diff --git a/scripts/msmtpq/msmtp-queue b/scripts/msmtpq/msmtp-queue
index 1dc220d..d834241 100755
--- a/scripts/msmtpq/msmtp-queue
+++ b/scripts/msmtpq/msmtp-queue
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@
 ## change the below line to be
 ##   exec /path/to/msmtpq --q-mgmt
 
-exec msmtpq --q-mgmt "$1"
+exec @msmtpq@ --q-mgmt "$1"
diff --git a/scripts/msmtpq/msmtpq b/scripts/msmtpq/msmtpq
index bdb4fb8..1363a67 100755
--- a/scripts/msmtpq/msmtpq
+++ b/scripts/msmtpq/msmtpq
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ err() { dsp '' "$@" '' ; exit 1 ; }
 ##   enter the location of the msmtp executable  (no quotes !!)
 ##   e.g. ( MSMTP=/path/to/msmtp )
 ##   and uncomment the test for its existence
-MSMTP=msmtp
+MSMTP=@msmtp@
 #[ -x "$MSMTP" ] || \
 #  log -e 1 "msmtpq : can't find the msmtp executable [ $MSMTP ]"   # if not found - complain ; quit
 ##
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ MSMTP=msmtp
 ##            ( chmod 0700 msmtp.queue )
 ##
 ## the queue dir - modify this to reflect where you'd like it to be  (no quotes !!)
-Q=~/.msmtp.queue
-[ -d "$Q" ] || mkdir -m 0700 "$Q" || \
-  err '' "msmtpq : can't find or create msmtp queue directory [ $Q ]" ''     # if not present - complain ; quit
+Q=${MSMTP_QUEUE:-~/.msmtp.queue}
+[ -d "$Q" ] || mkdir -m 0700 -p "$Q" || \
+   err '' "msmtpq : can't find or create msmtp queue directory [ $Q ]" ''     # if not present - complain ; quit
 ##
 ## set the queue log file var to the location of the msmtp queue log file
 ##   where it is or where you'd like it to be
@@ -84,7 +83,10 @@ Q=~/.msmtp.queue
 ##     (doing so would be inadvisable under most conditions, however)
 ##
 ## the queue log file - modify (or comment out) to taste  (but no quotes !!)
-LOG=~/log/msmtp.queue.log
+LOG=${MSMTP_LOG:-~/log/msmtp.queue.log}
+test -d "$(dirname $LOG)" || mkdir -p "$(dirname $LOG)"
+
+JOURNAL=@journal@
 ## ======================================================================================
 
 ## msmtpq can use the following environment variables :
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ LOG=~/log/msmtp.queue.log
 ##
 #EMAIL_CONN_NOTEST=y                 # deprecated ; use below var
 #EMAIL_CONN_TEST={x| |p|P|n|s}       # see settings above for EMAIL_CONN_TEST
-EMAIL_CONN_TEST=n
+EMAIL_CONN_TEST=@test@
 #EMAIL_QUEUE_QUIET=t
 ## ======================================================================================
 
@@ -138,6 +140,7 @@ on_exit() {                          # unlock the queue on exit if the lock was
 ## display msg to user, as well
 ##
 log() {
+  local NAME=msmtpq
   local ARG RC PFX
   PFX="$('date' +'%Y %d %b %H:%M:%S')"
                                      # time stamp prefix - "2008 13 Mar 03:59:45 "
   if [ "$1" = '-e' ] ; then          # there's an error exit code
@@ -154,10 +157,19 @@ log() {
     done
   fi
 
+  if [ "$JOURNAL" == "y" ] ; then
+    for ARG ; do
+      [ -n "$ARG" ] && \
+        echo "$PFX : $ARG" | @systemdcat@ -t $NAME -p info
+    done
+  fi
+
   if [ -n "$RC" ] ; then             # an error ; leave w/error return
     [ -n "$LKD" ] && lock_queue -u   # unlock here (if locked)
     [ -n "$LOG" ] && \
       echo "    exit code = $RC" >> "$LOG" # logging ok ; send exit code to log
+    [ "$JOURNAL" == "y" ] && \
+      echo "exit code= $RC" | @systemdcat@ -t $NAME -p emerg
     exit $RC                         # exit w/return code
   fi
 }
@@ -207,10 +219,7 @@ connect_test() {
     ping -qnc1 -w4 8.8.8.8 >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
 
   elif [ "$EMAIL_CONN_TEST" = 'n' ] ; then                     # use netcat (nc) test
-    # must, of course, have netcat (nc) installed
-    which nc >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
-      log -e 1 "msmtpq : can't find netcat executable [ nc ]"  # if not found - complain ; quit
-    'nc' -vz www.debian.org 80 >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+    @nc@ -vz www.debian.org 80 >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
 
   elif [ "$EMAIL_CONN_TEST" = 's' ] ; then                     # use sh sockets test
     # note that this does not work on debian systems