diff --git a/src/collectd.conf.in b/src/collectd.conf.in
index f99955402d..15bb7cffd6 100644
--- a/src/collectd.conf.in
+++ b/src/collectd.conf.in
@@ -2047,6 +2047,10 @@
 #  </Topic>
 #</Plugin>
 
+#<Plugin write_log>
+#  Format "Graphite"
+#</Plugin>
+
 #<Plugin write_mongodb>
 #	<Node "example">
 #		Host "localhost"
diff --git a/src/collectd.conf.pod b/src/collectd.conf.pod
index 98378b35bb..e9f6a5ac4c 100644
--- a/src/collectd.conf.pod
+++ b/src/collectd.conf.pod
@@ -10936,7 +10936,7 @@ This plugin supports two output formats: I<Graphite> and I<JSON>.
 Synopsis:
 
  <Plugin write_log>
-   Format Graphite
+   Format "Graphite"
  </Plugin>
 
 =over 4
diff --git a/src/write_log.c b/src/write_log.c
index 31183ebbf5..8b1c510ff0 100644
--- a/src/write_log.c
+++ b/src/write_log.c
@@ -55,10 +55,17 @@ static int wl_write_graphite(metric_family_t const *fam) {
     int status = format_graphite(&buf, m, prefix, suffix, escape_char, flags);
     if (status != 0) {
       ERROR("write_log plugin: format_graphite failed: %d", status);
-    } else {
-      INFO("%s", buf.ptr);
+      strbuf_reset(&buf);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    /* trim newlines emitted by format_graphite() */
+    while (buf.pos > 0 && isspace(buf.ptr[buf.pos - 1])) {
+      buf.pos--;
+      buf.ptr[buf.pos] = 0;
     }
 
+    INFO("%s", buf.ptr);
     strbuf_reset(&buf);
   }