diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b1a36e5f2e..4fd90cfe03 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@ node_modules
 autodeploy.properties
 .ws_migrations_complete
 .vagrant/
+logs
diff --git a/rakelib/helpers.rb b/rakelib/helpers.rb
index 3373214a19..925b7e1b28 100644
--- a/rakelib/helpers.rb
+++ b/rakelib/helpers.rb
@@ -52,8 +52,14 @@ end
 
 # Runs Process.spawn, and kills the process at the end of the rake process
 # Expects the same arguments as Process.spawn
-def background_process(*command)
-    pid = Process.spawn({}, *command, {:pgroup => true})
+def background_process(command, logfile=nil)
+    spawn_opts = {:pgroup => true}
+    if !logfile.nil?
+        puts "Running '#{command.join(' ')}', redirecting output to #{logfile}".red
+        spawn_opts[[:err, :out]] = [logfile, 'a']
+    end
+    pid = Process.spawn({}, *command, spawn_opts)
+    command = [*command]
 
     at_exit do
         puts "Ending process and children"
@@ -88,9 +94,10 @@ end
 
 # Runs a command as a background process, as long as no other processes
 # tagged with the same tag are running
-def singleton_process(*command)
+def singleton_process(command, logfile=nil)
+    command = [*command]
     if Sys::ProcTable.ps.select {|proc| proc.cmdline.include?(command.join(' '))}.empty?
-        background_process(*command)
+        background_process(command, logfile)
     else
         puts "Process '#{command.join(' ')} already running, skipping".blue
     end
diff --git a/rakelib/jasmine.rake b/rakelib/jasmine.rake
index ff72161937..5a0c4acedc 100644
--- a/rakelib/jasmine.rake
+++ b/rakelib/jasmine.rake
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ PREFERRED_METHOD = PHANTOMJS_PATH.nil? ? 'browser' : 'phantomjs'
 if PHANTOMJS_PATH.nil?
     puts("phantomjs not found on path. Set $PHANTOMJS_PATH. Using browser for jasmine tests".blue)
 end
+LOGDIR = 'logs/jasmine'
+
+CLOBBER.include(LOGDIR)
+
+directory LOGDIR
 
 def django_for_jasmine(system, django_reload)
     if !django_reload
@@ -17,7 +22,7 @@ def django_for_jasmine(system, django_reload)
     port = 10000 + rand(40000)
     jasmine_url = "http://localhost:#{port}/_jasmine/"
 
-    background_process(*django_admin(system, 'jasmine', 'runserver', '-v', '0', port.to_s, reload_arg).split(' '))
+    background_process(django_admin(system, 'jasmine', 'runserver', '-v', '0', port.to_s, reload_arg).split(' '), "#{LOGDIR}/django.log")
 
     up = false
     start_time = Time.now
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@ end
     namespace :jasmine do
         namespace system do
             desc "Open jasmine tests for #{system} in your default browser"
-            task :browser => [:clean_reports_dir] do
+            task :browser => [:clean_reports_dir, LOGDIR] do
                 Rake::Task[:assets].invoke(system, 'jasmine')
                 django_for_jasmine(system, true) do |jasmine_url|
                     jasmine_browser(jasmine_url)
@@ -88,7 +93,7 @@ end
             end
 
             desc "Open jasmine tests for #{system} in your default browser, and dynamically recompile coffeescript"
-            task :'browser:watch' => [:clean_reports_dir, :'assets:coffee:_watch'] do
+            task :'browser:watch' => [:clean_reports_dir, :'assets:coffee:_watch', LOGDIR] do
                 django_for_jasmine(system, true) do |jasmine_url|
                     jasmine_browser(jasmine_url, jitter=0, wait=0)
                 end
@@ -97,7 +102,7 @@ end
             end
 
             desc "Use phantomjs to run jasmine tests for #{system} from the console"
-            task :phantomjs => [:clean_reports_dir] do
+            task :phantomjs => [:clean_reports_dir, LOGDIR] do
                 Rake::Task[:assets].invoke(system, 'jasmine')
                 phantomjs = ENV['PHANTOMJS_PATH'] || 'phantomjs'
                 django_for_jasmine(system, false) do |jasmine_url|