diff --git a/shell/ConsoleWindow.py b/shell/ConsoleWindow.py
index b5d977e0..e9a25636 100644
--- a/shell/ConsoleWindow.py
+++ b/shell/ConsoleWindow.py
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 import gtk
 
+class Console(gtk.ScrolledWindow):
+	def __init__(self):
+		gtk.ScrolledWindow.__init__(self)
+		self.set_policy(gtk.POLICY_AUTOMATIC,
+					    gtk.POLICY_AUTOMATIC)
+		
+		self._textview = gtk.TextView()
+		self._textview.set_wrap_mode(gtk.WRAP_WORD)
+		self.add(self._textview)
+		self._textview.show()
+
+	def log(self, message):
+		buf = self._textview.get_buffer()
+		buf.insert(buf.get_end_iter(), message)
+		
 class ConsoleWindow(gtk.Window):
 	def __init__(self):
 		gtk.Window.__init__(self)
@@ -9,18 +24,32 @@ class ConsoleWindow(gtk.Window):
 		self.set_title("Console")
 		self.connect("delete_event", lambda w, e: w.hide_on_delete())
 
-		sw = gtk.ScrolledWindow()
-		sw.set_policy(gtk.POLICY_AUTOMATIC,
-					  gtk.POLICY_AUTOMATIC)
-		
-		self._console = gtk.TextView()
-		self._console.set_wrap_mode(gtk.WRAP_WORD)
-		sw.add(self._console)
-		self._console.show()
-		
-		self.add(sw)
-		sw.show()
+		self._nb = gtk.Notebook()
+		self.add(self._nb)
+		self._nb.show()
 
-	def log(self, message):
-		buf = self._console.get_buffer() 
-		buf.insert(buf.get_end_iter(), message)
+		self._consoles = {}
+
+	def _add_console(self, page_id):
+		console = Console()
+		page = self._nb.append_page(console, gtk.Label(page_id))
+		console.show()
+
+		self._consoles[page_id] = console
+
+		return console
+
+	def _get_console(self, page_id):
+		if not self._consoles.has_key(page_id):
+			console = self._add_console(page_id)
+		else:
+			console = self._consoles[page_id]
+		return console
+
+	def set_page(self, page_id):
+		page = self._nb.page_num(self._consoles[page_id])
+		self._nb.set_current_page(page)
+
+	def log(self, page_id, message):
+		console = self._get_console(page_id)
+		console.log(message)
diff --git a/shell/Shell.py b/shell/Shell.py
index b142963d..9c87a25a 100755
--- a/shell/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/Shell.py
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 	def __show_console_idle(self):
 		self._shell.show_console()
 
-	def __log_idle(self, (module_id, message)):
-		self._shell.log(module_id, message)
-
 	@dbus.service.method('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell')
 	def show_people(self):
 		gobject.idle_add(self.__show_people_idle)
@@ -44,7 +41,7 @@ class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 
 	@dbus.service.method('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell')
 	def log(self, module_id, message):
-		gobject.idle_add(self.__log_idle, (module_id, message))
+		self._shell.log(module_id, message)
 
 class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 	__gsignals__ = {
@@ -57,13 +54,14 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 		self._screen = wnck.screen_get_default()
 		self._registry = registry
 		self._hosts = {}
-		self._console_windows = {}
 
 	def start(self):
 		session_bus = dbus.SessionBus()
 		bus_name = dbus.service.BusName('com.redhat.Sugar.Shell', bus=session_bus)
 		ShellDbusService(self, bus_name)
 
+		self._console = ConsoleWindow()
+
 		sugar.logger.start('Shell', self)
 
 		self._owner = ShellOwner()
@@ -118,23 +116,13 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 		activity = self.get_current_activity()
 		activity.show_people()
 
-	def get_console(self, module_id):
-		if not self._console_windows.has_key(module_id):
-			dialog = ConsoleWindow()
-			self._console_windows[module_id] = dialog
-		else:
-			dialog = self._console_windows[module_id]
-		return dialog
-
 	def show_console(self):
+		self._console.show()
+
 		activity = self.get_current_activity()
 		if activity:
 			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()
+			self._console.set_page(module.get_id())
 
 	def join_activity(self, service):
 		info = self._registry.get_activity(service.get_type())
@@ -164,8 +152,7 @@ class Shell(gobject.GObject):
 			return None
 	
 	def log(self, module_id, message):
-		console = self.get_console(module_id)
-		console.log(message)
+		self._console.log(module_id, message)
 
 	def get_registry(self):
 		return self._registry
diff --git a/sugar/logger.py b/sugar/logger.py
index 54cb15b5..df5aebda 100644
--- a/sugar/logger.py
+++ b/sugar/logger.py
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
+import sys
 import logging
+import traceback
+from cStringIO import StringIO
 
 import dbus
 import gobject
 
+__sugar_shell = None
+__console_id = None
+
 class Handler(logging.Handler):
 	def __init__(self, shell, console_id):
 		logging.Handler.__init__(self)
@@ -13,8 +19,8 @@ class Handler(logging.Handler):
 
 	def _log(self):
 		for message in self._messages:
-			# FIXME use a single dbus call
 			self._shell.log(self._console_id, message)
+		self._messages = []
 		return False
 
 	def emit(self, record):
@@ -22,6 +28,12 @@ class Handler(logging.Handler):
 		if len(self._messages) == 1:
 			gobject.idle_add(self._log)
 
+def __exception_handler(typ, exc, tb):
+	trace = StringIO()
+	traceback.print_exception(typ, exc, tb, None, trace)
+
+	__sugar_shell.log(__console_id, trace.getvalue())
+
 def start(console_id, shell = None):
 	root_logger = logging.getLogger('')
 	root_logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
@@ -32,3 +44,10 @@ def start(console_id, shell = None):
 		shell = dbus.Interface(proxy_obj, 'com.redhat.Sugar.Shell')
 
 	root_logger.addHandler(Handler(shell, console_id))
+
+	global __sugar_shell
+	global __console_id
+
+	__sugar_shell = shell
+	__console_id = console_id
+	sys.excepthook = __exception_handler