diff --git a/pkg/memlogd/cmd/logread/main.go b/pkg/memlogd/cmd/logread/main.go
index 8eab0e3ec..6f6b5a85b 100644
--- a/pkg/memlogd/cmd/logread/main.go
+++ b/pkg/memlogd/cmd/logread/main.go
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@ const (
 	logDumpFollow
 )
 
-type logEntry struct {
+// LogEntry the structure of a log entry
+type LogEntry struct {
 	Time   time.Time `json:"time"`
 	Source string    `json:"source"`
 	Msg    string    `json:"msg"`
+	Error  error
 }
 
-func (msg *logEntry) String() string {
+func (msg *LogEntry) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s;%s;%s", msg.Time.Format(time.RFC3339Nano), strings.ReplaceAll(msg.Source, `;`, `\;`), msg.Msg)
 }
 
@@ -39,40 +41,64 @@ func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&follow, "f", false, "follow log buffer")
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	c, err := StreamLogs(socketPath, follow, dumpFollow)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	for entry := range c {
+		if entry.Error != nil {
+			panic(entry.Error)
+		}
+		fmt.Println(entry.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// StreamLogs read the memlogd logs from socketPath, convert them to LogEntry struct
+// and send those on the return channel. If there is an error in parsing, it will be the
+// Error on the LogEntry struct. When the socket is closed, will close the channel.
+// If stream is complete, will close, unless follow is true, in which case it will
+// continue to listen for new logs.
+func StreamLogs(socketPath string, follow, dump bool) (<-chan LogEntry, error) {
 	addr := net.UnixAddr{
 		Name: socketPath,
 		Net:  "unix",
 	}
 	conn, err := net.DialUnix("unix", nil, &addr)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
 	var n int
 	switch {
-	case dumpFollow:
+	case follow && dump:
 		n, err = conn.Write([]byte{logDumpFollow})
-	case follow && !dumpFollow:
+	case follow:
 		n, err = conn.Write([]byte{logFollow})
 	default:
 		n, err = conn.Write([]byte{logDump})
 	}
 
 	if err != nil || n < 1 {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	var entry logEntry
-	decoder := json.NewDecoder(conn)
-	for {
-		if err := decoder.Decode(&entry); err != nil {
-			if errors.Is(err, net.ErrClosed) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
-				return
+	c := make(chan LogEntry)
+	go func(c chan<- LogEntry) {
+		var (
+			entry   LogEntry
+			decoder = json.NewDecoder(conn)
+		)
+		for {
+			if err := decoder.Decode(&entry); err != nil {
+				if errors.Is(err, net.ErrClosed) || errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+					close(c)
+					return
+				}
+				entry = LogEntry{Error: err}
 			}
-			panic(err)
+			c <- entry
 		}
-
-		fmt.Println(entry.String())
-	}
+	}(c)
+	return c, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/memlogd/cmd/startmemlogd/main.go b/pkg/memlogd/cmd/startmemlogd/main.go
index dc696250c..5664f0832 100644
--- a/pkg/memlogd/cmd/startmemlogd/main.go
+++ b/pkg/memlogd/cmd/startmemlogd/main.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&detach, "detach", true, "detach from subprocess")
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	laddr := net.UnixAddr{socketLogPath, "unixgram"}
+	laddr := net.UnixAddr{Name: socketLogPath, Net: "unixgram"}
 	os.Remove(laddr.Name) // remove existing socket
 	lconn, err := net.ListenUnixgram("unixgram", &laddr)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func main() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	qaddr := net.UnixAddr{socketQueryPath, "unix"}
+	qaddr := net.UnixAddr{Name: socketQueryPath, Net: "unix"}
 	os.Remove(qaddr.Name) // remove existing socket
 	qconn, err := net.ListenUnix("unix", &qaddr)
 	if err != nil {