diff --git a/frappy/gui/logwindow.py b/frappy/gui/logwindow.py
index d620ddb..55ee8c7 100644
--- a/frappy/gui/logwindow.py
+++ b/frappy/gui/logwindow.py
@@ -1,45 +1,72 @@
-from logging import DEBUG, NOTSET, Handler
+from logging import NOTSET, Handler
 
 from frappy.gui.qt import QMainWindow, QObject, pyqtSignal
 
-from frappy.gui.util import loadUi
+from frappy.gui.util import Colors, loadUi
 
 
 class LogWindowHandler(Handler, QObject):
 
-    logmessage = pyqtSignal(str, int)
+    logmessage = pyqtSignal(object)
 
     def __init__(self, level=NOTSET):
         QObject.__init__(self)
         Handler.__init__(self, level)
+        self.log = []
 
     def emit(self, record):
-        self.logmessage.emit(record.getMessage(), record.levelno)
+        self.log.append(record)
+        self.logmessage.emit(record)
+
+    def getEntries(self, level):
+        return [rec for rec in self.log if rec.levelno >= level]
 
 class LogWindow(QMainWindow):
+    closed = pyqtSignal()
     levels = {'Debug':10, 'Info':20, 'Warning':30, 'Error':40}
-    def __init__(self, logger, parent=None):
+
+    def __init__(self, handler, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
         loadUi(self, 'logwindow.ui')
-        self.log = []
+        self.timecolor = Colors.colors['gray']
         self.level = self.levels['Info']
-        handler = LogWindowHandler(DEBUG)
-        handler.logmessage.connect(self.newEntry)
-        logger.addHandler(handler)
+        self.messagecolors = {
+            10 : Colors.colors['gray'],
+            20 : Colors.palette.windowText().color(),
+            30 : Colors.colors['orange'],
+            40 : Colors.colors['red'],
+        }
+        self.handler = handler
+        self.handler.logmessage.connect(self.newEntry)
+        self.setMessages(self.handler.getEntries(self.level))
 
-    def newEntry(self, msg, lvl):
-        self.log.append((lvl, msg))
-        if lvl >= self.level:
-            self.logBrowser.append(msg)
+    def setMessages(self, msgs):
+        for msg in msgs:
+            self.appendMessage(msg)
+
+    def newEntry(self, record):
+        if record.levelno >= self.level:
+            self.appendMessage(record)
+
+    def appendMessage(self, record):
+        s = record.getMessage()
+        time = record.created
+        if record.levelno == self.levels['Error']:
+            s = '<b>%s</b>' %s
+        s='<span style="color:%s">[%s] </span><span style="color:%s">%s: %s</span>' \
+            % (self.timecolor.name(), time, \
+               self.messagecolors[record.levelno].name(), \
+               record.name, s)
+        self.logBrowser.append(s)
 
     def on_logLevel_currentTextChanged(self, level):
         self.level = self.levels[level]
         self.logBrowser.clear()
-        self.logBrowser.setPlainText('\n'.join(msg for (lvl, msg) in self.log if lvl >= self.level))
+        self.setMessages(self.handler.getEntries(self.level))
 
     def on_clear_pressed(self):
         self.logBrowser.clear()
-        self.log.clear()
 
-    def onClose(self):
-        pass
+    def closeEvent(self, event):
+        self.closed.emit()
+        self.deleteLater()
diff --git a/frappy/gui/mainwindow.py b/frappy/gui/mainwindow.py
index afe4450..14f9111 100644
--- a/frappy/gui/mainwindow.py
+++ b/frappy/gui/mainwindow.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from frappy.gui.qt import QAction, QInputDialog, QKeySequence, QMainWindow, \
 
 import frappy.version
 from frappy.gui.connection import QSECNode
-from frappy.gui.logwindow import LogWindow
+from frappy.gui.logwindow import LogWindow, LogWindowHandler
 from frappy.gui.nodewidget import NodeWidget
 from frappy.gui.tabwidget import TearOffTabWidget
 from frappy.gui.util import Colors, is_light_theme, loadUi
@@ -94,9 +94,11 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
     def __init__(self, hosts, logger, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
 
+        # centralized handling for logging and cmd-history
+        self.loghandler = LogWindowHandler()
         self.log = logger
-        self.logwin = LogWindow(logger, self)
-        self.logwin.hide()
+        self.log.addHandler(self.loghandler)
+        self.logwin = None
         self.historySerializer = HistorySerializer()
 
         loadUi(self, 'mainwin.ui')
@@ -173,7 +175,18 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self._rebuildAdvanced(toggled)
 
     def on_actionShow_Logs_toggled(self, active):
-        self.logwin.setHidden(not active)
+        if not active and self.logwin:
+            self.logwin.close()
+            self.logwin = None
+            return
+        self.logwin = LogWindow(self.loghandler, self)
+        self.logwin.closed.connect(self.onLogWindowClose)
+        self.logwin.show()
+
+    def onLogWindowClose(self):
+        if self.actionShow_Logs.isChecked():
+            self.actionShow_Logs.toggle()
+        self.logwin = None
 
     def on_actionHighlightAnimation_toggled(self, toggled):
         settings = QSettings()
@@ -274,4 +287,3 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             # this is only qt signals deconnecting!
             widget.getSecNode().terminate_connection()
         self.historySerializer.saveHistory()
-        self.logwin.onClose()
diff --git a/frappy/gui/ui/logwindow.ui b/frappy/gui/ui/logwindow.ui
index 9cae014..c74aeca 100644
--- a/frappy/gui/ui/logwindow.ui
+++ b/frappy/gui/ui/logwindow.ui
@@ -6,23 +6,35 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>350</width>
-    <height>271</height>
+    <width>659</width>
+    <height>306</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
    <string>Log</string>
   </property>
-  <widget class="QWidget" name="">
+  <widget class="QWidget" name="layoutWidget">
    <property name="geometry">
     <rect>
      <x>0</x>
      <y>10</y>
-     <width>351</width>
-     <height>261</height>
+     <width>651</width>
+     <height>291</height>
     </rect>
    </property>
    <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
+    <property name="leftMargin">
+     <number>4</number>
+    </property>
+    <property name="topMargin">
+     <number>4</number>
+    </property>
+    <property name="rightMargin">
+     <number>4</number>
+    </property>
+    <property name="bottomMargin">
+     <number>10</number>
+    </property>
     <item>
      <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
       <item>
@@ -30,6 +42,9 @@
         <property name="currentText">
          <string>Info</string>
         </property>
+        <property name="currentIndex">
+         <number>2</number>
+        </property>
         <item>
          <property name="text">
           <string>Error</string>
diff --git a/frappy/gui/util.py b/frappy/gui/util.py
index 154f352..51153e9 100644
--- a/frappy/gui/util.py
+++ b/frappy/gui/util.py
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ class Colors:
         cls.palette = palette
         if is_light_theme(palette): # light
             cls.colors = {
+                          'gray' : QColor('#696969'),
+                          'red' : QColor('#FF0000'),
                           'orange': QColor('#FA6800'),
                           'yellow': QColor('#FCFFa4'),
                           'plot-fg': QColor('black'),
@@ -60,6 +62,8 @@ class Colors:
                           }
         else: # dark
             cls.colors = {
+                          'gray' : QColor('#AAAAAA'),
+                          'red' : QColor('#FF0000'),
                           'orange': QColor('#FA6800'),
                           'yellow': QColor('#FEFE22'),
                           'plot-fg': QColor('white'),