diff --git a/keystonemiddleware/audit/__init__.py b/keystonemiddleware/audit/__init__.py
index ea8f292b..331a8942 100644
--- a/keystonemiddleware/audit/__init__.py
+++ b/keystonemiddleware/audit/__init__.py
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ _LOG = None
 AUDIT_MIDDLEWARE_GROUP = 'audit_middleware_notifications'
 
 _AUDIT_OPTS = [
+    cfg.BoolOpt('use_oslo_messaging',
+                default=True,
+                help='Indicate whether to use oslo_messaging as the notifier. '
+                     'If set to False, the local logger will be used as the '
+                     'notifier. If set to True, the oslo_messaging package '
+                     'must also be present. Otherwise, the local will be used '
+                     'instead.'),
     cfg.StrOpt('driver',
                help='The Driver to handle sending notifications. Possible '
                     'values are messaging, messagingv2, routing, log, test, '
diff --git a/keystonemiddleware/audit/_notifier.py b/keystonemiddleware/audit/_notifier.py
index 8d77eaa5..63234c0d 100644
--- a/keystonemiddleware/audit/_notifier.py
+++ b/keystonemiddleware/audit/_notifier.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class _MessagingNotifier(object):
 
 
 def create_notifier(conf, log):
-    if oslo_messaging:
+    if oslo_messaging and conf.get('use_oslo_messaging'):
         transport = oslo_messaging.get_notification_transport(
             conf.oslo_conf_obj,
             url=conf.get('transport_url'))
diff --git a/keystonemiddleware/tests/unit/audit/test_audit_oslo_messaging.py b/keystonemiddleware/tests/unit/audit/test_audit_oslo_messaging.py
index 570972d9..6dcd837e 100644
--- a/keystonemiddleware/tests/unit/audit/test_audit_oslo_messaging.py
+++ b/keystonemiddleware/tests/unit/audit/test_audit_oslo_messaging.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 import mock
 
+from keystonemiddleware import audit
 from keystonemiddleware.tests.unit.audit import base
 
 
@@ -80,3 +81,13 @@ class AuditNotifierConfigTest(base.BaseAuditMiddlewareTest):
         self.assertTrue(m.called)
         # make sure first call kwarg 'url' is same as provided transport_url
         self.assertEqual(transport_url, m.call_args_list[0][1]['url'])
+
+    def test_do_not_use_oslo_messaging(self):
+        self.cfg.config(use_oslo_messaging=False,
+                        group='audit_middleware_notifications')
+        audit_middleware = self.create_simple_middleware()
+
+        # make sure it is using a local notifier instead of oslo_messaging
+        self.assertTrue(
+            isinstance(audit_middleware._notifier,
+                       audit._notifier._LogNotifier))
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/bug-1695038-2cbedcabf8ecc057.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1695038-2cbedcabf8ecc057.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..340aa640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1695038-2cbedcabf8ecc057.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+features:
+  - >
+    [`bug 1695038 <https://bugs.launchpad.net/keystonemiddleware/+bug/1695038>`_]
+    The use_oslo_messaging configuration option is added for services such as
+    Swift, which need the audit middleware to use the local logger instead of
+    the oslo.messaging notifier regardless of whether the oslo.messaging package
+    is present or not.
+    Leave this option set to its default True value to keep the previous behavior
+    unchanged - the audit middleware will use the oslo.messaging notifier if the
+    oslo.messaging package is present, and the local logger otherwise.
+    Services that rely on the local logger for audit notifications must set this
+    option to False.