diff --git a/klog.go b/klog.go
index 16dcb3b9..47ec9466 100644
--- a/klog.go
+++ b/klog.go
@@ -404,13 +404,6 @@ func (t *traceLocation) Set(value string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// flushSyncWriter is the interface satisfied by logging destinations.
-type flushSyncWriter interface {
-	Flush() error
-	Sync() error
-	io.Writer
-}
-
 var logging loggingT
 var commandLine flag.FlagSet
 
@@ -486,7 +479,7 @@ type settings struct {
 	// Access to all of the following fields must be protected via a mutex.
 
 	// file holds writer for each of the log types.
-	file [severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter
+	file [severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer
 	// flushInterval is the interval for periodic flushing. If zero,
 	// the global default will be used.
 	flushInterval time.Duration
@@ -831,32 +824,12 @@ func (l *loggingT) printS(err error, s severity.Severity, depth int, msg string,
 	buffer.PutBuffer(b)
 }
 
-// redirectBuffer is used to set an alternate destination for the logs
-type redirectBuffer struct {
-	w io.Writer
-}
-
-func (rb *redirectBuffer) Sync() error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (rb *redirectBuffer) Flush() error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (rb *redirectBuffer) Write(bytes []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	return rb.w.Write(bytes)
-}
-
 // SetOutput sets the output destination for all severities
 func SetOutput(w io.Writer) {
 	logging.mu.Lock()
 	defer logging.mu.Unlock()
 	for s := severity.FatalLog; s >= severity.InfoLog; s-- {
-		rb := &redirectBuffer{
-			w: w,
-		}
-		logging.file[s] = rb
+		logging.file[s] = w
 	}
 }
 
@@ -868,10 +841,7 @@ func SetOutputBySeverity(name string, w io.Writer) {
 	if !ok {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("SetOutputBySeverity(%q): unrecognized severity name", name))
 	}
-	rb := &redirectBuffer{
-		w: w,
-	}
-	logging.file[sev] = rb
+	logging.file[sev] = w
 }
 
 // LogToStderr sets whether to log exclusively to stderr, bypassing outputs
@@ -1011,8 +981,8 @@ func (l *loggingT) exit(err error) {
 		logExitFunc(err)
 		return
 	}
-	files := l.flushAll()
-	l.syncAll(files)
+	needToSync := l.flushAll()
+	l.syncAll(needToSync)
 	OsExit(2)
 }
 
@@ -1029,10 +999,6 @@ type syncBuffer struct {
 	maxbytes uint64 // The max number of bytes this syncBuffer.file can hold before cleaning up.
 }
 
-func (sb *syncBuffer) Sync() error {
-	return sb.file.Sync()
-}
-
 // CalculateMaxSize returns the real max size in bytes after considering the default max size and the flag options.
 func CalculateMaxSize() uint64 {
 	if logging.logFile != "" {
@@ -1224,37 +1190,44 @@ func StartFlushDaemon(interval time.Duration) {
 // lockAndFlushAll is like flushAll but locks l.mu first.
 func (l *loggingT) lockAndFlushAll() {
 	l.mu.Lock()
-	files := l.flushAll()
+	needToSync := l.flushAll()
 	l.mu.Unlock()
 	// Some environments are slow when syncing and holding the lock might cause contention.
-	l.syncAll(files)
+	l.syncAll(needToSync)
 }
 
 // flushAll flushes all the logs
 // l.mu is held.
-func (l *loggingT) flushAll() []flushSyncWriter {
-	files := make([]flushSyncWriter, 0, severity.NumSeverity)
+//
+// The result is the number of files which need to be synced and the pointers to them.
+func (l *loggingT) flushAll() fileArray {
+	var needToSync fileArray
+
 	// Flush from fatal down, in case there's trouble flushing.
 	for s := severity.FatalLog; s >= severity.InfoLog; s-- {
 		file := l.file[s]
-		if file != nil {
-			_ = file.Flush() // ignore error
+		if sb, ok := file.(*syncBuffer); ok && sb.file != nil {
+			_ = sb.Flush() // ignore error
+			needToSync.files[needToSync.num] = sb.file
+			needToSync.num++
 		}
-		files = append(files, file)
 	}
 	if logging.loggerOptions.flush != nil {
 		logging.loggerOptions.flush()
 	}
-	return files
+	return needToSync
+}
+
+type fileArray struct {
+	num   int
+	files [severity.NumSeverity]*os.File
 }
 
 // syncAll attempts to "sync" their data to disk.
-func (l *loggingT) syncAll(files []flushSyncWriter) {
+func (l *loggingT) syncAll(needToSync fileArray) {
 	// Flush from fatal down, in case there's trouble flushing.
-	for _, file := range files {
-		if file != nil {
-			_ = file.Sync() // ignore error
-		}
+	for i := 0; i < needToSync.num; i++ {
+		_ = needToSync.files[i].Sync() // ignore error
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/klog_test.go b/klog_test.go
index c93c4864..6195e468 100644
--- a/klog_test.go
+++ b/klog_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	stdLog "log"
 	"os"
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ func (f *flushBuffer) Sync() error {
 }
 
 // swap sets the log writers and returns the old array.
-func (l *loggingT) swap(writers [severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter) (old [severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter) {
+func (l *loggingT) swap(writers [severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer) (old [severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer) {
 	l.mu.Lock()
 	defer l.mu.Unlock()
 	old = l.file
@@ -82,8 +83,8 @@ func (l *loggingT) swap(writers [severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter) (old [sev
 }
 
 // newBuffers sets the log writers to all new byte buffers and returns the old array.
-func (l *loggingT) newBuffers() [severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter {
-	return l.swap([severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter{new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer)})
+func (l *loggingT) newBuffers() [severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer {
+	return l.swap([severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer{new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer), new(flushBuffer)})
 }
 
 // contents returns the specified log value as a string.
@@ -540,14 +541,17 @@ func TestOpenAppendOnStart(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Logging creates the file
 	Info(x)
-	_, ok := logging.file[severity.InfoLog].(*syncBuffer)
+	sb, ok := logging.file[severity.InfoLog].(*syncBuffer)
 	if !ok {
 		t.Fatal("info wasn't created")
 	}
 
 	// ensure we wrote what we expected
-	files := logging.flushAll()
-	logging.syncAll(files)
+	needToSync := logging.flushAll()
+	if needToSync.num != 1 || needToSync.files[0] != sb.file {
+		t.Errorf("Should have received exactly the file from severity.InfoLog for syncing, got instead: %+v", needToSync)
+	}
+	logging.syncAll(needToSync)
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(logging.logFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
@@ -811,15 +815,58 @@ func BenchmarkLogs(b *testing.B) {
 		Severity: severity.FatalLog,
 	}
 	logging.logFile = testFile.Name()
-	logging.swap([severity.NumSeverity]flushSyncWriter{nil, nil, nil, nil})
+	logging.swap([severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer{nil, nil, nil, nil})
 
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		Error("error")
 		Warning("warning")
 		Info("info")
 	}
-	files := logging.flushAll()
-	logging.syncAll(files)
+	needToSync := logging.flushAll()
+	sb, ok := logging.file[severity.InfoLog].(*syncBuffer)
+	if !ok {
+		b.Fatal("info wasn't created")
+	}
+	if needToSync.num != 1 || needToSync.files[0] != sb.file {
+		b.Fatalf("Should have received exactly the file from severity.InfoLog for syncing, got instead: %+v", needToSync)
+	}
+	logging.syncAll(needToSync)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFlush(b *testing.B) {
+	defer CaptureState().Restore()
+	setFlags()
+	defer logging.swap(logging.newBuffers())
+
+	testFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "test.log")
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal("unable to create temporary file")
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(testFile.Name())
+
+	require.NoError(b, logging.verbosity.Set("0"))
+	logging.toStderr = false
+	logging.alsoToStderr = false
+	logging.stderrThreshold = severityValue{
+		Severity: severity.FatalLog,
+	}
+	logging.logFile = testFile.Name()
+	logging.swap([severity.NumSeverity]io.Writer{nil, nil, nil, nil})
+
+	// Create output file.
+	Info("info")
+	needToSync := logging.flushAll()
+
+	if needToSync.num != 1 {
+		b.Fatalf("expected exactly one file to sync, got: %+v", needToSync)
+	}
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		needToSync := logging.flushAll()
+		logging.syncAll(needToSync)
+	}
 }
 
 // Test the logic on checking log size limitation.