diff --git a/main/auto-updater.js b/main/auto-updater.js
index 1fcb5b17..f161d9b2 100644
--- a/main/auto-updater.js
+++ b/main/auto-updater.js
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ module.exports = {
 var electron = require('electron')
 
 var config = require('../config')
+var log = require('./log')
 
-// var app = electron.app
 var autoUpdater = electron.autoUpdater
 
 function init () {
   autoUpdater.on('error', function (err) {
-    console.error('error downloading app update', err.message || err)
+    log.error('Auto update error', err.message || err)
   })
 
   autoUpdater.setFeedURL(config.AUTO_UPDATE_URL)
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ function init () {
    */
   setInterval(() => autoUpdater.checkForUpdates(), config.AUTO_UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL)
 
-  autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => console.log('checking for app update'))
-  autoUpdater.on('update-available', () => console.log('app update available'))
-  autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', () => console.log('app update not available'))
+  autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => log('Checking for app update'))
+  autoUpdater.on('update-available', () => log('App update available'))
+  autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', () => log('App update not available'))
   autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', function (e) {
-    console.log('app update downloaded', e)
+    log('App update downloaded', e)
   })
 }
diff --git a/main/index.js b/main/index.js
index 0e4d07e7..34ab4729 100644
--- a/main/index.js
+++ b/main/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var app = electron.app
 var autoUpdater = require('./auto-updater')
 var config = require('../config')
 var ipc = require('./ipc')
+var log = require('./log')
 var menu = require('./menu')
 var registerProtocolHandler = require('./register-handlers')
 var shortcuts = require('./shortcuts')
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ var shouldQuit = app.makeSingleInstance(function (newArgv) {
   newArgv = sliceArgv(newArgv)
 
   if (app.ipcReady) {
-    windows.main.send('log', 'Second app instance attempted to open but was prevented')
+    log('Second app instance attempted to open but was prevented')
 
     newArgv.forEach(function (torrentId) {
       windows.main.send('dispatch', 'onOpen', torrentId)
@@ -55,9 +56,9 @@ app.on('ready', function () {
 })
 
 app.on('ipcReady', function () {
-  windows.main.send('log', 'IS_PRODUCTION:', config.IS_PRODUCTION)
+  log('IS_PRODUCTION:', config.IS_PRODUCTION)
   if (argv.length) {
-    windows.main.send('log', 'command line args:', process.argv)
+    log('command line args:', process.argv)
   }
   argv.forEach(function (torrentId) {
     windows.main.send('dispatch', 'onOpen', torrentId)
diff --git a/main/ipc.js b/main/ipc.js
index e610cad5..ffbdad46 100644
--- a/main/ipc.js
+++ b/main/ipc.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var app = electron.app
 var ipcMain = electron.ipcMain
 var powerSaveBlocker = electron.powerSaveBlocker
 
+var log = require('./log')
 var menu = require('./menu')
 var windows = require('./windows')
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ function init () {
   })
 
   ipcMain.on('openItem', function (e, path) {
-    console.log('opening file or folder: ' + path)
+    log('opening file or folder: ' + path)
     electron.shell.openItem(path)
   })
 
diff --git a/main/log.js b/main/log.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc064135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/log.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+module.exports = log
+module.exports.error = error
+
+/**
+ * In the main electron process, we do not use console.log() statements because they do
+ * not show up in a convenient location when running the packaged (i.e. production)
+ * version of the app. Instead use this module, which sends the logs to the main window
+ * where they can be viewed in Developer Tools.
+ */
+
+var electron = require('electron')
+
+var windows = require('./windows')
+
+var app = electron.app
+
+function log (...args) {
+  if (app.ipcReady) {
+    windows.main.send('log', ...args)
+  } else {
+    app.on('ipcReady', () => windows.main.send('log', ...args))
+  }
+}
+
+function error (...args) {
+  if (app.ipcReady) {
+    windows.main.send('error', ...args)
+  } else {
+    app.on('ipcReady', () => windows.main.send('error', ...args))
+  }
+}
diff --git a/main/register-handlers.js b/main/register-handlers.js
index a9a21902..95e46c42 100644
--- a/main/register-handlers.js
+++ b/main/register-handlers.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+var log = require('./log')
+
 module.exports = function () {
   if (process.platform === 'win32') {
     var path = require('path')
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ function registerProtocolHandlerWin32 (protocol, name, icon, command) {
   commandKey.set('', Registry.REG_SZ, '"' + command + '" "%1"', callback)
 
   function callback (err) {
-    if (err) console.error(err.message || err)
+    if (err) log.error(err.message || err)
   }
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +120,6 @@ function registerFileHandlerWin32 (ext, id, name, icon, command) {
   commandKey.set('', Registry.REG_SZ, '"' + command + '" "%1"', callback)
 
   function callback (err) {
-    if (err) console.error(err.message || err)
+    if (err) log.error(err.message || err)
   }
 }
diff --git a/renderer/index.js b/renderer/index.js
index 810ace96..b8412149 100644
--- a/renderer/index.js
+++ b/renderer/index.js
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ function setupIpc () {
   ipcRenderer.send('ipcReady')
 
   ipcRenderer.on('log', (e, ...args) => console.log(...args))
+  ipcRenderer.on('error', (e, ...args) => console.error(...args))
 
   ipcRenderer.on('dispatch', (e, ...args) => dispatch(...args))