diff --git a/src/decode-icmpv4.c b/src/decode-icmpv4.c
index 8b4402e6ff..6493550d99 100644
--- a/src/decode-icmpv4.c
+++ b/src/decode-icmpv4.c
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ int DecodeICMPV4(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p, uint8_t *pkt,
 
                     /* ICMP ICMP_DEST_UNREACH influence TCP/UDP flows */
                     if (ICMPV4_DEST_UNREACH_IS_VALID(p)) {
-                        FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+                        FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/decode-icmpv6.c b/src/decode-icmpv6.c
index 7819f25498..0a58db5488 100644
--- a/src/decode-icmpv6.c
+++ b/src/decode-icmpv6.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ int DecodeICMPV6(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p,
 #endif
 
     /* Flow is an integral part of us */
-    FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+    FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
 
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/decode-sctp.c b/src/decode-sctp.c
index 178ed8bd69..6fd8be8d61 100644
--- a/src/decode-sctp.c
+++ b/src/decode-sctp.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ int DecodeSCTP(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p, uint8_t *pkt, u
 #endif
 
     /* Flow is an integral part of us */
-    FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+    FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
 
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/decode-tcp.c b/src/decode-tcp.c
index 11ba600f33..47c066160d 100644
--- a/src/decode-tcp.c
+++ b/src/decode-tcp.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ int DecodeTCP(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p, uint8_t *pkt, ui
 #endif
 
     /* Flow is an integral part of us */
-    FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+    FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
 
     return TM_ECODE_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/decode-udp.c b/src/decode-udp.c
index e1d52082e3..5b83768f9e 100644
--- a/src/decode-udp.c
+++ b/src/decode-udp.c
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ int DecodeUDP(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p, uint8_t *pkt, ui
     if (unlikely(DecodeTeredo(tv, dtv, p, p->payload, p->payload_len, pq) == TM_ECODE_OK)) {
         /* Here we have a Teredo packet and don't need to handle app
          * layer */
-        FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+        FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
         return TM_ECODE_OK;
     }
 
     /* Flow is an integral part of us */
-    FlowHandlePacket(tv, p);
+    FlowHandlePacket(tv, dtv, p);
 
     /* handle the app layer part of the UDP packet payload */
     if (unlikely(p->flow != NULL)) {
diff --git a/src/decode.h b/src/decode.h
index fa48f4ac89..dd60e78876 100644
--- a/src/decode.h
+++ b/src/decode.h
@@ -573,6 +573,9 @@ typedef struct DecodeThreadVars_
 
     int vlan_disabled;
 
+    /* thread data for flow logging api */
+    void *output_flow_thread_data;
+
     /** stats/counters */
     uint16_t counter_pkts;
     uint16_t counter_bytes;
diff --git a/src/flow-hash.c b/src/flow-hash.c
index 52bbd8ebcd..607e00c532 100644
--- a/src/flow-hash.c
+++ b/src/flow-hash.c
@@ -42,12 +42,16 @@
 
 #include "util-hash-lookup3.h"
 
+#include "conf.h"
+#include "output.h"
+#include "output-flow.h"
+
 #define FLOW_DEFAULT_FLOW_PRUNE 5
 
 SC_ATOMIC_EXTERN(unsigned int, flow_prune_idx);
 SC_ATOMIC_EXTERN(unsigned int, flow_flags);
 
-static Flow *FlowGetUsedFlow(void);
+static Flow *FlowGetUsedFlow(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv);
 
 #ifdef FLOW_DEBUG_STATS
 #define FLOW_DEBUG_STATS_PROTO_ALL      0
@@ -422,9 +426,12 @@ static inline int FlowCreateCheck(const Packet *p)
  *  Get a new flow. We're checking memcap first and will try to make room
  *  if the memcap is reached.
  *
+ *  \param tv thread vars
+ *  \param dtv decode thread vars (for flow log api thread data)
+ *
  *  \retval f *LOCKED* flow on succes, NULL on error.
  */
-static Flow *FlowGetNew(const Packet *p)
+static Flow *FlowGetNew(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, const Packet *p)
 {
     Flow *f = NULL;
 
@@ -447,7 +454,7 @@ static Flow *FlowGetNew(const Packet *p)
                 FlowWakeupFlowManagerThread();
             }
 
-            f = FlowGetUsedFlow();
+            f = FlowGetUsedFlow(tv, dtv);
             if (f == NULL) {
                 /* very rare, but we can fail. Just giving up */
                 return NULL;
@@ -473,7 +480,7 @@ static Flow *FlowGetNew(const Packet *p)
     return f;
 }
 
-/* FlowGetFlowFromHash
+/** \brief Get Flow for packet
  *
  * Hash retrieval function for flows. Looks up the hash bucket containing the
  * flow pointer. Then compares the packet with the found flow to see if it is
@@ -485,9 +492,12 @@ static Flow *FlowGetNew(const Packet *p)
  *
  * The p->flow pointer is updated to point to the flow.
  *
- * returns a *LOCKED* flow or NULL
+ *  \param tv thread vars
+ *  \param dtv decode thread vars (for flow log api thread data)
+ *
+ *  \retval f *LOCKED* flow or NULL
  */
-Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(const Packet *p)
+Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, const Packet *p)
 {
     Flow *f = NULL;
     FlowHashCountInit;
@@ -504,7 +514,7 @@ Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(const Packet *p)
 
     /* see if the bucket already has a flow */
     if (fb->head == NULL) {
-        f = FlowGetNew(p);
+        f = FlowGetNew(tv, dtv, p);
         if (f == NULL) {
             FBLOCK_UNLOCK(fb);
             FlowHashCountUpdate;
@@ -538,7 +548,7 @@ Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(const Packet *p)
             f = f->hnext;
 
             if (f == NULL) {
-                f = pf->hnext = FlowGetNew(p);
+                f = pf->hnext = FlowGetNew(tv, dtv, p);
                 if (f == NULL) {
                     FBLOCK_UNLOCK(fb);
                     FlowHashCountUpdate;
@@ -603,9 +613,12 @@ Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(const Packet *p)
  *  top each time since that would clear the top of the hash leading to longer
  *  and longer search times under high pressure (observed).
  *
+ *  \param tv thread vars
+ *  \param dtv decode thread vars (for flow log api thread data)
+ *
  *  \retval f flow or NULL
  */
-static Flow *FlowGetUsedFlow(void)
+static Flow *FlowGetUsedFlow(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv)
 {
     uint32_t idx = SC_ATOMIC_GET(flow_prune_idx) % flow_config.hash_size;
     uint32_t cnt = flow_config.hash_size;
@@ -653,6 +666,10 @@ static Flow *FlowGetUsedFlow(void)
         f->fb = NULL;
         FBLOCK_UNLOCK(fb);
 
+        /* invoke flow log api */
+        if (dtv && dtv->output_flow_thread_data)
+            (void)OutputFlowLog(tv, dtv->output_flow_thread_data, f);
+
         FlowClearMemory(f, f->protomap);
 
         FLOWLOCK_UNLOCK(f);
diff --git a/src/flow-hash.h b/src/flow-hash.h
index 0de1a64346..a5635b06ce 100644
--- a/src/flow-hash.h
+++ b/src/flow-hash.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ typedef struct FlowBucket_ {
 
 /* prototypes */
 
-Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(const Packet *);
+Flow *FlowGetFlowFromHash(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, const Packet *);
 
 /** enable to print stats on hash lookups in flow-debug.log */
 //#define FLOW_DEBUG_STATS
diff --git a/src/flow.c b/src/flow.c
index 3ba14d7464..516e684e94 100644
--- a/src/flow.c
+++ b/src/flow.c
@@ -232,14 +232,15 @@ static inline int FlowUpdateSeenFlag(const Packet *p)
  * This is called for every packet.
  *
  *  \param tv threadvars
+ *  \param dtv decode thread vars (for flow output api thread data)
  *  \param p packet to handle flow for
  */
-void FlowHandlePacket(ThreadVars *tv, Packet *p)
+void FlowHandlePacket(ThreadVars *tv, DecodeThreadVars *dtv, Packet *p)
 {
     /* Get this packet's flow from the hash. FlowHandlePacket() will setup
      * a new flow if nescesary. If we get NULL, we're out of flow memory.
      * The returned flow is locked. */
-    Flow *f = FlowGetFlowFromHash(p);
+    Flow *f = FlowGetFlowFromHash(tv, dtv, p);
     if (f == NULL)
         return;
 
diff --git a/src/flow.h b/src/flow.h
index d1896d2019..1cec317603 100644
--- a/src/flow.h
+++ b/src/flow.h
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ typedef struct FlowProto_ {
     int (*GetProtoState)(void *);
 } FlowProto;
 
-void FlowHandlePacket (ThreadVars *, Packet *);
+void FlowHandlePacket (ThreadVars *, DecodeThreadVars *, Packet *);
 void FlowInitConfig (char);
 void FlowPrintQueueInfo (void);
 void FlowShutdown(void);
diff --git a/src/util-unittest-helper.c b/src/util-unittest-helper.c
index bac2083e21..f2c96b08e3 100644
--- a/src/util-unittest-helper.c
+++ b/src/util-unittest-helper.c
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ uint32_t UTHBuildPacketOfFlows(uint32_t start, uint32_t end, uint8_t dir) {
             p->src.addr_data32[0] = i + 1;
             p->dst.addr_data32[0] = i;
         }
-        FlowHandlePacket(NULL, p);
+        FlowHandlePacket(NULL, NULL, p);
         if (p->flow != NULL)
             SC_ATOMIC_RESET(p->flow->use_cnt);