diff --git a/src/main.lisp b/src/main.lisp
index 8c8fa91..f89f17d 100644
--- a/src/main.lisp
+++ b/src/main.lisp
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@
     (("load" #\l) :type string :list t :optional t
      :documentation "Read user code from file")))
 
+(defun print-backtrace (condition debug stream)
+  "Depending on DEBUG, print out the full backtrace or just a shorter
+   message on STREAM for given CONDITION."
+  (if debug
+      (trivial-backtrace:print-backtrace condition :output stream :verbose t)
+      (trivial-backtrace:print-condition condition stream)))
+
 (defun main (argv)
   "Entry point when building an executable image with buildapp"
   (let ((args (rest argv)))
@@ -86,43 +93,38 @@
 	     do (load (compile-file filename :verbose nil :print nil))))
 
 	(when arguments
+	  ;; Start the logs system
+	  (let ((log-min-messages
+		 (log-threshold log-min-messages
+				:quiet quiet :verbose verbose :debug debug))
+		(client-min-messages
+		 (log-threshold client-min-messages
+				:quiet quiet :verbose verbose :debug debug)))
+
+	    (start-logger :log-filename logfile
+			  :log-min-messages log-min-messages
+			  :client-min-messages client-min-messages))
+
 	  ;; process the files
-	  (handler-case
-	      ;; we bind here a catch-all handler to print out the backtrace
-	      ;; before unwinding the call stack, so that it's a useful
-	      ;; piece of information.
-	      ;;
-	      ;; we still need an handler-case to stop the processing in
-	      ;; case of unhandled condition popping up here.
-	      (handler-bind
-		  ((condition
-		    #'(lambda (condition)
-			(let ((s *standard-output*))
-			  (log-message :critical "Fatal error:")
-			  (if debug
-			      (trivial-backtrace:print-backtrace condition
-								 :output s
-								 :verbose t)
-			      (trivial-backtrace:print-condition condition s))))))
-		(loop for filename in arguments
-		   do
-		     (run-commands filename
-				   :log-filename logfile
-				   :log-min-messages
-				   (log-threshold log-min-messages
-						  :quiet quiet
-						  :verbose verbose
-						  :debug debug)
-				   :client-min-messages
-				   (log-threshold client-min-messages
-						  :quiet quiet
-						  :verbose verbose
-						  :debug debug))
-		     (format t "~&")))
-	    (condition (c)
-	      ;; avoid confronting users with the interactive debugger
-	      ;; unless they asked for it using the --debug switch.
-	      (when debug
-		(invoke-debugger c)))))
+	  (loop for filename in arguments
+	     do
+	       ;; The handler-case is to catch unhandled exceptions at the
+	       ;; top level and continue with the next file in the list.
+	       ;;
+	       ;; The handler-bind is to be able to offer a meaningful
+	       ;; backtrace to the user in case of unexpected conditions
+	       ;; being signaled.
+	       (handler-case
+		   (handler-bind
+		       ((condition
+			 #'(lambda (condition)
+			     (log-message :fatal "We have a situation here.")
+			     (print-backtrace condition debug *standard-output*))))
+
+		     (run-commands filename :start-logger nil)
+		     (format t "~&"))
+
+		 (condition (c)
+		   (when debug (invoke-debugger c))))))
 
 	(uiop:quit)))))
diff --git a/src/parser.lisp b/src/parser.lisp
index f67a17b..e3caae8 100644
--- a/src/parser.lisp
+++ b/src/parser.lisp
@@ -1793,6 +1793,7 @@ load database
 
 (defun run-commands (source
 		     &key
+		       (start-logger t)
 		       ((:log-filename *log-filename*) *log-filename*)
 		       ((:log-min-messages *log-min-messages*) *log-min-messages*)
 		       ((:client-min-messages *client-min-messages*) *client-min-messages*))
@@ -1800,9 +1801,10 @@ load database
    code then run, a pathname containing one or more commands that are parsed
    then run, or a commands string that is then parsed and each command run."
 
-  (start-logger :log-filename *log-filename*
-		:log-min-messages *log-min-messages*
-		:client-min-messages *client-min-messages*)
+  (when start-logger
+    (start-logger :log-filename *log-filename*
+		  :log-min-messages *log-min-messages*
+		  :client-min-messages *client-min-messages*))
 
   (let* ((funcs
 	  (typecase source
@@ -1821,8 +1823,9 @@ load database
     ;; run the commands
     (loop for func in funcs do (funcall func))
 
-    ;; close the logs
-    (stop-logger)))
+    ;; close the logger, only when we've been tasked with opening it.
+    (when start-logger
+      (stop-logger))))
 
 
 ;;;
diff --git a/src/utils.lisp b/src/utils.lisp
index 9407c93..f2488ea 100644
--- a/src/utils.lisp
+++ b/src/utils.lisp
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 
   (loop for messenger = (pop *log-messengers*)
      while messenger
-     unless (string= "stdout" (cl-log:messenger-name messenger))
      do (cl-log:stop-messenger messenger)))
 
 ;; monkey patch the print-object method for cl-log timestamp