diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index a107632fb4..1e2ab7c272 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ xaccCloneAccountSimple(const Account *from, GNCBook *book)
 {
     Account *ret;
 
+    if (!from || !book) return NULL;
+    ENTER (" ");
+
     ret = g_new (Account, 1);
     g_return_val_if_fail (ret, NULL);
 
@@ -157,6 +160,7 @@ xaccCloneAccountSimple(const Account *from, GNCBook *book)
 
     xaccAccountCommitEdit (ret);
 
+    LEAVE (" ");
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -166,6 +170,9 @@ xaccCloneAccount (const Account *from, GNCBook *book)
     time_t now;
     Account *ret;
 
+    if (!from || !book) return NULL;
+    ENTER (" ");
+
     ret = g_new (Account, 1);
     g_return_val_if_fail (ret, NULL);
 
@@ -191,6 +198,7 @@ xaccCloneAccount (const Account *from, GNCBook *book)
 
     xaccAccountCommitEdit (ret);
 
+    LEAVE (" ");
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -203,6 +211,7 @@ xaccAccountLookupTwin (Account *acc,  GNCBook *book)
    int i, ncopies = 0;
 
    if (!acc || !book) return NULL;
+   ENTER (" ");
 
    v_ncopies = kvp_frame_get_slot_path (acc->kvp_data, "gemini", "ncopies");
    if (!v_ncopies) return NULL;
@@ -234,6 +243,7 @@ xaccAccountLookupTwin (Account *acc,  GNCBook *book)
          return twin;
       }
    }
+   LEAVE (" ");
    return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.c b/src/engine/Group.c
index d26d5d7191..e69338efde 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.c
+++ b/src/engine/Group.c
@@ -765,6 +765,7 @@ xaccGroupCopyGroup (AccountGroup *to, AccountGroup *from)
    if (!to || !from) return;
    if (!from->accounts || !to->book) return;
 
+   ENTER (" ");
    for (node = from->accounts; node; node=node->next)
    {
       Account *to_acc, *from_acc = node->data;
@@ -793,6 +794,7 @@ xaccGroupCopyGroup (AccountGroup *to, AccountGroup *from)
          xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit (to_acc->children);
       }
    }
+   LEAVE (" ");
 }
 
 /********************************************************************\
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.h b/src/engine/Group.h
index 325f775fcf..6ee26b10ac 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.h
+++ b/src/engine/Group.h
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ AccountGroup * xaccAccountGetRoot (Account *account);
 Account * xaccGroupGetParentAccount (AccountGroup *group);
 
 /* The xaccGroupMapAccounts() routine will traverse the account 
-      group, returning a list of accounts.  If teh callback
+      group, returning a list of accounts.  If the callback
       returns null for a given item, it won't show up in
       the result list.  You should free the returned list when
       you are done with it.
diff --git a/src/engine/Transaction.c b/src/engine/Transaction.c
index f119e3369d..a911b36034 100644
--- a/src/engine/Transaction.c
+++ b/src/engine/Transaction.c
@@ -2363,7 +2363,7 @@ xaccTransSetDateInternal(Transaction *trans, int which, time_t secs,
     if(!trans) return;
     check_open(trans);
 
-    PINFO ("addr=%p set %d date to %lu %li %s \n",
+    PINFO ("addr=%p set %d date to %lu %li %s",
            trans, which, secs, nsecs, ctime (&secs));
     
     dadate = ((which == TDATE_POSTED)
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.c b/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.c
index e1c2236a9d..5e4abe32d5 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ static gncLogLevel loglevel[MOD_LAST + 1] =
   GNC_LOG_DEBUG,        /* SX */
 };
 
+static FILE *fout = NULL;
 
 /* Set the logging level of the given module. */
 void
@@ -86,6 +87,12 @@ gnc_set_log_level_global(gncLogLevel level)
     loglevel[module] = level;
 }
 
+void
+gnc_set_logfile (FILE *outfile)
+{
+   fout = outfile;
+}
+
 /* prettify() cleans up subroutine names. AIX/xlC has the habit of
  * printing signatures not names; clean this up. On other operating
  * systems, truncate name to 30 chars. Note this routine is not thread
@@ -138,17 +145,19 @@ gnc_log (gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel log_level, const char *prefix,
   if (!gnc_should_log (module, log_level))
     return;
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s: ",
+  if (!fout) fout = stderr;
+
+  fprintf (fout, "%s: %s: ",
            prefix ? prefix : "(null)",
            prettify (function_name));
 
   va_start (ap, format);
 
-  vfprintf (stderr, format, ap);
+  vfprintf (fout, format, ap);
 
   va_end (ap);
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "\n");
+  fprintf (fout, "\n");
 }
 
 
@@ -173,16 +182,16 @@ gnc_start_clock (int clockno, gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel log_level,
   if ((0>clockno) || (NUM_CLOCKS <= clockno)) return;
   gettimeofday (&gnc_clock[clockno], &tz);
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "Clock %d Start: %s: ",
+  fprintf (fout, "Clock %d Start: %s: ",
            clockno, prettify (function_name));
 
   va_start (ap, format);
 
-  vfprintf (stderr, format, ap);
+  vfprintf (fout, format, ap);
 
   va_end (ap);
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "\n");
+  fprintf (fout, "\n");
 }
 
 void
@@ -205,16 +214,16 @@ gnc_report_clock (int clockno, gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel log_level,
   now.tv_sec -= gnc_clock[clockno].tv_sec;
   now.tv_usec -= gnc_clock[clockno].tv_usec;
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "Clock %d Elapsed: %ld.%06ld  %s: ",
+  fprintf (fout, "Clock %d Elapsed: %ld.%06ld  %s: ",
            clockno, now.tv_sec, now.tv_usec, prettify (function_name));
 
   va_start (ap, format);
 
-  vfprintf (stderr, format, ap);
+  vfprintf (fout, format, ap);
 
   va_end (ap);
 
-  fprintf (stderr, "\n");
+  fprintf (fout, "\n");
 }
 
 /********************************************************************\
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.h b/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.h
index 51880de666..7ae0fb5d85 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.h
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-engine-util.h
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ typedef enum
  * the glib.h g_error(), etc functions. That way, we would have
  * unified logging mechanism, instead of having some messages
  * work one way, and other a different way ... 
+ *
+ * FIXME: the if test should not be a subroutine call, it should
+ * not use that many CPU cycles.  These logging functions are supposed
+ * to be lightweight.  Who changed this ??? Why ??? 
+ *
  */
 gboolean gnc_should_log (gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel log_level);
 void gnc_log (gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel log_level,
@@ -171,6 +176,8 @@ void gnc_set_log_level(gncModuleType module, gncLogLevel level);
 /* Set the logging level for all modules. */
 void gnc_set_log_level_global(gncLogLevel level);
 
+/* Pipe log output to pipe or file */
+void gnc_set_logfile (FILE *outfile);
 
 /** Macros *****************************************************/
 #define EPS  (1.0e-6)
diff --git a/src/engine/test/test-period.c b/src/engine/test/test-period.c
index 0afa95209d..359489697d 100644
--- a/src/engine/test/test-period.c
+++ b/src/engine/test/test-period.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "Period.h"
 #include "gnc-book.h"
 #include "gnc-book-p.h"
+#include "gnc-engine-util.h"
 #include "gnc-module.h"
 #include "test-stuff.h"
 #include "test-engine-stuff.h"
@@ -107,6 +108,9 @@ run_test (void)
   tsmiddle = tsfirst;
   tsmiddle.tv_sec = (tsfirst.tv_sec + tslast.tv_sec)/2;
 
+  // stdout is broken with guile for some reason
+  // gnc_set_logfile (stdout);
+  // gnc_set_log_level_global (GNC_LOG_INFO);
   closedbook = gnc_book_close_period (openbook, tsmiddle, 
                   NULL, "this is opening balance dude");