diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Controller/Build.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Controller/Build.pm
index 8678f9b6..b79eccbb 100644
--- a/src/lib/Hydra/Controller/Build.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Controller/Build.pm
@@ -47,11 +47,9 @@ sub view_build : Chained('build') PathPart('') Args(0) {
 
     $c->stash->{pathHash} = $c->stash->{available} ? queryPathHash($build->outpath) : undef;
 
-    my $pipestart;
     if (!$build->finished && $build->busy) {
         my $logfile = $build->logfile;
-        $pipestart = cat_log_command($logfile);
-        $c->stash->{logtext} = `$pipestart` if defined $logfile && -e $logfile;
+        $c->stash->{logtext} = logContents($logfile);
     }
 
     if ($build->finished && $build->iscachedbuild) {
@@ -62,8 +60,7 @@ sub view_build : Chained('build') PathPart('') Args(0) {
     (my $lastBuildStep) = $build->buildsteps->search({},{order_by => "stepnr DESC", rows => 1});
     my $path = defined $lastBuildStep ? $lastBuildStep->logfile : "" ;
     if ($build->finished && ($build->buildstatus == 1 || $build->buildstatus == 6) && !($path eq "") && -f $lastBuildStep->logfile) {
-        $pipestart = cat_log_command($path);
-	my $logtext = `$pipestart | tail -n 50`;
+	my $logtext = logContents($path, 50);
         $c->stash->{logtext} = removeAsciiEscapes($logtext);
     }
 
@@ -126,10 +123,9 @@ sub showLog {
     notFound($c, "Log file $path no longer exists.") unless -f $fallbackpath;
     $path = $fallbackpath;
 
-    my $pipestart = ($path =~ /.bz2$/ ? "cat $path | bzip2 -d" : "cat $path") ;
-
     if (!$mode) {
         # !!! quick hack
+        my $pipestart = ($path =~ /.bz2$/ ? "cat $path | bzip2 -d" : "cat $path") ;
         my $pipeline = $pipestart
             . " | nix-log2xml | xsltproc " . $c->path_to("xsl/mark-errors.xsl") . " -"
             . " | xsltproc " . $c->path_to("xsl/log2html.xsl") . " - | tail -n +2";
@@ -139,7 +135,7 @@ sub showLog {
     }
 
     elsif ($mode eq "raw") {
-        $c->stash->{'plain'} = { data => (scalar `$pipestart`) || " " };
+        $c->stash->{'plain'} = { data => (scalar logContents($path)) || " " };
         $c->forward('Hydra::View::Plain');
     }
 
@@ -149,12 +145,12 @@ sub showLog {
         $c->stash->{url} = $url;
         $c->stash->{reload} = !$c->stash->{build}->finished && $c->stash->{build}->busy;
         $c->stash->{title} = "";
-        $c->stash->{contents} = (scalar `$pipestart | tail -n 50`) || " ";
+        $c->stash->{contents} = (scalar logContents($path, 50)) || " ";
         $c->stash->{template} = 'plain-reload.tt';
     }
 
     elsif ($mode eq "tail") {
-        $c->stash->{'plain'} = { data => (scalar `$pipestart | tail -n 50`) || " " };
+        $c->stash->{'plain'} = { data => (scalar logContents($path, 50)) || " " };
         $c->forward('Hydra::View::Plain');
     }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Helper/Nix.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Helper/Nix.pm
index 2c64902b..583a917c 100644
--- a/src/lib/Hydra/Helper/Nix.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Helper/Nix.pm
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ sub jobsetOverview {
     my ($c, $project) = @_;
     return $project->jobsets->search( isProjectOwner($c, $project) ? {} : { hidden => 0 },
         { order_by => "name"
-        , "+select" => 
+        , "+select" =>
           [ "(select count(*) from Builds as a where a.finished = 0 and me.project = a.project and me.name = a.jobset and a.isCurrent = 1)"
           , "(select count(*) from Builds as a where a.finished = 1 and me.project = a.project and me.name = a.jobset and buildstatus <> 0 and a.isCurrent = 1)"
           , "(select count(*) from Builds as a where a.finished = 1 and me.project = a.project and me.name = a.jobset and buildstatus = 0 and a.isCurrent = 1)"
@@ -236,6 +236,18 @@ sub getLatestSuccessfulViewResult {
     return undef;
 }
 
+sub logContents {
+    my ($path, $tail) = @_;
+    my $cmd;
+    if ($path =~ /.bz2$/) {
+        $cmd = "cat $path | bzip2 -d";
+        $cmd = $cmd . " | tail -$tail" if defined $tail;
+    }
+    else {
+        $cmd = defined $tail ? "tail -$tail $path" : "cat $path";
+    }
+    return `$cmd` if -e $path;
+}
 
 sub removeAsciiEscapes {
     my ($logtext) = @_;
diff --git a/src/script/hydra-build b/src/script/hydra-build
index 67dab49c..6dcb60ae 100755
--- a/src/script/hydra-build
+++ b/src/script/hydra-build
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ sub sendTwitterNotification {
     my $jobName  = $build->project->name . ":" . $build->jobset->name . ":" . $build->job->name;
     my $status   = $build->buildstatus == 0 ? "SUCCEEDED" : "FAILED";
     my $system   = $build->system;
-    my $duration = ($build->stoptime - $build->starttime) . " seconds"; 
+    my $duration = ($build->stoptime - $build->starttime) . " seconds";
     my $url = $config{'base_uri'}."/build/".$build->id ;
 
     my $nt = Net::Twitter::Lite->new(
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ sub sendTwitterNotification {
       );
 
     my $tag = $build->project->name;
-    my $msg = "$jobName ($system): $status in $duration #$tag"; 
+    my $msg = "$jobName ($system): $status in $duration #$tag";
     if (length($msg) + 1 + length($url) <= 140) {
       $msg = "$msg $url" ;
     }
-    
+
     eval {
         my $result = eval { $nt->update($msg) };
     };
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ sub statusDescription {
         when (2) { $status = "Dependency failed"; }
         when (4) { $status = "Cancelled"; }
     }
-    
+
    return $status;
 }
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ sub sendEmailNotification {
     my ($build) = @_;
 
     die unless $build->finished;
-        
+
     return if ! ( $build->jobset->enableemail && ($build->maintainers ne "" || $build->jobset->emailoverride ne "") );
 
     # Do we want to send mail?
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ sub sendEmailNotification {
 	{ project => $build->project->name
         , jobset => $build->jobset->name
         , job => $build->job->name
-        , system => $build->system 
+        , system => $build->system
         , finished => 1
         , id => { '<', $build->id }
 	}, { order_by => ["id DESC"] }
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ sub sendEmailNotification {
 
     # if there is a previous build with same buildstatus, do not send email
     if (defined $prevBuild && ($build->buildstatus == $prevBuild->buildstatus)) {
-        return; 
+        return;
     }
 
     # if buildstatus of this build or the previous one is aborted, do
     # not send email
     if ($build->buildstatus == 3 || (defined $prevBuild && ($prevBuild->buildstatus == 3))) {
-        return; 
+        return;
     }
 
     # Send mail.
@@ -157,8 +157,7 @@ sub sendEmailNotification {
     $inputsTable->load(@lines);
 
     my $loglines = 50;
-    my $logfile = $build->logfile;
-    my $logtext = defined $logfile && -e $logfile ? `tail -$loglines $logfile` : "No logfile available.\n";
+    my $logtext = logContents($build->logfile, $loglines);
     $logtext = removeAsciiEscapes($logtext);
 
     my $body = "Hi,\n"
@@ -181,7 +180,7 @@ sub sendEmailNotification {
         . $inputsTable->body
         . "\n"
         . "Regards,\n\nThe Hydra build daemon.\n"
-        . ($build->buildstatus != 0 ? "\n---\n$logtext" : ""); 
+        . ($build->buildstatus != 0 ? "\n---\n$logtext" : "");
 
     # stripping trailing spaces from lines
     $body =~ s/[\ ]+$//gm;
@@ -233,7 +232,7 @@ sub doBuild {
 
         my $thisBuildFailed = 0;
         my $someBuildFailed = 0;
-        
+
         # Run Nix to perform the build, and monitor the stderr output
         # to get notifications about specific build steps, the
         # associated log files, etc.
@@ -249,17 +248,17 @@ sub doBuild {
         my $buildStepNr = (defined $max && defined $max->get_column('max')) ? $max->get_column('max') : 1;
 
         my %buildSteps;
-        
+
         open OUT, "$cmd |" or die;
 
         while (<OUT>) {
             $errormsg .= $_;
-            
+
             unless (/^@\s+/) {
                 print STDERR "$_";
                 next;
             }
-            
+
             if (/^@\s+build-started\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)$/) {
 		my $drvPathStep = $1;
                 txn_do($db, sub {
@@ -275,7 +274,7 @@ sub doBuild {
                         });
                 });
             }
-            
+
             elsif (/^@\s+build-remote\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)$/) {
                 my $drvPathStep = $1;
 		my $machine = $2;
@@ -284,14 +283,14 @@ sub doBuild {
                     $step->update({machine => $machine});
                 });
 	    }
-            
+
             elsif (/^@\s+build-succeeded\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)$/) {
                 my $drvPathStep = $1;
                 txn_do($db, sub {
                     my $step = $build->buildsteps->find({stepnr => $buildSteps{$drvPathStep}}) or die;
                     my $stepOutpath = $step->outpath;
                     my $stepStatus = 0;
- 
+
                     $step->update({busy => 0, status => $stepStatus, stoptime => time});
                 });
             }
@@ -360,7 +359,7 @@ sub doBuild {
                 print STDERR "unknown Nix trace message: $_";
             }
         }
-        
+
         close OUT;
 
         my $res = $?;
@@ -378,7 +377,7 @@ sub doBuild {
     }
 
   done:
-    my $logfile = getBuildLog($drvPath); 
+    my $logfile = getBuildLog($drvPath);
 
     my $logsize = defined $logfile ? stat($logfile)->size : 0;
 
@@ -392,13 +391,13 @@ sub doBuild {
         my @closure = computeFSClosure(0, 0, $outPath);
         foreach my $path (@closure) {
 	    my ($deriver, $hash, $time, $narSize, $refs) = queryPathInfo($path);
- 	    $closuresize += $narSize;    
+ 	    $closuresize += $narSize;
         }
     }
 
     txn_do($db, sub {
         my $releaseName = getReleaseName($outPath);
-        
+
         $buildStatus = 6 if $buildStatus == 0 && -f "$outPath/nix-support/failed";
 
         $build->update(