diff --git a/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog.go b/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog.go
index 9b09d5d32a93..4dac2e897f03 100644
--- a/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog.go
+++ b/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog.go
@@ -18,23 +18,26 @@ func NewSyslogInputConfig(operatorID string) *SyslogInputConfig {
 	}
 }
 
-type SyslogInputConfig struct {
+type BaseSyslogInputConfig struct {
 	helper.InputConfig `yaml:",inline"`
-	Tcp                *tcp.TCPInputConfig        `json:"tcp" yaml:"tcp"`
-	Udp                *udp.UDPInputConfig        `json:"udp" yaml:"udp"`
-	Syslog             *syslog.SyslogParserConfig `json:"syslog" yaml:"syslog"`
+	Tcp                *tcp.TCPInputConfig `json:"tcp" yaml:"tcp"`
+	Udp                *udp.UDPInputConfig `json:"udp" yaml:"udp"`
+}
+
+type SyslogInputConfig struct {
+	syslog.SyslogParserConfig `yaml:"-"`
+	helper.InputConfig        `yaml:",inline"`
+	Tcp                       *tcp.TCPInputConfig `json:"tcp" yaml:"tcp"`
+	Udp                       *udp.UDPInputConfig `json:"udp" yaml:"udp"`
 }
 
 func (c SyslogInputConfig) Build(context operator.BuildContext) ([]operator.Operator, error) {
-	if c.Syslog == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("need syslog config")
-	}
 	if c.Tcp == nil && c.Udp == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("need tcp config or udp config")
 	}
 
-	c.Syslog.OutputIDs = c.OutputIDs
-	ops, err := c.Syslog.Build(context)
+	c.SyslogParserConfig.OutputIDs = c.OutputIDs
+	ops, err := c.SyslogParserConfig.Build(context)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve syslog config: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -59,3 +62,25 @@ func (c SyslogInputConfig) Build(context operator.BuildContext) ([]operator.Oper
 
 	return ops, nil
 }
+
+func (c *SyslogInputConfig) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	parserCfg := syslog.NewSyslogParserConfig("syslog_parser")
+
+	err := unmarshal(parserCfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	c.SyslogParserConfig = *parserCfg
+
+	base := &BaseSyslogInputConfig{
+	}
+	err =  unmarshal(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	c.InputConfig = base.InputConfig
+	c.Tcp= base.Tcp
+	c.Udp = base.Udp
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog_test.go b/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog_test.go
index c2a02f448c56..eb7dfaca5a0a 100644
--- a/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog_test.go
+++ b/operator/builtin/input/syslog/syslog_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-log-collection/pipeline"
 	"github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-log-collection/testutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 	"net"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -54,7 +55,6 @@ func SyslogInputTest(t *testing.T, cfg *SyslogInputConfig, tc syslog.Case) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
 
-
 	switch tc.InputRecord.(type) {
 	case string:
 		_, err = conn.Write([]byte(tc.InputRecord.(string)))
@@ -80,18 +80,46 @@ func SyslogInputTest(t *testing.T, cfg *SyslogInputConfig, tc syslog.Case) {
 
 func NewSyslogInputConfigWithTcp(syslogCfg *syslog.SyslogParserConfig) *SyslogInputConfig {
 	cfg := NewSyslogInputConfig("test_syslog")
+	cfg.SyslogParserConfig = *syslogCfg
 	cfg.Tcp = tcp.NewTCPInputConfig("test_syslog_tcp")
 	cfg.Tcp.ListenAddress = ":14201"
 	cfg.OutputIDs = []string{"fake"}
-	cfg.Syslog = syslogCfg
 	return cfg
 }
 
 func NewSyslogInputConfigWithUdp(syslogCfg *syslog.SyslogParserConfig) *SyslogInputConfig {
 	cfg := NewSyslogInputConfig("test_syslog")
+	cfg.SyslogParserConfig = *syslogCfg
 	cfg.Udp = udp.NewUDPInputConfig("test_syslog_udp")
 	cfg.Udp.ListenAddress = ":12032"
 	cfg.OutputIDs = []string{"fake"}
-	cfg.Syslog = syslogCfg
 	return cfg
 }
+
+func TestConfigYamlUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
+	base := `type: syslog_input
+protocol: rfc5424
+udp:
+  listen_address: localhost:1234
+`
+	var cfg SyslogInputConfig
+	err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(base), &cfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "rfc5424", cfg.Protocol)
+	require.Equal(t, "localhost:1234", cfg.Udp.ListenAddress)
+
+
+	base = `type: syslog_input
+protocol: rfc5424
+tcp:
+  listen_address: localhost:1234
+  tls:
+    enable: true
+`
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(base), &cfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "rfc5424", cfg.Protocol)
+	require.Equal(t, "localhost:1234", cfg.Tcp.ListenAddress)
+	require.Equal(t, true, cfg.Tcp.TLS.Enable)
+
+}