diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
index 52bcf5e815..23681294b8 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
@@ -419,6 +419,22 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    <title>Options for Windows</title>
 
    <variablelist>
+    <varlistentry>
+     <term><option>-e <replaceable class="parameter">source</replaceable></option></term>
+     <listitem>
+      <para>
+       Name of the event source for <application>pg_ctl</application> to use
+       for logging to the event log when running as a Windows service.  The
+       default is <literal>PostgreSQL</literal>.  Note that this only controls
+       the logging from <application>pg_ctl</application> itself - once
+       started, the server will use the event source specified
+       by <xref linkend="guc-event-source">.  Should the server fail during
+       early startup, it may also log using the default event
+       source <literal>PostgreSQL</literal>.
+      </para>
+     </listitem>
+    </varlistentry>
+
     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-N <replaceable class="parameter">servicename</replaceable></option></term>
      <listitem>
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c b/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
index 0d92dcd036..32a9663366 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c
@@ -1989,7 +1989,8 @@ write_eventlog(int level, const char *line, int len)
 
 	if (evtHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
 	{
-		evtHandle = RegisterEventSource(NULL, event_source ? event_source : "PostgreSQL");
+		evtHandle = RegisterEventSource(NULL,
+						 event_source ? event_source : DEFAULT_EVENT_SOURCE);
 		if (evtHandle == NULL)
 		{
 			evtHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 3a31a75191..6c52db8590 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -3019,7 +3019,7 @@ static struct config_string ConfigureNamesString[] =
 			NULL
 		},
 		&event_source,
-		"PostgreSQL",
+		DEFAULT_EVENT_SOURCE,
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
index 9a6ade935f..edd202b7d7 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ static char *post_opts = NULL;
 static const char *progname;
 static char *log_file = NULL;
 static char *exec_path = NULL;
+static char *event_source = NULL;
 static char *register_servicename = "PostgreSQL";		/* FIXME: + version ID? */
 static char *register_username = NULL;
 static char *register_password = NULL;
@@ -178,7 +179,8 @@ write_eventlog(int level, const char *line)
 
 	if (evtHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
 	{
-		evtHandle = RegisterEventSource(NULL, "PostgreSQL");
+		evtHandle = RegisterEventSource(NULL,
+						event_source ? event_source : DEFAULT_EVENT_SOURCE);
 		if (evtHandle == NULL)
 		{
 			evtHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
@@ -1406,6 +1408,9 @@ pgwin32_CommandLine(bool registration)
 		free(dataDir);
 	}
 
+	if (registration && event_source != NULL)
+		appendPQExpBuffer(cmdLine, " -e \"%s\"", event_source);
+
 	if (registration && do_wait)
 		appendPQExpBuffer(cmdLine, " -w");
 
@@ -1878,6 +1883,10 @@ do_help(void)
 	printf(_("\nCommon options:\n"));
 	printf(_("  -D, --pgdata=DATADIR   location of the database storage area\n"));
 	printf(_("  -s, --silent           only print errors, no informational messages\n"));
+#if defined(WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+	printf(_("  -e SOURCE              event source to use for logging when running\n"
+			 "                         as a service\n"));
+#endif
 	printf(_("  -t, --timeout=SECS     seconds to wait when using -w option\n"));
 	printf(_("  -V, --version          output version information, then exit\n"));
 	printf(_("  -w                     wait until operation completes\n"));
@@ -2140,7 +2149,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* process command-line options */
 	while (optind < argc)
 	{
-		while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "cD:l:m:N:o:p:P:sS:t:U:wW", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
+		while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "cD:e:l:m:N:o:p:P:sS:t:U:wW", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
 		{
 			switch (c)
 			{
@@ -2168,6 +2177,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				case 'm':
 					set_mode(optarg);
 					break;
+				case 'e':
+					event_source = pg_strdup(optarg);
+					break;
 				case 'N':
 					register_servicename = pg_strdup(optarg);
 					break;
diff --git a/src/bin/pgevent/pgevent.c b/src/bin/pgevent/pgevent.c
index 6a667812fb..83949c2cda 100644
--- a/src/bin/pgevent/pgevent.c
+++ b/src/bin/pgevent/pgevent.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ HANDLE		g_module = NULL;	/* hModule of DLL */
  * The maximum length of a registry key is 255 characters.
  * http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms724872(v=vs.85).aspx
  */
-char		event_source[256] = "PostgreSQL";
+char		event_source[256] = DEFAULT_EVENT_SOURCE;
 
 /* Prototypes */
 HRESULT		DllInstall(BOOL bInstall, LPCWSTR pszCmdLine);
diff --git a/src/include/pg_config_manual.h b/src/include/pg_config_manual.h
index d1f99fbafe..16f7ef9bea 100644
--- a/src/include/pg_config_manual.h
+++ b/src/include/pg_config_manual.h
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@
  */
 #define DEFAULT_PGSOCKET_DIR  "/tmp"
 
+/*
+ * This is the default event source for Windows event log.
+ */
+#define DEFAULT_EVENT_SOURCE  "PostgreSQL"
+
 /*
  * The random() function is expected to yield values between 0 and
  * MAX_RANDOM_VALUE.  Currently, all known implementations yield