diff --git a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Agent/SiteDirector.py b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Agent/SiteDirector.py
index 053846adc6e..18077b741a3 100644
--- a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Agent/SiteDirector.py
+++ b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Agent/SiteDirector.py
@@ -984,9 +984,9 @@ def _getPilotOptions(self, queue, **kwargs):
         pilotLogging = opsHelper.getValue("/Services/JobMonitoring/usePilotsLoggingFlag", False)
         if pilotLogging:
             pilotOptions.append("-z ")
-            # internal extended logger logging to debug the logger itself.
-            extLoggingLevel = opsHelper.getValue("/Services/JobMonitoring/extLoggerLoggingLevel", "WARNING")
-            pilotOptions.append("-g %s" % extLoggingLevel)
+            # remote logger URL.
+            remoteLoggerURL = opsHelper.getValue("/Services/JobMonitoring/remoteLoggerURL", "localhost")
+            pilotOptions.append("-g %s" % remoteLoggerURL)
 
         pilotOptions.append("--pythonVersion=3")
 
diff --git a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/BasicPilotLoggingPlugin.py b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/BasicPilotLoggingPlugin.py
index 8452e0a0851..25b4774cc71 100644
--- a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/BasicPilotLoggingPlugin.py
+++ b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/BasicPilotLoggingPlugin.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def __init__(self):
 
         sLog.warning("BasicPilotLoggingPlugin is being used. It only logs locally at a debug level.")
 
-    def sendMessage(self, message):
+    def sendMessage(self, message, UUID):
         """
         Dummy sendMessage method.
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def sendMessage(self, message):
         sLog.debug(message)
         return S_OK("Message sent")
 
-    def finaliseLogs(self, payload):
+    def finaliseLogs(self, payload, UUID):
         """
         Dummy finaliseLogs method.
 
diff --git a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/FileCacheLoggingPlugin.py b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/FileCacheLoggingPlugin.py
index ea19624b20a..b3aac55d2a0 100644
--- a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/FileCacheLoggingPlugin.py
+++ b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/FileCacheLoggingPlugin.py
@@ -28,18 +28,15 @@ def __init__(self):
             os.makedirs(logPath)
         sLog.info("Pilot logging directory:", logPath)
 
-    def sendMessage(self, message):
+    def sendMessage(self, message, pilotUUID):
         """
-        File cache sendMessage method.
+        File cache sendMessage method. Write the log message to a file line by line.
 
-        :param message: text to log
+        :param message: text to log in json format
         :type message: str
-        :return: None
-        :rtype: None
+        :return: S_OK or S_ERROR
+        :rtype: dict
         """
-        sLog.info(message)
-        messageDict = json.loads(message)
-        pilotUUID = messageDict.get("pilotUUID", "Unspecified_ID")
 
         res = self.pattern.match(pilotUUID)
         if not res:
@@ -48,23 +45,31 @@ def sendMessage(self, message):
 
         with open(os.path.join(self.meta["LogPath"], pilotUUID), "a") as pilotLog:
             try:
-                pilotLog.write(message + "\n")
+                messageContent = json.loads(message)
+                if isinstance(messageContent, list):
+                    for elem in messageContent:
+                        pilotLog.write(elem + "\n")
+                else:
+                    # it could be a string, if emitted by pilot logger StringIO handler
+                    pilotLog.write(messageContent)
             except IOError as ioerr:
                 sLog.error("Error writing to log file:", str(ioerr))
                 return S_ERROR(str(ioerr))
         return S_OK("Message logged successfully for pilot: %s" % (pilotUUID,))
 
-    def finaliseLogs(self, payload):
+    def finaliseLogs(self, payload, logfile):
         """
         Finalise a log file. Finalised logfile can be copied to a secure location.
 
-        :param logfile: payload containing log filename.
+        :param payload: additional info, a plugin might want to use (i.e. the system return code of a pilot script)
+        :type payload: dict
+        :param logfile: log filename (pilotUUID).
         :type logfile: json representation of dict
         :return: S_OK or S_ERROR
         :rtype: dict
         """
 
-        logfile = json.loads(payload).get("pilotUUID", "Unspecified_ID")
+        returnCode = json.loads(payload).get("retCode", 0)
         res = self.pattern.match(logfile)
         if not res:
             sLog.error("Pilot UUID does not match the UUID pattern: ", "%s" % (logfile,))
@@ -73,8 +78,10 @@ def finaliseLogs(self, payload):
         try:
             filepath = self.meta["LogPath"]
             os.rename(os.path.join(filepath, logfile), os.path.join(filepath, logfile + ".log"))
-            return S_OK("Log file finalised for pilot: %s" % (logfile,))
+            sLog.info("Log file finalised for pilot: %s (return code: %s)" % (logfile, returnCode))
+            return S_OK()
         except Exception as err:
+            sLog.exception("Exception when finalising log: ", err)
             return S_ERROR(str(err))
 
     def getMeta(self):
diff --git a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/TornadoPilotLoggingHandler.py b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/TornadoPilotLoggingHandler.py
index b115144b274..87af9f1a186 100644
--- a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/TornadoPilotLoggingHandler.py
+++ b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Service/TornadoPilotLoggingHandler.py
@@ -61,21 +61,24 @@ def initializeRequest(self):
 
     auth_sendMessage = ["Operator", "Pilot", "GenericPilot"]
 
-    def export_sendMessage(self, message):
+    def export_sendMessage(self, message, pilotUUID):
         # def export_sendMessage(self, message, pilotUUID):
         """
-        The method logs messages to Tornado and writes pilot log files, one per pilot.
+        The method logs messages to Tornado and forwards pilot log files, one per pilot, to a relevant plugin.
+        The pilot is identified by its UUID.
 
-        :param message: message sent by a client, in JSON format
-        :param pilotUUID: pilot UUID - used to create a log file
-        :return: S_OK or S_ERROR if a file cannot be created or written to.
+        :param message: message sent by a client, a list of strings in JSON format
+        :param pilotUUID: pilot UUID
+        :return: S_OK or S_ERROR if a plugin cannot process the message.
+        :rtype: dict
         """
         ## Insert your method here, don't forget the return should be serializable
         ## Returned value may be an S_OK/S_ERROR
         ## You don't need to serialize in JSON, Tornado will do it
-        self.log.info("Message: ", message)
+        # self.log.info("Message: ", message)
         # the plugin returns S_OK or S_ERROR
-        result = self.loggingPlugin.sendMessage(message)
+        # leave JSON decoding to the selected plugin:
+        result = self.loggingPlugin.sendMessage(message, pilotUUID)
         return result
 
     auth_getMetadata = ["Operator", "TrustedHost"]
@@ -90,16 +93,17 @@ def export_getMetadata(self):
 
     auth_finaliseLogs = ["Operator", "Pilot", "GenericPilot"]
 
-    def export_finaliseLogs(self, payload):
+    def export_finaliseLogs(self, payload, pilotUUID):
         """
-        Finalise a log file. Finalised logfile can be copied to a secure location. if a file cache is used.
+        Finalise a log file. Finalised logfile can be copied to a secure location, if a file cache is used.
 
-        :param payload: data passed to the plugin finaliser, a string in the file cache plugin.
-        :type payload: str or dict
+        :param payload: data passed to the plugin finaliser.
+        :type payload: dict
+        :param pilotUUID: pilot UUID
         :return: S_OK or S_ERROR (via the plugin involved)
         :rtype: dict
         """
 
         # The plugin returns the Dirac S_OK or S_ERROR object
 
-        return self.loggingPlugin.finaliseLogs(payload)
+        return self.loggingPlugin.finaliseLogs(payload, pilotUUID)
diff --git a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Utilities/PilotWrapper.py b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Utilities/PilotWrapper.py
index fbb597584a7..97116ad3e69 100644
--- a/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Utilities/PilotWrapper.py
+++ b/src/DIRAC/WorkloadManagementSystem/Utilities/PilotWrapper.py
@@ -46,18 +46,81 @@
 import time
 import tarfile
 import hashlib
+# for remote logging
+import subprocess
+import json
+import os
+import urllib
+import ssl
+import argparse
+import shlex
+from uuid import uuid1
+
+try:
+    # For Python 3.0 and later
+    from urllib.request import urlopen, HTTPError, URLError
+    from urllib.parse import urlencode
+except ImportError:
+    # Fall back to Python 2's urllib2
+    from urllib2 import urlopen, HTTPError, URLError
+    from urllib import urlencode
+
+try:
+  from cStringIO import StringIO
+except ImportError:
+  from io import StringIO
+
+# formatting with microsecond accuracy, (ISO-8601)
+
+class MicrosecondFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+  def formatTime(self, record, datefmt=None):
+    ct = self.converter(record.created)
+    if datefmt:
+        s = time.strftime(datefmt, ct)
+    else:
+        t = time.strftime("%%Y-%%m-%%dT%%H:%%M:%%S", ct)
+        s = "%%s,%%06dZ" %% (t, (record.created - int(record.created)) * 1e6)
+    return s
+
+def sendMessage(url, method, rawMessage, pilotUUID):
+
+  message = json.dumps((json.dumps(rawMessage), pilotUUID))
+  if major >= 3:
+    data = urlencode({'method': method, 'args': message}).encode('utf-8') # encode to bytes ! for python3
+  else:
+    data = urlencode({'method': method, 'args': message})
+  caPath = os.getenv('X509_CERT_DIR')
+  cert = os.getenv('X509_USER_PROXY')
+
+  context = ssl.create_default_context()
+  context.load_verify_locations(capath=caPath)
+  context.load_cert_chain(cert)
+  try:
+    res = urlopen(url, data, context=context)
+    # logger.info(res.read().strip())
+    res.close()
+  except URLError as err:
+    logger.error(err)
 
 # setting up the logging
-formatter = logging.Formatter(fmt='%%(asctime)s UTC %%(levelname)-8s %%(message)s', datefmt='%%Y-%%m-%%d %%H:%%M:%%S')
+# formatter = logging.Formatter(fmt='%%(asctime)s UTC %%(levelname)-8s %%(message)s', datefmt='%%Y-%%m-%%d %%H:%%M:%%S')
+formatter = MicrosecondFormatter('%%(asctime)s %%(levelname)-8s [%%(name)s] %%(message)s')
 logging.Formatter.converter = time.gmtime
 try:
   screen_handler = logging.StreamHandler(stream=sys.stdout)
 except TypeError:  # python2.6
   screen_handler = logging.StreamHandler(strm=sys.stdout)
 screen_handler.setFormatter(formatter)
+
+# add a string buffer handler
+sio = StringIO()
+buffer = logging.StreamHandler(sio)
+buffer.setFormatter(formatter)
+
 logger = logging.getLogger('pilotLogger')
 logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 logger.addHandler(screen_handler)
+logger.addHandler(buffer)
 
 # just logging the environment as first thing
 logger.debug('===========================================================')
@@ -66,6 +129,8 @@
   logger.debug(key + '=' + val)
 logger.debug('===========================================================\\n')
 
+logger.debug(sys.version)
+
 # putting ourselves in the right directory
 pilotExecDir = '%(pilotExecDir)s'
 if not pilotExecDir:
@@ -268,12 +333,60 @@ def pilotWrapperScript(
     localPilot += (
         """
 # now finally launching the pilot script (which should be called dirac-pilot.py)
-cmd = "$py dirac-pilot.py %s"
-logger.info('Executing: %%s' %% cmd)
-sys.stdout.flush()
-ret = os.system(cmd)
+# get the setup name an -z, if present to get remote logging in place
+opt = "%s"
+# generate pilot UUID
+UUID = str(uuid1())
+opt = opt + " --pilotUUID " + UUID
+
+args = opt.split()
+
+# let's see if we have remote logging enabled (-z), if not run the pilot script with os.system, as before
+
+logger.info("dirac-pilot.py  will be called: with %%s " %% args)
+optParser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+optParser.add_argument('-z', '--pilotLogging', action='store_true')
+optParser.add_argument('-g', '--loggerURL', default="")
+optParser.add_argument('-S', '--setup', default="")
+optParser.add_argument('-F', '--pilotCFGFile', default="pilot.json")
+
+res, unknown = optParser.parse_known_args(args)
+
+setup = res.setup
+
+major, minor, micro, _, _  = sys.version_info
+
+if res.pilotLogging:
+  loggerURL = res.loggerURL
+
+  if loggerURL:
+      logger.info("Remote logging activated.")
+      # send what we have so far.
+      sendMessage(loggerURL, 'sendMessage', buffer.stream.getvalue(), UUID)
+
+      #opt = opt + " --pilotUUID " + UUID
+      proc = subprocess.Popen(shlex.split("$py dirac-pilot.py " + opt), bufsize = 1,
+                              stdout=sys.stdout, stderr=sys.stderr, universal_newlines = True)
+      proc.wait()
+      ret = proc.returncode
+
+  else:
+    # classic logger
+    logger.error("No Logging URL - cannot activate remote logger ")
+    cmd = "$py dirac-pilot.py %%s" %% opt
+    logger.info('Executing: %%s' %% cmd)
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+    ret = os.system(cmd)
+else:
+  cmd = "$py dirac-pilot.py %%s" %% opt
+  logger.info('Executing: %%s' %% cmd)
+  sys.stdout.flush()
+  ret = os.system(cmd)
 
 # and cleaning up
+if res.pilotLogging and loggerURL:
+  sendMessage(loggerURL, 'finaliseLogs', {'retCode': ret}, UUID)
+buffer.stream.close()
 shutil.rmtree(pilotWorkingDirectory)
 
 # did it fail?