diff --git a/src/doomdef.h b/src/doomdef.h
index 8253f1a06..51a15bd64 100644
--- a/src/doomdef.h
+++ b/src/doomdef.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 
 #ifdef LOGMESSAGES
 extern FILE *logstream;
-extern char  logfilename[1024];
+extern char logfilename[1024];
 #endif
 
 //#define DEVELOP // Disable this for release builds to remove excessive cheat commands and enable MD5 checking and stuff, all in one go. :3
diff --git a/src/m_misc.c b/src/m_misc.c
index 138a25ab1..15d0a27e1 100644
--- a/src/m_misc.c
+++ b/src/m_misc.c
@@ -2466,3 +2466,92 @@ const char *M_FileError(FILE *fp)
 	else
 		return "end-of-file";
 }
+
+/** Return the number of parts of this path.
+*/
+int M_PathParts(const char *path)
+{
+	int n;
+	const char *p;
+	const char *t;
+	for (n = 0, p = path ;; ++n)
+	{
+		t = p;
+		if (( p = strchr(p, PATHSEP[0]) ))
+			p += strspn(p, PATHSEP);
+		else
+		{
+			if (*t)/* there is something after the final delimiter */
+				n++;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	return n;
+}
+
+/** Check whether a path is an absolute path.
+*/
+boolean M_IsPathAbsolute(const char *path)
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	return ( strncmp(&path[1], ":\\", 2) == 0 );
+#else
+	return ( path[0] == '/' );
+#endif
+}
+
+/** I_mkdir for each part of the path.
+*/
+void M_MkdirEachUntil(const char *cpath, int start, int end, int mode)
+{
+	char path[MAX_WADPATH];
+	char *p;
+	char *t;
+
+	if (end > 0 && end <= start)
+		return;
+
+	strlcpy(path, cpath, sizeof path);
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	if (strncmp(&path[1], ":\\", 2) == 0)
+		p = &path[3];
+	else
+#endif
+		p = path;
+
+	if (end > 0)
+		end -= start;
+
+	for (; start > 0; --start)
+	{
+		p += strspn(p, PATHSEP);
+		if (!( p = strchr(p, PATHSEP[0]) ))
+			return;
+	}
+	p += strspn(p, PATHSEP);
+	for (;;)
+	{
+		if (end > 0 && !--end)
+			break;
+
+		t = p;
+		if (( p = strchr(p, PATHSEP[0]) ))
+		{
+			*p = '\0';
+			I_mkdir(path, mode);
+			*p = PATHSEP[0];
+			p += strspn(p, PATHSEP);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			if (*t)
+				I_mkdir(path, mode);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+void M_MkdirEach(const char *path, int start, int mode)
+{
+	M_MkdirEachUntil(path, start, -1, mode);
+}
diff --git a/src/m_misc.h b/src/m_misc.h
index 99ca8d0c9..e0a73e0b7 100644
--- a/src/m_misc.h
+++ b/src/m_misc.h
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ void M_SetupMemcpy(void);
 
 const char *M_FileError(FILE *handle);
 
+int     M_PathParts      (const char *path);
+boolean M_IsPathAbsolute (const char *path);
+void    M_MkdirEach      (const char *path, int start, int mode);
+void    M_MkdirEachUntil (const char *path, int start, int end, int mode);
+
 // counting bits, for weapon ammo code, usually
 FUNCMATH UINT8 M_CountBits(UINT32 num, UINT8 size);
 
diff --git a/src/p_inter.c b/src/p_inter.c
index 56a76b15c..d42bb51c0 100644
--- a/src/p_inter.c
+++ b/src/p_inter.c
@@ -2962,7 +2962,7 @@ void P_KillMobj(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source, UINT8 damaget
 	   Graue 12-22-2003 */
 }
 
-static inline void P_NiGHTSDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *source)
+static void P_NiGHTSDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *source)
 {
 	player_t *player = target->player;
 	tic_t oldnightstime = player->nightstime;
@@ -3026,7 +3026,7 @@ static inline void P_NiGHTSDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *source)
 	}
 }
 
-static inline boolean P_TagDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source, INT32 damage, UINT8 damagetype)
+static boolean P_TagDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source, INT32 damage, UINT8 damagetype)
 {
 	player_t *player = target->player;
 	(void)damage; //unused parm
@@ -3130,7 +3130,7 @@ static inline boolean P_TagDamage(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *sou
 	return true;
 }
 
-static inline boolean P_PlayerHitsPlayer(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source, INT32 damage, UINT8 damagetype)
+static boolean P_PlayerHitsPlayer(mobj_t *target, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source, INT32 damage, UINT8 damagetype)
 {
 	player_t *player = target->player;
 
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_main.c b/src/sdl/i_main.c
index d0830396f..5d0009927 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_main.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_main.c
@@ -20,12 +20,17 @@
 #include "../doomdef.h"
 #include "../m_argv.h"
 #include "../d_main.h"
+#include "../m_misc.h"/* path shit */
 #include "../i_system.h"
 
-#ifdef __GNUC__
+#if defined (__GNUC__) || defined (__unix__)
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef __unix__
+#include <errno.h>
+#endif
+
 #include "time.h" // For log timestamps
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SDL
@@ -47,7 +52,7 @@ extern int SDL_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
 #ifdef LOGMESSAGES
 FILE *logstream = NULL;
-char  logfilename[1024];
+char logfilename[1024];
 #endif
 
 #ifndef DOXYGEN
@@ -133,34 +138,86 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	{
 		time_t my_time;
 		struct tm * timeinfo;
-		char buf[26];
+		const char *format;
+		const char *reldir;
+		int left;
+		boolean fileabs;
+#ifdef __unix__
+		const char *link;
+#endif
 
 		logdir = D_Home();
 
 		my_time = time(NULL);
 		timeinfo = localtime(&my_time);
 
-		strftime(buf, 26, "%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S", timeinfo);
-		strcpy(logfilename, va("log-%s.txt", buf));
-
-#ifdef DEFAULTDIR
-		if (logdir)
+		if (M_CheckParm("-logfile") && M_IsNextParm())
 		{
-			// Create dirs here because D_SRB2Main() is too late.
-			I_mkdir(va("%s%s"DEFAULTDIR, logdir, PATHSEP), 0755);
-			I_mkdir(va("%s%s"DEFAULTDIR"%slogs",logdir, PATHSEP, PATHSEP), 0755);
-			strcpy(logfilename, va("%s%s"DEFAULTDIR"%slogs%s%s",logdir, PATHSEP, PATHSEP, PATHSEP, logfilename));
+			format = M_GetNextParm();
+			fileabs = M_IsPathAbsolute(format);
 		}
 		else
-#endif
 		{
-			I_mkdir("."PATHSEP"logs"PATHSEP, 0755);
-			strcpy(logfilename, va("."PATHSEP"logs"PATHSEP"%s", logfilename));
+			format = "log-%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S.txt";
+			fileabs = false;
 		}
 
-		logstream = fopen(logfilename, "wt");
+		if (fileabs)
+		{
+			strftime(logfilename, sizeof logfilename, format, timeinfo);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			if (M_CheckParm("-logdir") && M_IsNextParm())
+				reldir = M_GetNextParm();
+			else
+				reldir = "logs";
+
+			if (M_IsPathAbsolute(reldir))
+			{
+				left = snprintf(logfilename, sizeof logfilename,
+						"%s"PATHSEP, reldir);
+			}
+			else
+#ifdef DEFAULTDIR
+			if (logdir)
+			{
+				left = snprintf(logfilename, sizeof logfilename,
+						"%s"PATHSEP DEFAULTDIR PATHSEP"%s"PATHSEP, logdir, reldir);
+			}
+			else
+#endif/*DEFAULTDIR*/
+			{
+				left = snprintf(logfilename, sizeof logfilename,
+						"."PATHSEP"%s"PATHSEP, reldir);
+			}
+#endif/*LOGMESSAGES*/
+
+			strftime(&logfilename[left], sizeof logfilename - left,
+					format, timeinfo);
+		}
+
+		M_MkdirEachUntil(logfilename,
+				M_PathParts(logdir) - 1,
+				M_PathParts(logfilename) - 1, 0755);
+
+#ifdef __unix__
+		logstream = fopen(logfilename, "w");
+#ifdef DEFAULTDIR
+		if (logdir)
+			link = va("%s/"DEFAULTDIR"/latest-log.txt", logdir);
+		else
+#endif/*DEFAULTDIR*/
+			link = "latest-log.txt";
+		unlink(link);
+		if (symlink(logfilename, link) == -1)
+		{
+			I_OutputMsg("Error symlinking latest-log.txt: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		}
+#else/*__unix__*/
+		logstream = fopen("latest-log.txt", "wt+");
+#endif/*__unix__*/
 	}
-#endif
 
 	//I_OutputMsg("I_StartupSystem() ...\n");
 	I_StartupSystem();
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_system.c b/src/sdl/i_system.c
index 52186baae..81420e757 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_system.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_system.c
@@ -2484,6 +2484,48 @@ void I_RemoveExitFunc(void (*func)())
 	}
 }
 
+#ifndef __unix__
+static void Shittycopyerror(const char *name)
+{
+	I_OutputMsg(
+			"Error copying log file: %s: %s\n",
+			name,
+			strerror(errno)
+	);
+}
+
+static void Shittylogcopy(void)
+{
+	char buf[8192];
+	FILE *fp;
+	size_t r;
+	if (fseek(logstream, 0, SEEK_SET) == -1)
+	{
+		Shittycopyerror("fseek");
+	}
+	else if (( fp = fopen(logfilename, "wt") ))
+	{
+		while (( r = fread(buf, 1, sizeof buf, logstream) ))
+		{
+			if (fwrite(buf, 1, r, fp) < r)
+			{
+				Shittycopyerror("fwrite");
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (ferror(logstream))
+		{
+			Shittycopyerror("fread");
+		}
+		fclose(fp);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		Shittycopyerror(logfilename);
+	}
+}
+#endif/*__unix__*/
+
 //
 //  Closes down everything. This includes restoring the initial
 //  palette and video mode, and removing whatever mouse, keyboard, and
@@ -2506,6 +2548,9 @@ void I_ShutdownSystem(void)
 	if (logstream)
 	{
 		I_OutputMsg("I_ShutdownSystem(): end of logstream.\n");
+#ifndef __unix__
+		Shittylogcopy();
+#endif
 		fclose(logstream);
 		logstream = NULL;
 	}