diff --git a/shell/Shell.py b/shell/Shell.py
index 0baea0e3..b142963d 100755
--- a/shell/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/Shell.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from ActivityHost import ActivityHost
 from ChatController import ChatController
 from sugar.activity import ActivityFactory
 from sugar.activity import Activity
+import sugar.logger
 
 class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 	def __init__(self, shell, bus_name):
@@ -59,13 +60,12 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 		self._console_windows = {}
 
 	def start(self):
-		#log_writer = LogWriter("Shell", False)
-		#log_writer.start()
-
 		session_bus = dbus.SessionBus()
 		bus_name = dbus.service.BusName('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell', bus=session_bus)
 		ShellDbusService(self, bus_name)
 
+		sugar.logger.start('Shell', self)
+
 		self._owner = ShellOwner()
 		self._owner.announce()
 
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 			module = self._registry.get_activity(activity.get_default_type())
 			console = self.get_console(module.get_id())
 			activity.show_dialog(console)
+		else:
+			console = self.get_console('Shell')
+			console.show()
 
 	def join_activity(self, service):
 		info = self._registry.get_activity(service.get_type())
diff --git a/shell/session/Emulator.py b/shell/session/Emulator.py
index d70059d6..4928ec4d 100644
--- a/shell/session/Emulator.py
+++ b/shell/session/Emulator.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import logging
 import os
 import socket
 import sys
@@ -9,8 +8,8 @@ def get_display_number():
 	"""Find a free display number trying to connect to 6000+ ports"""
 	retries = 20
 	display_number = 1
-	display_is_free = False
-	
+	display_is_free = False	
+
 	while not display_is_free and retries > 0:
 		s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
 		try:
@@ -57,10 +56,6 @@ class XnestProcess(Process):
 
 class Emulator:
 	"""The OLPC emulator"""
-
-	def __init__(self):
-		pass
-	
 	def start(self):
 		try:
 			process = XephyrProcess()
@@ -70,6 +65,6 @@ class Emulator:
 				process = XnestProcess()
 				process.start()
 			except:
-				logging.error('Cannot run the emulator. You need to install \
-							   Xephyr or Xnest.')				
+				print('Cannot run the emulator. You need to install\
+					   Xephyr or Xnest.')				
 				sys.exit(0)
diff --git a/shell/sugar b/shell/sugar
index 47c1225f..42de27e4 100755
--- a/shell/sugar
+++ b/shell/sugar
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ from ActivityRegistry import ActivityRegistry
 
 registry = ActivityRegistry()
 registry.scan_directory(activities_dest)
-#registry.scan_directory(os.path.join(env.get_user_dir(), 'activities'))
 
 from session.Emulator import Emulator
 
@@ -82,8 +81,6 @@ from session.Emulator import Emulator
 emulator = Emulator()
 emulator.start()
 	
-print 'Redirecting output to the console, press F3 to open it.'
-	
 from session.Session import Session
 
 session = Session(registry)
diff --git a/shell/sugar-activity-factory b/shell/sugar-activity-factory
index 9e028f1c..7be73d15 100755
--- a/shell/sugar-activity-factory
+++ b/shell/sugar-activity-factory
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ gtk.gdk.threads_init()
 dbus.glib.threads_init()
 
 from sugar.activity import ActivityFactory
+import sugar.logger
+
+sugar.logger.start(sys.argv[1])
 
 logging.info('Starting activity factory %s' % sys.argv[1])
 
diff --git a/sugar/LogWriter.py b/sugar/LogWriter.py
deleted file mode 100644
index ba8bdb02..00000000
--- a/sugar/LogWriter.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-import sys
-import logging
-
-import dbus
-
-import sugar.env
-
-class LogWriter:
-	def __init__(self, application, use_console = True):
-		self._application = application
-		self._use_console = use_console
-		
-		bus = dbus.SessionBus()
-		proxy_obj = bus.get_object('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell', '/com/redhat/Sugar/Shell')
-		self._logger = dbus.Interface(proxy_obj, 'com.redhat.Sugar.Shell')
-			
-	def start(self):
-		if self._use_console:
-			sys.stdout = self
-			sys.stderr = self
-
-		level = sugar.env.get_logging_level()
-		if level == 'debug':
-			logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
-								format='%(levelname)s %(message)s')
-
-	def write(self, s):
-		self._logger.log(self._application, s, ignore_reply=True)
-
-	def emit(self, record):
-		pass
-	
-	def flush(self):
-		pass
diff --git a/sugar/logger.py b/sugar/logger.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..54cb15b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sugar/logger.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import logging
+
+import dbus
+import gobject
+
+class Handler(logging.Handler):
+	def __init__(self, shell, console_id):
+		logging.Handler.__init__(self)
+
+		self._console_id = console_id
+		self._shell = shell
+		self._messages = []
+
+	def _log(self):
+		for message in self._messages:
+			# FIXME use a single dbus call
+			self._shell.log(self._console_id, message)
+		return False
+
+	def emit(self, record):
+		self._messages.append(record.msg)
+		if len(self._messages) == 1:
+			gobject.idle_add(self._log)
+
+def start(console_id, shell = None):
+	root_logger = logging.getLogger('')
+	root_logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+	
+	if shell == None:
+		bus = dbus.SessionBus()
+		proxy_obj = bus.get_object('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell', '/com/redhat/Sugar/Shell')
+		shell = dbus.Interface(proxy_obj, 'com.redhat.Sugar.Shell')
+
+	root_logger.addHandler(Handler(shell, console_id))