diff --git a/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf b/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
index f8aea86c6..7c92395ca 100644
--- a/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf b/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
index 5e21ff35b..2f22a0e60 100644
--- a/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf b/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
index f6eb947d6..1df60024a 100644
--- a/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ SHOREWALL_COMPILER=
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf b/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
index 3b81dae77..239c0ec7f 100644
--- a/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall6-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf b/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
index df0faa3c6..3f49c09d9 100644
--- a/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall6-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf b/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
index 84ce2d06a..0d6f7c65a 100644
--- a/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall6-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/changelog.txt b/Shorewall/changelog.txt
index 7605f3e76..455cd1860 100644
--- a/Shorewall/changelog.txt
+++ b/Shorewall/changelog.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Changes in Shorewall 4.4.3
 
-None.
+1)  Move Debian INITLOG initialization to /etc/default/shorewall
 
 Changes in Shorewall 4.4.2
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
index c099f008d..1106ae6f4 100644
--- a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 LOGFILE=/var/log/messages
 
-STARTUP_LOG=
+STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
 
-LOG_VERBOSITY=
+LOG_VERBOSITY=2
 
 LOGFORMAT="Shorewall:%s:%s:"
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/default.debian b/Shorewall/default.debian
index b411868a1..1d7c26bc2 100644
--- a/Shorewall/default.debian
+++ b/Shorewall/default.debian
@@ -21,4 +21,9 @@ startup=0
 
 OPTIONS=""
 
+#
+# Init Log -- if /dev/null, use the STARTUP_LOG defined in shorewall.conf
+#
+INITLOG=/dev/null
+
 # EOF
diff --git a/Shorewall/init.debian.sh b/Shorewall/init.debian.sh
index d001561dc..e832a3ac5 100755
--- a/Shorewall/init.debian.sh
+++ b/Shorewall/init.debian.sh
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@
 SRWL=/sbin/shorewall
 SRWL_OPTS="-tvv"
 WAIT_FOR_IFUP=/usr/share/shorewall/wait4ifup
-# Note, set INITLOG to /dev/null if you want to
-# use Shorewall's STARTUP_LOG feature.
-INITLOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
+test -n ${INITLOG:=/var/log/shorewall-init.log}
 
 test -x $SRWL || exit 0
 test -x $WAIT_FOR_IFUP || exit 0
diff --git a/Shorewall/releasenotes.txt b/Shorewall/releasenotes.txt
index f4eb8ce62..700143aea 100644
--- a/Shorewall/releasenotes.txt
+++ b/Shorewall/releasenotes.txt
@@ -185,7 +185,23 @@ None.
                 N E W   F E A T U R E S   I N   4 . 4 . 3
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-None.
+1)  On Debian systems, a default installation will now set
+    INITLOG=/dev/null in /etc/default/shorewall. In all configurations,
+    the default values for the log variables are changed to:
+
+    	STARTUP_LOG=/var/log/shorewall-init.log
+	LOG_VERBOSITY=2
+
+    The effect is much the same as the old defaults, with the exception 
+    that:
+
+	a) Start, stop, etc. commands issued through /sbin/shorewall
+	   will be logged.
+	b) Logging will occur at maximum verbosity.
+	c) Log entries will be date/time stamped.
+
+    On non-Debian systems, new installs will now log all Shorewall 
+    commands to /var/log/shorewall-init.log.
 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 N E W   F E A T U R E S   I N   4 . 4 . 0