diff --git a/apache2/apache2_config.c b/apache2/apache2_config.c
index cd16892e..d2d3d317 100644
--- a/apache2/apache2_config.c
+++ b/apache2/apache2_config.c
@@ -532,7 +532,8 @@ static const char *add_rule(cmd_parms *cmd, directory_config *dcfg, const char *
         /* Must NOT use metadata actions. */
         if ((rule->actionset->id != NOT_SET_P)
             ||(rule->actionset->rev != NOT_SET_P)
-            ||(rule->actionset->msg != NOT_SET_P))
+            ||(rule->actionset->msg != NOT_SET_P)
+            ||(rule->actionset->logdata != NOT_SET_P))
         {
             return apr_psprintf(cmd->pool, "ModSecurity: Metadata actions (id, rev, msg) "
                 " can only be specified by chain starter rules.");
@@ -832,7 +833,8 @@ static const char *cmd_default_action(cmd_parms *cmd, void *_dcfg, const char *p
     /* Must not use metadata actions. */
     if ((dcfg->tmp_default_actionset->id != NOT_SET_P)
         ||(dcfg->tmp_default_actionset->rev != NOT_SET_P)
-        ||(dcfg->tmp_default_actionset->msg != NOT_SET_P))
+        ||(dcfg->tmp_default_actionset->msg != NOT_SET_P)
+        ||(dcfg->tmp_default_actionset->logdata != NOT_SET_P))
     {
         return apr_psprintf(cmd->pool, "ModSecurity: SecDefaultAction must not "
             "contain any metadata actions (id, rev, msg).");
diff --git a/apache2/msc_util.c b/apache2/msc_util.c
index 9d96c178..9c5aaece 100644
--- a/apache2/msc_util.c
+++ b/apache2/msc_util.c
@@ -450,13 +450,43 @@ char *log_escape_raw(apr_pool_t *mp, const unsigned char *text, unsigned long in
     unsigned long int i, j;
 
     for (i = 0, j = 0; i < text_length; i++, j += 4) {
-        apr_snprintf((char *)ret+j, 5, "\\x%02x", text[i]);
+        ret[j] = '\\';
+        ret[j+1] = 'x';
+        c2x(text[i], ret+j+2);
     }
     ret[text_length * 4] = '\0';
 
     return (char *)ret;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Transform text to ASCII printable or hex escaped
+ */
+char *log_escape_hex(apr_pool_t *mp, const unsigned char *text, unsigned long int text_length) {
+    unsigned char *ret = apr_palloc(mp, text_length * 4 + 1);
+    unsigned long int i, j;
+
+    for (i = 0, j = 0; i < text_length; i++) {
+        if (  (text[i] == '"')
+            ||(text[i] == '\\')
+            ||(text[i] <= 0x1f)
+            ||(text[i] >= 0x7f))
+        {
+            ret[j] = '\\';
+            ret[j+1] = 'x';
+            c2x(text[i], ret+j+2);
+            j += 4;
+        }
+        else {
+            ret[j] = text[i];
+            j ++;
+        }
+    }
+    ret[j] = '\0';
+
+    return (char *)ret;
+}
+
 /**
  * Transform input into a form safe for logging.
  */
diff --git a/apache2/msc_util.h b/apache2/msc_util.h
index 5dc3b7e8..1ae7b873 100644
--- a/apache2/msc_util.h
+++ b/apache2/msc_util.h
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ char DSOLOCAL *log_escape_nq_ex(apr_pool_t *p, const char *text, unsigned long i
 
 char DSOLOCAL *log_escape_header_name(apr_pool_t *p, const char *text);
 
-char *log_escape_raw(apr_pool_t *mp, const unsigned char *text, unsigned long int text_length);
+char DSOLOCAL *log_escape_hex(apr_pool_t *mp, const unsigned char *text, unsigned long int text_length);
+
+char DSOLOCAL *log_escape_raw(apr_pool_t *mp, const unsigned char *text, unsigned long int text_length);
 
 char DSOLOCAL *_log_escape(apr_pool_t *p, const unsigned char *input,
     unsigned long int input_length, int escape_quotes, int escape_colon);
diff --git a/apache2/re.c b/apache2/re.c
index e7630f4e..8424c34b 100644
--- a/apache2/re.c
+++ b/apache2/re.c
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ msre_actionset *msre_actionset_create(msre_engine *engine, const char *text,
     actionset->id = NOT_SET_P;
     actionset->rev = NOT_SET_P;
     actionset->msg = NOT_SET_P;
+    actionset->logdata = NOT_SET_P;
     actionset->phase = NOT_SET;
     actionset->severity = -1;
     actionset->rule = NOT_SET_P;
@@ -492,6 +493,7 @@ msre_actionset *msre_actionset_merge(msre_engine *engine, msre_actionset *parent
     if (child->id != NOT_SET_P) merged->id = child->id;
     if (child->rev != NOT_SET_P) merged->rev = child->rev;
     if (child->msg != NOT_SET_P) merged->msg = child->msg;
+    if (child->logdata != NOT_SET_P) merged->logdata = child->logdata;
     if (child->severity != NOT_SET) merged->severity = child->severity;
     if (child->phase != NOT_SET) merged->phase = child->phase;
     if (child->rule != NOT_SET_P) merged->rule = child->rule;
@@ -548,6 +550,7 @@ static void msre_actionset_set_defaults(msre_actionset *actionset) {
     if (actionset->id == NOT_SET_P) actionset->id = NULL;
     if (actionset->rev == NOT_SET_P) actionset->rev = NULL;
     if (actionset->msg == NOT_SET_P) actionset->msg = NULL;
+    if (actionset->logdata == NOT_SET_P) actionset->logdata = NULL;
     if (actionset->phase == NOT_SET) actionset->phase = 2;
     if (actionset->severity == -1); /* leave at -1 */
     if (actionset->rule == NOT_SET_P) actionset->rule = NULL;
@@ -973,6 +976,7 @@ char *msre_format_metadata(modsec_rec *msr, msre_actionset *actionset) {
     char *id = "";
     char *rev = "";
     char *msg = "";
+    char *logdata = "";
     char *severity = "";
     char *tags = "";
     char *fn = "";
@@ -1002,6 +1006,17 @@ char *msre_format_metadata(modsec_rec *msr, msre_actionset *actionset) {
         msg = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, " [msg \"%s\"]",
                            log_escape_ex(msr->mp, var->value, var->value_len));
     }
+    if (actionset->logdata != NULL) {
+    //TODO: restrict to 512 bytes
+        /* Expand variables in the message string. */
+        msc_string *var = (msc_string *)apr_pcalloc(msr->mp, sizeof(msc_string));
+        var->value = (char *)actionset->logdata;
+        var->value_len = strlen(actionset->logdata);
+        expand_macros(msr, var, NULL, msr->mp);
+
+        logdata = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, " [data \"%s\"]",
+                           log_escape_hex(msr->mp, (unsigned char *)var->value, var->value_len));
+    }
     if ((actionset->severity >= 0)&&(actionset->severity <= 7)) {
         severity = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, " [severity \"%s\"]",
                                 msre_format_severity(actionset->severity));
@@ -1019,7 +1034,7 @@ char *msre_format_metadata(modsec_rec *msr, msre_actionset *actionset) {
         }
     }
     
-    return apr_pstrcat(msr->mp, fn, id, rev, msg, severity, tags, NULL);
+    return apr_pstrcat(msr->mp, fn, id, rev, msg, logdata, severity, tags, NULL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/apache2/re.h b/apache2/re.h
index 07e6368c..f214f117 100644
--- a/apache2/re.h
+++ b/apache2/re.h
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ struct msre_actionset {
     const char              *id;
     const char              *rev;
     const char              *msg;
+    const char              *logdata;
     int                      severity;
     int                      phase;
     msre_rule               *rule;
diff --git a/apache2/re_actions.c b/apache2/re_actions.c
index fd0453a2..e182d48e 100644
--- a/apache2/re_actions.c
+++ b/apache2/re_actions.c
@@ -232,6 +232,15 @@ static apr_status_t msre_action_msg_init(msre_engine *engine, msre_actionset *ac
     return 1;
 }
 
+/* logdata */
+
+static apr_status_t msre_action_logdata_init(msre_engine *engine, msre_actionset *actionset,
+    msre_action *action)
+{
+    actionset->logdata = action->param;
+    return 1;
+}
+
 /* severity */
 
 static apr_status_t msre_action_severity_init(msre_engine *engine,
@@ -1424,6 +1433,18 @@ void msre_engine_register_default_actions(msre_engine *engine) {
         NULL
     );
 
+    /* logdata */
+    msre_engine_action_register(engine,
+        "logdata",
+        ACTION_METADATA,
+        1, 1,
+        NO_PLUS_MINUS,
+        ACTION_CARDINALITY_ONE,
+        NULL,
+        msre_action_logdata_init,
+        NULL
+    );
+
     /* severity */
     msre_engine_action_register(engine,
         "severity",
diff --git a/apache2/re_variables.c b/apache2/re_variables.c
index 70c3bb96..115fa964 100644
--- a/apache2/re_variables.c
+++ b/apache2/re_variables.c
@@ -409,6 +409,9 @@ static int var_rule_generate(modsec_rec *msr, msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule,
     } else
     if ((strcasecmp(var->param, "msg") == 0)&&(actionset->msg != NULL)) {
         return var_simple_generate(var, vartab, mptmp, actionset->msg);
+    } else
+    if ((strcasecmp(var->param, "logdata") == 0)&&(actionset->logdata != NULL)) {
+        return var_simple_generate(var, vartab, mptmp, actionset->logdata);
     }
 
     return 0;