diff --git a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/LogsHelper.java b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/LogsHelper.java
index aa6596a204..de9d427eea 100644
--- a/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/LogsHelper.java
+++ b/apps/routerconsole/java/src/net/i2p/router/web/LogsHelper.java
@@ -24,12 +24,19 @@ public class LogsHelper extends HelperBase {
         return Server.getVersion();
     }
 
+    /**
+     *  Does not call logManager.flush(); call getCriticalLogs() first to flush
+     */
     public String getLogs() {
         String str = formatMessages(_context.logManager().getBuffer().getMostRecentMessages());
         return _("File location") + ": <b><code>" + _context.logManager().currentFile() + "</code></b><br><br>" + str;
     }
     
+    /**
+     *  Side effect - calls logManager.flush()
+     */
     public String getCriticalLogs() {
+        _context.logManager().flush();
         return formatMessages(_context.logManager().getBuffer().getMostRecentCriticalMessages());
     }
     
@@ -91,6 +98,7 @@ public class LogsHelper extends HelperBase {
         for (int i = msgs.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) { 
             String msg = msgs.get(i);
             msg = msg.replace("&", "&amp;").replace("<", "&lt;").replace(">", "&gt;");
+            msg = msg.replace("&amp;darr;", "&darr;");  // hack - undo the damage (LogWriter)
             // remove  last \n that LogRecordFormatter added
             if (msg.endsWith(NL))
                 msg = msg.substring(0, msg.length() - NL.length());
diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogManager.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogManager.java
index b166aa9eae..f2f3e6dc24 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogManager.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogManager.java
@@ -693,18 +693,30 @@ public class LogManager {
     }
 *****/
 
+    /**
+     *  Flush any pending records to disk.
+     *  Blocking up to 250 ms.
+     *  @since 0.9.3
+     */
+    public void flush() {
+        if (_writer != null) {
+            int i = 50;
+            while ((!_records.isEmpty()) && i-- > 0) {
+                synchronized (_writer) {
+                    _writer.notifyAll();
+                }
+                try {
+                    Thread.sleep(5);
+                } catch (InterruptedException ie) {}
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public void shutdown() {
         if (_writer != null) {
             //_log.log(Log.WARN, "Shutting down logger");
             // try to prevent out-of-order logging at shutdown
-            synchronized (_writer) {
-                _writer.notifyAll();
-            }
-            if (!_records.isEmpty()) {
-                try {
-                    Thread.sleep(250);
-                } catch (InterruptedException ie) {}
-            }
+            flush();
             // this could generate out-of-order messages
             _writer.flushRecords(false);
             _writer.stopWriting();
diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogWriter.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogWriter.java
index a8e8329d84..c3cc0170e9 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogWriter.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/util/LogWriter.java
@@ -81,15 +81,18 @@ class LogWriter implements Runnable {
                         dupCount++;
                     } else {
                         if (dupCount > 0) {
-                            writeRecord(dupMessage(dupCount, last));
+                            writeRecord(dupMessage(dupCount, last, false));
+                            _manager.getBuffer().add(dupMessage(dupCount, last, true));
                             dupCount = 0;
                         }
                         writeRecord(rec);
                     }
                     last = rec;
                 }
-                if (dupCount > 0)
-                    writeRecord(dupMessage(dupCount, last));
+                if (dupCount > 0) {
+                    writeRecord(dupMessage(dupCount, last, false));
+                    _manager.getBuffer().add(dupMessage(dupCount, last, true));
+                }
                 try {
                     if (_currentOut != null)
                         _currentOut.flush();
@@ -113,12 +116,13 @@ class LogWriter implements Runnable {
     }
 
     /**
-     *  Write a msg with the date stamp of the last duplicate
+     *  Return a msg with the date stamp of the last duplicate
      *  @since 0.9.3
      */
-    private String dupMessage(int dupCount, LogRecord lastRecord) {
-        return LogRecordFormatter.getWhen(_manager, lastRecord) + " ^^^ " +
-               _(dupCount, "1 similar message omitted", "{0} similar messages omitted") + " ^^^\n";
+    private String dupMessage(int dupCount, LogRecord lastRecord, boolean reverse) {
+        String arrows = reverse ? "&darr;&darr;&darr;" : "^^^";
+        return LogRecordFormatter.getWhen(_manager, lastRecord) + ' ' + arrows + ' ' +
+               _(dupCount, "1 similar message omitted", "{0} similar messages omitted") + ' ' + arrows + '\n';
     }
     
     private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "net.i2p.router.web.messages";