common_timestamp() {
 function _t($str) {
 	return $str;
 }
+
+function common_ensure_syslog() {
+	static $initialized = false;
+	if (!$initialized) {
+		define_syslog_variables();
+		openlog("laconica", LOG_PID, LOG_USER);
+		$initialized = true;
+	}
+}
+
+function common_log($priority, $msg) {
+	common_ensure_syslog();
+	syslog($priority, $msg);
+}
+
+function common_debug($msg) {
+	common_log(LOG_DEBUG, $msg);
+}
\ No newline at end of file