diff --git a/distr/durden b/distr/durden
index ac56f4ef..ab431cea 100755
--- a/distr/durden
+++ b/distr/durden
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ fi
 arcan_applbase=$arcan_base/appl
 arcan_applout=$arcan_base/appl-out
 arcan_resources=$arcan_base/resources
+arcan_logpath=$arcan_base/logs
 
 # a dev would've overridden this one
 if [ ! -d "$arcan_applbase/$applname" ]; then
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ if [ ! -z "${XDG_VIDEOS_DIR}" ] && [ ! -d "${arcan_resources}/Videos" ]; then
 	ln -s "${XDG_VIDEOS_DIR}" "${arcan_resources}/Videos"
 fi
 
+# this is opt-in, user must make this directory himself as it can get quite verbose
+if [ -d "${arcan_logpath}" ]; then
+	export ARCAN_LOGPATH=${1:-$arcan_logpath}
+fi
+
 # setup namespace mapping
 export ARCAN_APPLBASEPATH=${1:-$arcan_applbase}
 export ARCAN_APPLSTOREPATH=${1:-$arcan_applout}
@@ -90,9 +96,17 @@ fi
 # snap due to the possibility of sensitive data)
 while true; do
 	starttime=$(date +%s)
-	if arcan ${distargs} -b "$applname" "$applname" "$@"; then
-		exit
+
+	if [ -d "${arcan_logpath}" ]; then
+		if arcan ${distargs} -b "$applname" "$applname" "$@" >"${arcan_logpath}/${applname}_${starttime}.log" 2>&1; then
+			exit
+		fi
+	else
+		if arcan ${distargs} -b "$applname" "$applname" "$@"; then
+			exit
+		fi
 	fi
+
 	stoptime=$(date +%s)
 	elapsed=$((stoptime - starttime))
 	if [ $elapsed -lt 10 ]; then