diff --git a/apps/nsq_to_file/file_logger.go b/apps/nsq_to_file/file_logger.go
index dc26cceb4..4ac6d13d6 100644
--- a/apps/nsq_to_file/file_logger.go
+++ b/apps/nsq_to_file/file_logger.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 type FileLogger struct {
 	logf     lg.AppLogFunc
 	opts     *Options
+	topic    string
 	consumer *nsq.Consumer
 
 	out            *os.File
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ func NewFileLogger(logf lg.AppLogFunc, opts *Options, topic string, cfg *nsq.Con
 	f := &FileLogger{
 		logf:           logf,
 		opts:           opts,
+		topic:          topic,
 		consumer:       consumer,
 		logChan:        make(chan *nsq.Message, 1),
 		filenameFormat: computedFilenameFormat,
@@ -114,12 +116,12 @@ func (f *FileLogger) router() {
 			}
 			_, err := f.Write(m.Body)
 			if err != nil {
-				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "writing message to disk: %s", err)
+				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] writing message to disk: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
 			_, err = f.Write([]byte("\n"))
 			if err != nil {
-				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "writing newline to disk: %s", err)
+				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] writing newline to disk: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
 			output[pos] = m
@@ -131,10 +133,10 @@ func (f *FileLogger) router() {
 
 		if sync || f.consumer.IsStarved() {
 			if pos > 0 {
-				f.logf(lg.INFO, "syncing %d records to disk", pos)
+				f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] syncing %d records to disk", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, pos)
 				err := f.Sync()
 				if err != nil {
-					f.logf(lg.FATAL, "failed syncing messages: %s", err)
+					f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] failed syncing messages: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 					os.Exit(1)
 				}
 				for pos > 0 {
@@ -166,18 +168,18 @@ func (f *FileLogger) Close() {
 	if f.gzipWriter != nil {
 		err := f.gzipWriter.Close()
 		if err != nil {
-			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "failed to close GZIP writer: %s", err)
+			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] failed to close GZIP writer: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 	}
 	err := f.out.Sync()
 	if err != nil {
-		f.logf(lg.FATAL, "failed to fsync output file: %s", err)
+		f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] failed to fsync output file: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	err = f.out.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		f.logf(lg.FATAL, "failed to close output file: %s", err)
+		f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] failed to close output file: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
@@ -188,12 +190,12 @@ func (f *FileLogger) Close() {
 		dst := filepath.Join(f.opts.OutputDir, strings.TrimPrefix(src, f.opts.WorkDir))
 
 		// Optimistic rename
-		f.logf(lg.INFO, "moving finished file %s to %s", src, dst)
+		f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] moving finished file %s to %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, src, dst)
 		err := exclusiveRename(src, dst)
 		if err == nil {
 			return
 		} else if !os.IsExist(err) {
-			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to move file from %s to %s: %s", src, dst, err)
+			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to move file from %s to %s: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, src, dst, err)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 
@@ -204,17 +206,17 @@ func (f *FileLogger) Close() {
 		dstTmpl := filepath.Join(dstDir, filenameTmpl)
 
 		for i := f.rev + 1; ; i++ {
-			f.logf(lg.WARN, "destination file already exists: %s", dst)
+			f.logf(lg.WARN, "[%s/%s] destination file already exists: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, dst)
 			dst := strings.Replace(dstTmpl, "<REV>", fmt.Sprintf("-%06d", i), -1)
 			err := exclusiveRename(src, dst)
 			if err != nil {
 				if os.IsExist(err) {
 					continue // next rev
 				}
-				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to rename file from %s to %s: %s", src, dst, err)
+				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to rename file from %s to %s: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, src, dst, err)
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
-			f.logf(lg.INFO, "renamed finished file %s to %s to avoid overwrite", src, dst)
+			f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] renamed finished file %s to %s to avoid overwrite", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, src, dst)
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -259,20 +261,20 @@ func (f *FileLogger) needsRotation() bool {
 
 	filename := f.currentFilename()
 	if filename != f.filename {
-		f.logf(lg.INFO, "new filename %s, rotating...", filename)
+		f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] new filename %s, rotating...", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, filename)
 		return true // rotate by filename
 	}
 
 	if f.opts.RotateInterval > 0 {
 		if s := time.Since(f.openTime); s > f.opts.RotateInterval {
-			f.logf(lg.INFO, "%s since last open, rotating...", s)
+			f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] %s since last open, rotating...", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, s)
 			return true // rotate by interval
 		}
 	}
 
 	if f.opts.RotateSize > 0 && f.filesize > f.opts.RotateSize {
-		f.logf(lg.INFO, "%s currently %d bytes (> %d), rotating...",
-			f.out.Name(), f.filesize, f.opts.RotateSize)
+		f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] %s currently %d bytes (> %d), rotating...",
+			f.topic, f.opts.Channel, f.out.Name(), f.filesize, f.opts.RotateSize)
 		return true // rotate by size
 	}
 
@@ -292,9 +294,12 @@ func (f *FileLogger) updateFile() {
 	f.openTime = time.Now()
 
 	fullPath := path.Join(f.opts.WorkDir, filename)
-	makeDirFromPath(f.logf, fullPath)
+	err := makeDirFromPath(f.logf, fullPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to create dir: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
-	var err error
 	var fi os.FileInfo
 	for ; ; f.rev++ {
 		absFilename := strings.Replace(fullPath, "<REV>", fmt.Sprintf("-%06d", f.rev), -1)
@@ -304,14 +309,18 @@ func (f *FileLogger) updateFile() {
 		// prevent conflicts on rename in the normal case
 		if f.opts.WorkDir != f.opts.OutputDir {
 			outputFileName := filepath.Join(f.opts.OutputDir, strings.TrimPrefix(absFilename, f.opts.WorkDir))
-			makeDirFromPath(f.logf, outputFileName)
+			err := makeDirFromPath(f.logf, outputFileName)
+			if err != nil {
+				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to create dir: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, err)
+				os.Exit(1)
+			}
 
-			_, err := os.Stat(outputFileName)
+			_, err = os.Stat(outputFileName)
 			if err == nil {
-				f.logf(lg.WARN, "output file already exists: %s", outputFileName)
+				f.logf(lg.WARN, "[%s/%s] output file already exists: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, outputFileName)
 				continue // next rev
 			} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to stat output file %s: %s", outputFileName, err)
+				f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to stat output file %s: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, outputFileName, err)
 				os.Exit(1)
 			}
 		}
@@ -325,24 +334,24 @@ func (f *FileLogger) updateFile() {
 		f.out, err = os.OpenFile(absFilename, openFlag, 0666)
 		if err != nil {
 			if os.IsExist(err) {
-				f.logf(lg.WARN, "working file already exists: %s", absFilename)
+				f.logf(lg.WARN, "[%s/%s] working file already exists: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, absFilename)
 				continue // next rev
 			}
-			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to open %s: %s", absFilename, err)
+			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to open %s: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, absFilename, err)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 
-		f.logf(lg.INFO, "opening %s", absFilename)
+		f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] opening %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, absFilename)
 
 		fi, err = f.out.Stat()
 		if err != nil {
-			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to stat file %s: %s", f.out.Name(), err)
+			f.logf(lg.FATAL, "[%s/%s] unable to stat file %s: %s", f.topic, f.opts.Channel, f.out.Name(), err)
 		}
 		f.filesize = fi.Size()
 
 		if f.opts.RotateSize > 0 && f.filesize > f.opts.RotateSize {
-			f.logf(lg.INFO, "%s currently %d bytes (> %d), rotating...",
-				f.out.Name(), f.filesize, f.opts.RotateSize)
+			f.logf(lg.INFO, "[%s/%s] %s currently %d bytes (> %d), rotating...",
+				f.topic, f.opts.Channel, f.out.Name(), f.filesize, f.opts.RotateSize)
 			continue // next rev
 		}
 
@@ -357,15 +366,12 @@ func (f *FileLogger) updateFile() {
 	}
 }
 
-func makeDirFromPath(logf lg.AppLogFunc, path string) {
+func makeDirFromPath(logf lg.AppLogFunc, path string) error {
 	dir, _ := filepath.Split(path)
 	if dir != "" {
-		err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0770)
-		if err != nil {
-			logf(lg.FATAL, "unable to create dir %s: %s", dir, err)
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
+		return os.MkdirAll(dir, 0770)
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func exclusiveRename(src, dst string) error {