diff --git a/debian/build_virtualenv b/debian/build_virtualenv
index bead3ebc6..279189605 100755
--- a/debian/build_virtualenv
+++ b/debian/build_virtualenv
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ dh_virtualenv \
     --preinstall="mock" \
     --extra-pip-arg="--no-cache-dir" \
     --extra-pip-arg="--compile" \
-    --extras="all"
+    --extras="all,systemd"
 
 PACKAGE_BUILD_DIR="debian/matrix-synapse-py3"
 VIRTUALENV_DIR="${PACKAGE_BUILD_DIR}${DH_VIRTUALENV_INSTALL_ROOT}/matrix-synapse"
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index ef4edd7ac..91653e724 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.0.0+nmu1) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
+
+  [ Silke Hofstra ]
+  * Include systemd-python to allow logging to the systemd journal.
+
+ -- Silke Hofstra <silke@slxh.eu>  Wed, 29 May 2019 09:45:29 +0200
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.0.0) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New synapse release 1.0.0.