Index: tests/Zend/Log/Writer/StreamTest.php
===================================================================
--- tests/Zend/Log/Writer/StreamTest.php	(revision 21176)
+++ tests/Zend/Log/Writer/StreamTest.php	(working copy)
@@ -75,9 +75,13 @@
     public function testConstructorThrowsWhenStreamCannotBeOpened()
     {
         try {
+            $orig = PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled;
+            PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = false;
             new Zend_Log_Writer_Stream('');
+            PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = $orig;
             $this->fail();
         } catch (Exception $e) {
+            PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = $orig;
             $this->assertType('Zend_Log_Exception', $e);
             $this->assertRegExp('/cannot be opened/i', $e->getMessage());
         }
@@ -173,4 +177,47 @@
         $logger = Zend_Log::factory($cfg['log']);
         $this->assertTrue($logger instanceof Zend_Log);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * @group ZF-5741
+     */
+    public function testConstructorLazyOpensLogWritter()
+    {
+        $orig = PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled;
+        PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = false;
+        
+        // Using an invalid file name, because it should not throw
+        // till we attempt to open the file for writing writing
+        $writer = new Zend_Log_Writer_Stream('', null, true);
+        
+        try {
+            $writer->write(array('bar'=>'This will throw an exception'));
+            PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = $orig;
+            $this->fail();
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            PHPUnit_Framework_Error_Notice::$enabled = $orig;
+            $this->assertType('Zend_Log_Exception', $e);
+            $this->assertRegExp('/cannot be opened/i', $e->getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @group ZF-5741
+     */
+    public function testLazyFactoryStream()
+    {
+        $cfg = array('log' => array('memory' => array(
+            'writerName'   => "Mock",
+            'writerParams' => array(
+                // Using an invalid file name, because it should not throw
+                // till we attempt to open the file for writing writing
+                'stream'  => '',
+                'mode' => 'a',
+                'lazy' => true
+            )
+        )));
+
+        $logger = Zend_Log::factory($cfg['log']);
+        $this->assertTrue($logger instanceof Zend_Log);
+    }
 }
Index: library/Zend/Log/Writer/Stream.php
===================================================================
--- library/Zend/Log/Writer/Stream.php	(revision 21176)
+++ library/Zend/Log/Writer/Stream.php	(working copy)
@@ -41,14 +41,22 @@
      * @var null|stream
      */
     protected $_stream = null;
+    
+    /**
+     * Hold the config for use with lazy loading
+     * @var array
+     */
+    protected $_config = null;
 
     /**
      * Class Constructor
      *
      * @param  streamOrUrl     Stream or URL to open as a stream
      * @param  mode            Mode, only applicable if a URL is given
+     * @param  lazy            Lazy open
+     * @throws Zend_Log_Exception
      */
-    public function __construct($streamOrUrl, $mode = NULL)
+    public function __construct($streamOrUrl, $mode = NULL, $lazy = false)
     {
         // Setting the default
         if ($mode === NULL) {
@@ -71,11 +79,11 @@
             if (is_array($streamOrUrl) && isset($streamOrUrl['stream'])) {
                 $streamOrUrl = $streamOrUrl['stream'];
             }
-
-            if (! $this->_stream = @fopen($streamOrUrl, $mode, false)) {
-                require_once 'Zend/Log/Exception.php';
-                $msg = "\"$streamOrUrl\" cannot be opened with mode \"$mode\"";
-                throw new Zend_Log_Exception($msg);
+            
+            $this->_config = array('stream' => $streamOrUrl, 'mode' => $mode);
+            if (!$lazy) {
+                // non-Lazy opening requested.
+                $this->_getStream();
             }
         }
 
@@ -84,7 +92,7 @@
     
     /**
      * Create a new instance of Zend_Log_Writer_Mock
-     * 
+     *
      * @param  array|Zend_Config $config
      * @return Zend_Log_Writer_Mock
      * @throws Zend_Log_Exception
@@ -93,15 +101,17 @@
     {
         $config = self::_parseConfig($config);
         $config = array_merge(array(
-            'stream' => null, 
+            'stream' => null,
             'mode'   => null,
+            'lazy'   => false,
         ), $config);
 
-        $streamOrUrl = isset($config['url']) ? $config['url'] : $config['stream']; 
+        $streamOrUrl = isset($config['url']) ? $config['url'] : $config['stream'];
         
         return new self(
-            $streamOrUrl, 
-            $config['mode']
+            $streamOrUrl,
+            $config['mode'],
+            $config['lazy']
         );
     }
     
@@ -121,15 +131,41 @@
      * Write a message to the log.
      *
      * @param  array  $event  event data
+     * @throws Zend_Log_Exception
      * @return void
      */
     protected function _write($event)
     {
         $line = $this->_formatter->format($event);
 
-        if (false === @fwrite($this->_stream, $line)) {
+        // Nothing said, nothing written
+        if (empty($line)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        $stream = $this->_getStream();
+        
+        if (false === @fwrite($stream, $line)) {
             require_once 'Zend/Log/Exception.php';
             throw new Zend_Log_Exception("Unable to write to stream");
         }
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Returns the stream, handles lazy opening of the stream as well.
+     *
+     * @throws Zend_Log_Exception
+     * @return resource
+     */
+    protected function _getStream()
+    {
+        if ($this->_stream === null) {
+            $this->_stream = @fopen($this->_config['stream'], $this->_config['mode'], false);
+            if (!is_resource($this->_stream)) {
+                require_once 'Zend/Log/Exception.php';
+                $msg = "\"{$this->_config['stream']}\" cannot be opened with mode \"{$this->_config['mode']}\"";
+                throw new Zend_Log_Exception($msg);
+            }
+        }
+        return $this->_stream;
+    }
 }
Index: documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Writers.xml
===================================================================
--- documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Writers.xml	(revision 21176)
+++ documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Writers.xml	(working copy)
@@ -65,6 +65,26 @@
             You cannot specify the mode for existing stream resources. Doing so
             causes a <classname>Zend_Log_Exception</classname> to be thrown.
         </para>
+        
+        <para>
+            By default Zend_Log_Writer_Stream opens the stream at construction.  If you want to
+            supress this behavior, specify <code>true</code> for the third option for lazy opening.
+            Similar to Zend_Db's lazy opening.  Note that this also allows for creating a 
+            <classname>Zend_Log_Writer_Stream</classname> with an invalid url or path and will not
+            throw an error message till the first attempt to write to the log.
+
+            <programlisting language="php"><![CDATA[
+// stream to '/path/to/logfile' is not open yet.
+$writer = new Zend_Log_Writer_Stream('/path/to/logfile', null, true);
+$logger = new Zend_Log($writer);
+
+// stream to '/path/to/logfile' is now open.
+$logger->info('Informational message');
+]]></programlisting>
+            Note that this also allows for creating a  <classname>Zend_Log_Writer_Stream</classname>
+            with an invalid url or path and will not throw an error message till the first
+            attempt to write to the log.
+        </para>
     </sect2>
 
     <sect2 id="zend.log.writers.database">
Index: documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Factory.xml
===================================================================
--- documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Factory.xml	(revision 21176)
+++ documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Log-Factory.xml	(working copy)
@@ -222,6 +222,16 @@
                         </para>
                     </listitem>
                 </varlistentry>
+                
+                <varlistentry>
+                    <term>lazy</term>
+
+                    <listitem>
+                        <para>
+                            Delay opening the stream till first attempt to write
+                        </para>
+                    </listitem>
+                </varlistentry>
             </variablelist>
         </sect3>