diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
index 9377748201..3b4ac39bfa 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
@@ -969,6 +969,13 @@ void RiaGuiApplication::createMainWindow()
     m_mainWindow->setDefaultToolbarVisibility();
     m_mainWindow->loadWinGeoAndDockToolBarLayout();
     m_mainWindow->showWindow();
+
+    // if there is an existing logger, reconnect to it
+    auto logger = dynamic_cast<RiuMessagePanelLogger*>( RiaLogging::loggerInstance() );
+    if ( logger )
+    {
+        logger->addMessagePanel( m_mainWindow->messagePanel() );
+    }
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.cpp
index ef5c2886c0..15dc699382 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.cpp
@@ -2105,3 +2105,11 @@ QStringList RiuMainWindow::defaultDockStateNames()
                             RiuDockWidgetTools::dockStateHideAll3DWindowName() };
     return retList;
 }
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+///
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+QAction* RiuMainWindow::tileSubWindowsAction()
+{
+    return caf::CmdFeatureManager::instance()->action( "RicTileWindowsFeature" );
+}
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.h b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.h
index 00828a1098..317d0ea708 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindow.h
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ public:
 protected:
     void        closeEvent( QCloseEvent* event ) override;
     QStringList defaultDockStateNames() override;
+    QAction*    tileSubWindowsAction() override;
 
 private:
     void createActions();
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.cpp
index 1185c1c4f7..ed719b4673 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.cpp
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ void RiuMainWindowBase::addDefaultEntriesToWindowsMenu()
     QAction* closeAllSubWindowsAction = new QAction( "Close All Windows", this );
     connect( closeAllSubWindowsAction, SIGNAL( triggered() ), m_mdiArea, SLOT( closeAllSubWindows() ) );
 
-    m_windowMenu->addAction( caf::CmdFeatureManager::instance()->action( "RicTilePlotWindowsFeature" ) );
+    m_windowMenu->addAction( tileSubWindowsAction() );
     m_windowMenu->addAction( cascadeWindowsAction );
     m_windowMenu->addAction( closeAllSubWindowsAction );
 }
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.h b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.h
index f0797d71ac..63ee1858b8 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMainWindowBase.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class PdmUiTreeView;
 class PdmUiItem;
 } // namespace caf
 
+class QAction;
 class QMdiArea;
 class QMdiSubWindow;
 class QUndoView;
@@ -113,6 +114,8 @@ protected:
 
     virtual QStringList defaultDockStateNames() = 0;
 
+    virtual QAction* tileSubWindowsAction() = 0;
+
 protected slots:
     void slotDockWidgetToggleViewActionTriggered();
     void slotRefreshHelpActions();
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.cpp
index a6597c744d..07a8ec4407 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,10 @@ RiuMessagePanelLogger::RiuMessagePanelLogger()
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void RiuMessagePanelLogger::addMessagePanel( RiuMessagePanel* messagePanel )
 {
-    m_messagePanel.push_back( messagePanel );
+    // get rid of any unused entries (qpointers are null)
+    m_messagePanels.erase( std::remove( m_messagePanels.begin(), m_messagePanels.end(), nullptr ), m_messagePanels.end() );
+
+    m_messagePanels.push_back( messagePanel );
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -212,7 +215,7 @@ void RiuMessagePanelLogger::writeToMessagePanel( RILogLevel messageLevel, const
         return;
     }
 
-    for ( auto& panel : m_messagePanel )
+    for ( auto& panel : m_messagePanels )
     {
         if ( panel )
         {
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.h b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.h
index 2103eab6cd..483e89a3f4 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuMessagePanel.h
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ private:
     void writeToMessagePanel( RILogLevel messageLevel, const char* message );
 
 private:
-    std::vector<QPointer<RiuMessagePanel>> m_messagePanel;
+    std::vector<QPointer<RiuMessagePanel>> m_messagePanels;
     int                                    m_logLevel;
 };
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.cpp
index 7813716ebd..1064b135f5 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.cpp
@@ -1210,3 +1210,11 @@ void RiuPlotMainWindow::slotToggleSelectionLink()
 {
     m_selection3DLinkEnabled = !m_selection3DLinkEnabled;
 }
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+///
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+QAction* RiuPlotMainWindow::tileSubWindowsAction()
+{
+    return caf::CmdFeatureManager::instance()->action( "RicTilePlotWindowsFeature" );
+}
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.h b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.h
index 3395fc2e98..5883b7af49 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/UserInterface/RiuPlotMainWindow.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ protected:
     void dropEvent( QDropEvent* event ) override;
 
     QStringList defaultDockStateNames() override;
+    QAction*    tileSubWindowsAction() override;
 
 private:
     void setPdmRoot( caf::PdmObject* pdmRoot );