diff --git a/src/commands/CmdLog.cpp b/src/commands/CmdLog.cpp
index 385a4b53..93d9a2fc 100644
--- a/src/commands/CmdLog.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CmdLog.cpp
@@ -25,12 +25,14 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 #include <cmake.h>
+#include <Log.h>
 #include <iostream>
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-int CmdLog ()
+int CmdLog (Log& log)
 {
   std::cout << "# log\n";
+  log.write ("debug", "----8<----");
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commands/commands.h b/src/commands/commands.h
index 254a6489..98941129 100644
--- a/src/commands/commands.h
+++ b/src/commands/commands.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define INCLUDED_COMMANDS
 
 #include <Rules.h>
+#include <Log.h>
 
 int CmdClear       ();
 int CmdConfig      ();
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ int CmdExtension   ();
 int CmdGaps        ();
 int CmdHelpUsage   ();
 int CmdHelp        ();
-int CmdLog         ();
+int CmdLog         (Log&);
 int CmdImport      ();
 int CmdReport      ();
 int CmdStart       ();
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index f4e6b289..1539f42e 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <Database.h>
 #include <Rules.h>
 #include <Extensions.h>
+#include <Log.h>
 //#include <Grammar.h>
 //#include <LR0.h>
 #include <shared.h>
@@ -53,7 +54,10 @@ bool lightweightVersionCheck (int argc, const char** argv)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-void initializeData (Configuration& configuration, Database& database)
+void initializeData (
+  Configuration& configuration,
+  Database& database,
+  Log& log)
 {
   // The $TIMEWARRIORDB environment variable overrides the default value of
   // ~/.timewarrior‥
@@ -120,6 +124,9 @@ void initializeData (Configuration& configuration, Database& database)
   // Initialize the database (no data read), but files are enumerated.
   database.initialize (data._data);
 
+  // TODO Give the log file a temp fake name.  To be removed.
+  log.file (dbLocation._data + "/timewarrior.log");
+
   std::cout << "# Configuration\n";
   for (const auto& name : configuration.all ())
     std::cout << "#   " << name << "=" << configuration[name] << "\n";
@@ -128,7 +135,10 @@ void initializeData (Configuration& configuration, Database& database)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-void initializeRules (Configuration& configuration, Rules& rules)
+void initializeRules (
+  Configuration& configuration,
+  Rules& rules,
+  Log& log)
 {
   // TODO Load rule grammar.
 /*
@@ -148,7 +158,10 @@ void initializeRules (Configuration& configuration, Rules& rules)
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-void initializeExtensions (Configuration& configuration, Extensions& extensions)
+void initializeExtensions (
+  Configuration& configuration,
+  Extensions& extensions,
+  Log& log)
 {
   Directory extDir (configuration.get ("db"));
   extDir += "extensions";
@@ -165,7 +178,8 @@ int dispatchCommand (
   Configuration& configuration,
   Database& database,
   Rules& rules,
-  Extensions& extensions)
+  Extensions& extensions,
+  Log& log)
 {
   int status {0};
 
@@ -193,7 +207,7 @@ int dispatchCommand (
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[6],  argv[1], 2)) status = CmdExport      ();
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[7],  argv[1], 2)) status = CmdGaps        ();
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[8],  argv[1], 2)) status = CmdImport      ();
-      else if (closeEnough (allCommands[9],  argv[1], 2)) status = CmdLog         ();
+      else if (closeEnough (allCommands[9],  argv[1], 2)) status = CmdLog         (log);
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[10], argv[1], 2)) status = CmdReport      ();
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[11], argv[1], 2)) status = CmdStart       ();
       else if (closeEnough (allCommands[12], argv[1], 2)) status = CmdStop        ();
diff --git a/src/timew.cpp b/src/timew.cpp
index bd2d548e..300b6d71 100644
--- a/src/timew.cpp
+++ b/src/timew.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <Database.h>
 #include <Rules.h>
 #include <Extensions.h>
+#include <Log.h>
 //#include <Grammar.h>
 #include <shared.h>
 #include <commands.h>
@@ -42,6 +43,11 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int main (int argc, const char** argv)
 {
+  // The log is needed early, in order to capture as much as possible, but will
+  // only be given a file name once configuration is loaded. The log therefore
+  // buffers the messages until it has a file name to write to.
+  Log log;
+
   // Lightweight version checking that doesn't require initialization or I/O.
   int status = 0;
   if (lightweightVersionCheck (argc, argv))
@@ -52,7 +58,7 @@ int main (int argc, const char** argv)
     // Load the configuration, prepare the database, but do not read data.
     Configuration configuration;
     Database database;
-    initializeData (configuration, database);
+    initializeData (configuration, database, log);
 
     // TODO Arrange the following to minimize memory use.
     // TODO Load CLI grammar.
@@ -73,31 +79,36 @@ int main (int argc, const char** argv)
 
     // Load the rules.
     Rules rules;
-    initializeRules (configuration, rules);
+    initializeRules (configuration, rules, log);
 
     // Load extension script info.
     Extensions extensions;
-    initializeExtensions (configuration, extensions);
+    initializeExtensions (configuration, extensions, log);
 
     // Dispatch to commands.
-    status = dispatchCommand (argc, argv, configuration, database, rules, extensions);
+    status = dispatchCommand (argc, argv, configuration, database, rules, extensions, log);
   }
 
   catch (const std::string& error)
   {
     std::cerr << error << "\n";
+    log.write ("error", error);
     status = -1;
   }
 
   catch (std::bad_alloc& error)
   {
-    std::cerr << "Error: Memory allocation failed: " << error.what () << "\n";
+    auto message = std::string ("Memory allocation failed: ") + error.what ();
+    std::cerr << "Error: " << message << "\n";
+    log.write ("error", message);
     status = -3;
   }
 
   catch (...)
   {
-    std::cerr << "Error: Unknown problem, please report.\n";
+    auto message = "Unknown problem, please report.";
+    std::cerr << "Error: " << message << "\n";
+    log.write ("error", message);
     status = -2;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/timew.h b/src/timew.h
index 9affda7e..38c441a4 100644
--- a/src/timew.h
+++ b/src/timew.h
@@ -31,12 +31,13 @@
 #include <Database.h>
 #include <Rules.h>
 #include <Extensions.h>
+#include <Log.h>
 
 // init.cpp
 bool lightweightVersionCheck (int, const char**);
-void initializeData (Configuration&, Database&);
-void initializeRules (Configuration&, Rules&);
-void initializeExtensions (Configuration&, Extensions&);
-int dispatchCommand (int, const char**, Configuration&, Database&, Rules&, Extensions&);
+void initializeData (Configuration&, Database&, Log&);
+void initializeRules (Configuration&, Rules&, Log&);
+void initializeExtensions (Configuration&, Extensions&, Log&);
+int dispatchCommand (int, const char**, Configuration&, Database&, Rules&, Extensions&, Log&);
 
 #endif