diff --git a/vfs/ChangeLog b/vfs/ChangeLog
index a7085168f..c59e619b5 100644
--- a/vfs/ChangeLog
+++ b/vfs/ChangeLog
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 	* vfs.c (mc_def_ungetlocalcopy): Fix missed "%s".
 	* utilvfs.c (vfs_parse_ls_lga): Likewise.
 
+	* samba/lib/debug.c (Debug1): Don't try to open/create logfile
+	if debugf is empty string.
+
 2004-01-27  Pavel Roskin  <proski@gnu.org>
 
 	* smbfs.c (smbfs_reconnect): Revert changes in a translated
diff --git a/vfs/samba/lib/debug.c b/vfs/samba/lib/debug.c
index fb4629aff..3493181c0 100644
--- a/vfs/samba/lib/debug.c
+++ b/vfs/samba/lib/debug.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ va_dcl
     return( 0 );
     }
   
-    if( !dbf )
+    if( !dbf && *debugf)
       {
       mode_t oldumask = umask( 022 );
 
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ va_dcl
         }
       }
 
+    if (dbf)
     {
 #ifdef HAVE_STDARG_H
     va_start( ap, format_str );