diff --git a/data/core/command.lua b/data/core/command.lua
index 2cf851da..07b30fb8 100644
--- a/data/core/command.lua
+++ b/data/core/command.lua
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ end
 function command.add_defaults()
   local reg = {
     "core", "root", "command", "doc", "findreplace",
-    "files", "drawwhitespace", "dialog"
+    "files", "drawwhitespace", "dialog", "log"
   }
   for _, name in ipairs(reg) do
     require("core.commands." .. name)
diff --git a/data/core/commands/log.lua b/data/core/commands/log.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a5b7f3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/core/commands/log.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+local core = require "core"
+local command = require "core.command"
+
+
+command.add(nil, {
+  ["log:open-as-doc"] = function()
+    local doc = core.open_doc("logs.txt")
+    core.root_view:open_doc(doc)
+    doc:insert(1, 1, core.get_log())
+    doc.new_file = false
+    doc:clean()
+  end,
+  ["log:copy-to-clipboard"] = function()
+    system.set_clipboard(core.get_log())
+  end
+})
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 446d6b20..91fc59e8 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -1036,15 +1036,21 @@ function core.get_views_referencing_doc(doc)
 end
 
 
-local function log(icon, icon_color, fmt, ...)
+local function log(level, show, fmt, ...)
   local text = string.format(fmt, ...)
-  if icon then
-    core.status_view:show_message(icon, icon_color, text)
+  if show then
+    local s = style.log[level]
+    core.status_view:show_message(s.icon, s.color, text)
   end
 
   local info = debug.getinfo(2, "Sl")
   local at = string.format("%s:%d", info.short_src, info.currentline)
-  local item = { text = text, time = os.time(), at = at }
+  local item = {
+    level = level,
+    text = text,
+    time = os.time(),
+    at = at
+  }
   table.insert(core.log_items, item)
   if #core.log_items > config.max_log_items then
     table.remove(core.log_items, 1)
@@ -1054,17 +1060,17 @@ end
 
 
 function core.log(...)
-  return log("i", style.text, ...)
+  return log("INFO", true, ...)
 end
 
 
 function core.log_quiet(...)
-  return log(nil, nil, ...)
+  return log("INFO", false, ...)
 end
 
 
 function core.error(...)
-  return log("!", style.accent, ...)
+  return log("ERROR", true, ...)
 end
 
 
@@ -1077,7 +1083,7 @@ function core.get_log(i)
     return table.concat(r, "\n")
   end
   local item = type(i) == "number" and core.log_items[i] or i
-  local text = string.format("[%s] %s at %s", os.date(nil, item.time), item.text, item.at)
+  local text = string.format("%s [%s] %s at %s", os.date(nil, item.time), item.level, item.text, item.at)
   if item.info then
     text = string.format("%s\n%s\n", text, item.info)
   end
diff --git a/data/core/logview.lua b/data/core/logview.lua
index 1ea0e43e..aa1ad84a 100644
--- a/data/core/logview.lua
+++ b/data/core/logview.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local core = require "core"
 local common = require "core.common"
+local keymap = require "core.keymap"
 local style = require "core.style"
 local View = require "core.view"
 
@@ -36,12 +37,15 @@ local LogView = View:extend()
 
 LogView.context = "session"
 
+
 function LogView:new()
   LogView.super.new(self)
   self.last_item = core.log_items[#core.log_items]
   self.expanding = {}
   self.scrollable = true
   self.yoffset = 0
+
+  core.status_view:show_message("i", style.text, "ctrl+click to copy entry")
 end
 
 
@@ -77,25 +81,30 @@ function LogView:each_item()
 end
 
 
-function LogView:on_mouse_moved(px, py, ...)
-  LogView.super.on_mouse_moved(self, px, py, ...)
-  local hovered = false
-  for _, item, x, y, w, h in self:each_item() do
+function LogView:on_mouse_pressed(button, px, py, clicks)
+  if LogView.super.on_mouse_pressed(self, button, px, py, clicks) then
+    return true
+  end
+
+  local index, selected
+  for i, item, x, y, w, h in self:each_item() do
     if px >= x and py >= y and px < x + w and py < y + h then
-      hovered = true
-      self.hovered_item = item
+      index = i
+      selected = item
       break
     end
   end
-  if not hovered then self.hovered_item = nil end
-end
 
-
-function LogView:on_mouse_pressed(button, mx, my, clicks)
-  if LogView.super.on_mouse_pressed(self, button, mx, my, clicks) then return end
-  if self.hovered_item then
-    self:expand_item(self.hovered_item)
+  if selected then
+    if keymap.modkeys["ctrl"] then
+      system.set_clipboard(core.get_log(selected))
+      core.status_view:show_message("i", style.text, "copied entry #"..index.." to clipboard.")
+    else
+      self:expand_item(selected)
+    end
   end
+
+  return true
 end
 
 
@@ -131,21 +140,37 @@ local function draw_text_multiline(font, text, x, y, color)
   return resx, y
 end
 
-
+-- this is just to get a date string that's consistent
+local datestr = os.date()
 function LogView:draw()
   self:draw_background(style.background)
 
   local th = style.font:get_height()
   local lh = th + style.padding.y -- for one line
-  for _, item, x, y, w in self:each_item() do
+  local iw = math.max(
+    style.icon_font:get_width(style.log.ERROR.icon),
+    style.icon_font:get_width(style.log.INFO.icon)
+  )
+
+  local tw = style.font:get_width(datestr)
+  for _, item, x, y, w, h in self:each_item() do
+    core.push_clip_rect(x, y, w, h)
     x = x + style.padding.x
 
+    x = common.draw_text(
+      style.icon_font,
+      style.log[item.level].color,
+      style.log[item.level].icon,
+      "center",
+      x, y, iw, lh
+    )
+    x = x + style.padding.x
+
+    -- timestamps are always 15% of the width
     local time = os.date(nil, item.time)
-    x = common.draw_text(style.font, style.dim, time, "left", x, y, w, lh)
-    x = x + style.padding.x
+    common.draw_text(style.font, style.dim, time, "left", x, y, tw, lh)
+    x = x + tw + style.padding.x
 
-    x = common.draw_text(style.code_font, style.dim, is_expanded(item) and "-" or "+", "left", x, y, w, lh)
-    x = x + style.padding.x
     w = w - (x - self:get_content_offset())
 
     if is_expanded(item) then
@@ -165,6 +190,8 @@ function LogView:draw()
       end
       _, y = common.draw_text(style.font, style.text, line, "left", x, y, w, lh)
     end
+
+    core.pop_clip_rect()
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/data/core/style.lua b/data/core/style.lua
index 79ef47e1..470a0904 100644
--- a/data/core/style.lua
+++ b/data/core/style.lua
@@ -72,4 +72,9 @@ style.syntax["function"] = { common.color "#93DDFA" }
 style.syntax_fonts = {}
 -- style.syntax_fonts["comment"] = renderer.font.load(path_to_font, size_of_font, rendering_options)
 
+style.log = {
+  INFO  = { icon = "i", color = style.text },
+  ERROR = { icon = "!", color = style.error }
+}
+
 return style
diff --git a/data/plugins/contextmenu.lua b/data/plugins/contextmenu.lua
index 4b34dfd5..017846ae 100644
--- a/data/plugins/contextmenu.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/contextmenu.lua
@@ -42,24 +42,6 @@ keymap.add {
   ["menu"] = "context:show"
 }
 
-local function copy_log()
-  local item = core.active_view.hovered_item
-  if item then
-    system.set_clipboard(core.get_log(item))
-  end
-end
-
-local function open_as_doc()
-  local doc = core.open_doc("logs.txt")
-  core.root_view:open_doc(doc)
-  doc:insert(1, 1, core.get_log())
-end
-
-menu:register("core.logview", {
-  { text = "Copy entry", command = copy_log },
-  { text = "Open as file", command = open_as_doc }
-})
-
 if require("plugins.scale") then
   menu:register("core.docview", {
     { text = "Cut",         command = "doc:cut" },