@@ -107,33 +107,35 @@ func (s *syslogger) Name() string {

 }

 func parseAddress(address string) (string, string, error) {

-	if urlutil.IsTransportURL(address) {

-		url, err := url.Parse(address)

-		if err != nil {

-			return "", "", err

-		}

+	if address == "" {

+		return "", "", nil

+	}

+	if !urlutil.IsTransportURL(address) {

+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("syslog-address should be in form proto://address, got %v", address)

+	}

+	url, err := url.Parse(address)

+	if err != nil {

+		return "", "", err

+	}

-		// unix socket validation

-		if url.Scheme == "unix" {

-			if _, err := os.Stat(url.Path); err != nil {

-				return "", "", err

-			}

-			return url.Scheme, url.Path, nil

+	// unix socket validation

+	if url.Scheme == "unix" {

+		if _, err := os.Stat(url.Path); err != nil {

+			return "", "", err

 		}

+		return url.Scheme, url.Path, nil

+	}

-		// here we process tcp|udp

-		host := url.Host

-		if _, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(host); err != nil {

-			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "missing port in address") {

-				return "", "", err

-			}

-			host = host + ":514"

+	// here we process tcp|udp

+	host := url.Host

+	if _, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(host); err != nil {

+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "missing port in address") {

+			return "", "", err

 		}

-

-		return url.Scheme, host, nil

+		host = host + ":514"

 	}

-	return "", "", nil

+	return url.Scheme, host, nil

 }

 // ValidateLogOpt looks for syslog specific log options