diff --git a/src/ftp.c b/src/ftp.c
index 1aa262b..aa328b9 100644
--- a/src/ftp.c
+++ b/src/ftp.c
@@ -1039,7 +1039,6 @@ static void dproc_xfer(struct ftp *ftp, const char *buf, int sz, void *cls)
 		}
 
 		if(xfer->fp) {
-			((char*)buf)[sz] = 0;
 			fwrite(buf, 1, sz, xfer->fp);
 
 		} else if(xfer->mem) {
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 5ff626e..38cf061 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ static struct tui_widget *uilist[2];
 static int focus;
 static unsigned int dirty;
 
-static char *host = "localhost";
-static int port = 21;
+static const char *opt_host = "localhost";
+static int opt_port = 21;
 static const char *opt_user, *opt_pass;
 static struct server *srvlist;
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	if((srv = find_server(host)) && !opt_user && srv->user) {
+	if((srv = find_server(opt_host)) && !opt_user && srv->user) {
 		opt_user = srv->user;
 		opt_pass = srv->pass;
 	}
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		ftp_auth(ftp, opt_user, opt_pass ? opt_pass : "foobar");
 	}
 
-	if(ftp_connect(ftp, srv ? srv->host : host, port) == -1) {
+	if(ftp_connect(ftp, srv ? srv->host : opt_host, opt_port) == -1) {
 		ftp_free(ftp);
 		return 1;
 	}
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ static void updateui(void)
 		tg_fgcolor(ftp->status ? TGFX_GREEN : TGFX_RED);
 		tg_bgcolor(TGFX_BLACK);
 		tg_rect(0, 0, 0, 40, 1, 0);
-		tg_text(0, 0, "Srv: %s", ftp->status ? host : "-");
+		tg_text(0, 0, "Srv: %s", ftp->status ? opt_host : "-");
 		upd |= 0x8000;
 		prev_status = ftp->status;
 	}
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ int parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 				break;
 
 			case 1:
-				if((port = atoi(argv[i])) <= 0) {
+				if((opt_port = atoi(argv[i])) <= 0) {
 					fprintf(stderr, "invalid port number: %s\n", argv[i]);
 					return -1;
 				}
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ static int parse_host(const char *str)
 	if((p = strchr(str, '@'))) {
 		*p = 0;
 		opt_user = str;
-		host = p + 1;
+		opt_host = p + 1;
 		if((p = strchr(str, ':'))) {
 			*p = 0;
 			opt_pass = p + 1;
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ static int parse_host(const char *str)
 			opt_pass = 0;
 		}
 	} else {
+		opt_host = str;
 		opt_user = opt_pass = 0;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 7bc10eb..84dce4f 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -56,38 +56,89 @@ int match_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix)
 
 static FILE *logfile;
 
+#ifdef __DOS__
+static int setup_serial(void);
+static void ser_putchar(int c);
+static void ser_puts(const char *s);
+
+static int sdev = -1;
+
+#define LOG_OPEN	(logfile || sdev >= 0)
+#else
+#define LOG_OPEN	(logfile)
+#endif
+
+
 static void closelog(void)
 {
 	fclose(logfile);
 }
 
-static void logmsg(const char *tag, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
+static int loginit(void)
 {
 	char *fname;
+	char *env = getenv("VISFTP_LOG");
+
+	if(env) {
+		fname = env;
+	} else {
 #ifdef __DOS__
-	char *tmpdir = getenv("TEMP");
-	if(!tmpdir) {
-		tmpdir = getenv("VISFTP");
+		char *tmpdir = getenv("TEMP");
+		if(!tmpdir) {
+			tmpdir = getenv("VISFTP");
+		}
+		if(tmpdir) {
+			fname = alloca(strlen(tmpdir) + 16);
+			sprintf(fname, "%s\\visftp.log", tmpdir);
+		} else {
+			fname = "c:\\visftp.log";
+		}
+#else
+		fname = "/tmp/visftp.log";
+#endif
 	}
-	if(tmpdir) {
-		fname = alloca(strlen(tmpdir) + 16);
-		sprintf(fname, "%s\\visftp.log", tmpdir);
-	} else {
-		fname = "c:\\visftp.log";
+
+#ifdef __DOS__
+	if(sscanf(fname, "COM%d", &sdev) == 1 || sscanf(fname, "com%d", &sdev) == 1) {
+		sdev--;
+		if(setup_serial() == -1) {
+			sdev = -1;
+			fprintf(stderr, "failed to setup serial port (%s)\n", fname);
+			return -1;
+		}
+		return 0;
 	}
-#else
-	fname = "/tmp/visftp.log";
 #endif
 
-	if(!logfile) {
-		if(!(logfile = fopen(fname, "w"))) {
+	if(!(logfile = fopen(fname, "w"))) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+	setvbuf(logfile, 0, _IOLBF, 0);
+	atexit(closelog);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void logmsg(const char *tag, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
+{
+	if(!LOG_OPEN) {
+		if(loginit() == -1) {
 			return;
 		}
-		setvbuf(logfile, 0, _IOLBF, 0);
-		atexit(closelog);
 	}
-	fprintf(logfile, "%s: ", tag);
-	vfprintf(logfile, fmt, ap);
+
+#ifdef __DOS__
+	if(sdev != -1) {
+		char buf[512];
+		sprintf(buf, "%s: ", tag);
+		vsprintf(buf, fmt, ap);
+		ser_puts(buf);
+	} else {
+#endif
+		fprintf(logfile, "%s: ", tag);
+		vfprintf(logfile, fmt, ap);
+#ifdef __DOS__
+	}
+#endif
 }
 
 void errmsg(const char *fmt, ...)
@@ -128,3 +179,77 @@ void infomsg(const char *fmt, ...)
 	logmsg("info", fmt, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 }
+
+#ifdef __DOS__
+#include <conio.h>
+
+#define UART1_BASE		0x3f8
+#define UART2_BASE		0x2f8
+
+#define UART_DATA		0
+#define UART_DIVLO		0
+#define UART_DIVHI		1
+#define UART_FIFO		2
+#define UART_LCTL		3
+#define UART_MCTL		4
+#define UART_LSTAT		5
+
+#define DIV_9600			(115200 / 9600)
+#define DIV_19200			(115200 / 19200)
+#define DIV_38400			(115200 / 38400)
+#define LCTL_8N1			0x03
+#define LCTL_DLAB			0x80
+#define FIFO_ENABLE_CLEAR	0x07
+#define MCTL_DTR_RTS_OUT2	0x0b
+#define LST_TREG_EMPTY		0x20
+
+static unsigned int iobase;
+
+static int setup_serial(void)
+{
+	switch(sdev) {
+	case 0:
+		iobase = UART1_BASE;
+		break;
+	case 1:
+		iobase = UART2_BASE;
+		break;
+	default:
+		sdev = -1;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/* set clock divisor */
+	outp(iobase | UART_LCTL, LCTL_DLAB);
+	outp(iobase | UART_DIVLO, DIV_9600 & 0xff);
+	outp(iobase | UART_DIVHI, DIV_9600 >> 8);
+	/* set format 8n1 */
+	outp(iobase | UART_LCTL, LCTL_8N1);
+	/* clear and enable fifo */
+	outp(iobase | UART_FIFO, FIFO_ENABLE_CLEAR);
+	/* assert RTS and DTR */
+	outp(iobase | UART_MCTL, MCTL_DTR_RTS_OUT2);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void ser_putchar(int c)
+{
+	if(c == '\n') {
+		ser_putchar('\r');
+	}
+
+	while((inp(iobase | UART_LSTAT) & LST_TREG_EMPTY) == 0);
+	outp(iobase | UART_DATA, c);
+}
+
+static void ser_puts(const char *s)
+{
+	while(*s) {
+		while((inp(iobase | UART_LSTAT) & LST_TREG_EMPTY) == 0);
+		if(*s == '\n') {
+			outp(iobase | UART_DATA, '\r');
+		}
+		outp(iobase | UART_DATA, *s++);
+	}
+}
+#endif	/* __DOS__ */