diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e9a6f06..64519cd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ Available user configurations are listed as follows:
 
 * `path`
 
-    If the log server uses a stream-typed unix domain socket, `path` is the socket file path. Note that host/port and path cannot both be empty. At least one must be supplied.
+    If the log server uses a unix domain socket `path` is the socket file path. Note that host/port and path cannot both be empty. At least one must be supplied.
+
+* `datagram`
+
+    Sets whether datagrams should be used. For host/port connections this means UDP rather than the default, TCP. For unix domain sockets this uses SOCK_DGRAM rather than the default, SOCK_STREAM. Please note that if you are using datagram then we will send one datagram packet per message.
 
 * `max_retry_times`
 
diff --git a/lib/resty/logger/socket.lua b/lib/resty/logger/socket.lua
index 7a7b148..8cc34fb 100644
--- a/lib/resty/logger/socket.lua
+++ b/lib/resty/logger/socket.lua
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 
 local concat                = table.concat
 local tcp                   = ngx.socket.tcp
+local udp                   = ngx.socket.udp
 local timer_at              = ngx.timer.at
 local ngx_log               = ngx.log
 local ngx_sleep             = ngx.sleep
 local type                  = type
 local pairs                 = pairs
+local ipairs                = ipairs
 local tostring              = tostring
 local debug                 = ngx.config.debug
 
@@ -55,14 +57,17 @@ local timeout               = 1000         -- 1 sec
 local host
 local port
 local path
+local datagram              = false
 
 -- internal variables
 local buffer_size           = 0
--- 2nd level buffer, it stores logs ready to be sent out
-local send_buffer           = ""
 -- 1st level buffer, it stores incoming logs
-local log_buffer_data       = new_tab(20000, 0)
-local log_buffer_index      = 0
+local incoming_buffer       = new_tab(20000, 0)
+local incoming_buffer_index = 0
+-- 2nd level buffer, it stores logs ready to be sent out
+local send_buffer           = new_tab(1000)
+local send_buffer_index     = 0
+local send_buffer_size      = 0
 
 local last_error
 
@@ -87,7 +92,12 @@ local function _do_connect()
     local ok, err
 
     if not connected then
-        sock, err = tcp()
+        if datagram then
+            sock, err = udp()
+        else
+            sock, err = tcp()
+        end
+
         if not sock then
             _write_error(err)
             return nil, err
@@ -98,9 +108,17 @@ local function _do_connect()
 
     -- host/port and path config have already been checked in init()
     if host and port then
-        ok, err =  sock:connect(host, port)
+        if datagram then
+            ok, err =  sock:setpeername(host, port)
+        else
+            ok, err =  sock:connect(host, port)
+        end
     elseif path then
-        ok, err =  sock:connect("unix:" .. path)
+        if datagram then
+            ok, err =  sock:setpeername("unix:" .. path)
+        else
+            ok, err =  sock:connect("unix:" .. path)
+        end
     end
 
     return ok, err
@@ -150,30 +168,50 @@ local function _connect()
     return true
 end
 
-local function _prepare_stream_buffer()
-    local packet = concat(log_buffer_data)
-    send_buffer = send_buffer .. packet
+local function _prepare_send_buffer()
+    for i=1, incoming_buffer_index do
+        send_buffer_index = send_buffer_index + 1
+        send_buffer[send_buffer_index] = incoming_buffer[i]
+    end
+
+    send_buffer_size = buffer_size
+    incoming_buffer_index = 0
+    clear_tab(incoming_buffer)
+end
 
-    clear_tab(log_buffer_data)
-    log_buffer_index = 0
+local function _reset_send_buffer()
+    buffer_size = buffer_size - send_buffer_size
+    send_buffer_index = 0
+    send_buffer_size = 0
+    clear_tab(send_buffer)
 end
 
-local function _do_flush()
-    local packet = send_buffer
+-- this is expensive and should only be used to tidy up in case of an error
+local function _pop_send_buffer(count)
+    for i=1, count do
+        local packet = send_buffer.remove(i)
+        send_buffer_index = send_buffer_index - 1
+        send_buffer_size = send_buffer_size - #packet
+    end
+end
+
+local function _do_stream_flush()
     local ok, err = _connect()
     if not ok then
         return nil, err
     end
 
-    local bytes, err = sock:send(packet)
+    local bytes, err = sock:send(send_buffer)
     if not bytes then
         -- sock:send always close current connection on error
         return nil, err
     end
 
+    _reset_send_buffer()
+
     if debug then
         ngx.update_time()
-        ngx_log(DEBUG, ngx.now(), ":log flush:" .. bytes .. ":" .. packet)
+        ngx_log(DEBUG, ngx.now(), ":log flush:" .. bytes)
     end
 
     ok, err = sock:setkeepalive(0, pool_size)
@@ -184,8 +222,33 @@ local function _do_flush()
     return true
 end
 
+local function _do_datagram_flush()
+    local ok, err = _connect()
+    if not ok then
+        return nil, err
+    end
+
+    for i, packet in ipairs(send_buffer) do
+        local bytes, err = sock:send(packet)
+        if not bytes then
+            -- ensure we don't resend packets later that we've already sent
+            _pop_send_buffer(i - 1)
+            return nil, err
+        end
+
+        if debug then
+            ngx.update_time()
+            ngx_log(DEBUG, ngx.now(), ":log flush:" .. bytes)
+        end
+    end
+
+    _reset_send_buffer()
+
+    return true
+end
+
 local function _need_flush()
-    if log_buffer_index > 0 or #send_buffer > 0 then
+    if incoming_buffer_index > 0 or send_buffer_index > 0 then
         return true
     end
 
@@ -218,7 +281,7 @@ local function _flush()
 
     if not _need_flush() then
         if debug then
-            ngx_log(DEBUG, "do not need to flush:", log_buffer_index)
+            ngx_log(DEBUG, "do not need to flush")
         end
         _flush_unlock()
         return true
@@ -231,11 +294,15 @@ local function _flush()
     end
 
     while retry_send <= max_retry_times do
-        if log_buffer_index > 0 then
-            _prepare_stream_buffer()
+        if incoming_buffer_index > 0 then
+            _prepare_send_buffer()
         end
 
-        ok, err = _do_flush()
+        if datagram then
+            ok, err = _do_datagram_flush()
+        else
+            ok, err = _do_stream_flush()
+        end
 
         if ok then
             break
@@ -263,9 +330,6 @@ local function _flush()
         return nil, err_msg
     end
 
-    buffer_size = buffer_size - #send_buffer
-    send_buffer = ""
-
     return true
 end
 
@@ -280,12 +344,11 @@ local function _flush_buffer()
 end
 
 local function _write_buffer(msg)
-    log_buffer_index = log_buffer_index + 1
-    log_buffer_data[log_buffer_index] = msg
+    incoming_buffer_index = incoming_buffer_index + 1
+    incoming_buffer[incoming_buffer_index] = msg
 
     buffer_size = buffer_size + #msg
 
-
     return buffer_size
 end
 
@@ -301,6 +364,8 @@ function _M.init(user_config)
             port = v
         elseif k == "path" then
             path = v
+        elseif  k == "datagram" then
+            datagram = v
         elseif k == "flush_limit" then
             flush_limit = v
         elseif k == "drop_limit" then
@@ -321,7 +386,6 @@ function _M.init(user_config)
         return nil, "no logging server configured. Need host/port or path."
     end
 
-
     if (flush_limit >= drop_limit) then
         return nil, "flush_limit should < drop_limit"
     end