diff --git a/cmd/cloudinitsave/cloudinitsave.go b/cmd/cloudinitsave/cloudinitsave.go
index 6f188740..5834ce53 100755
--- a/cmd/cloudinitsave/cloudinitsave.go
+++ b/cmd/cloudinitsave/cloudinitsave.go
@@ -258,7 +258,11 @@ func getDatasources(datasources []string) []datasource.Datasource {
 		case "packet":
 			dss = append(dss, packet.NewDatasource(root))
 		case "vmware":
-			dss = append(dss, vmware.NewDatasource(root))
+			// made vmware datasource dependent on detecting vmware independently, as it crashes things otherwise
+			v := vmware.NewDatasource(root)
+			if v != nil {
+				dss = append(dss, v)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -295,7 +299,7 @@ func selectDatasource(sources []datasource.Datasource) datasource.Datasource {
 
 			duration := datasourceInterval
 			for {
-				log.Infof("cloud-init: Checking availability of %q\n", s.Type())
+				log.Infof("cloud-init: Checking availability of %q", s.Type())
 				if s.IsAvailable() {
 					log.Infof("cloud-init: Datasource available: %s", s)
 					ds <- s
diff --git a/config/cloudinit/datasource/vmware/vmware_amd64.go b/config/cloudinit/datasource/vmware/vmware_amd64.go
index f805f34b..a0a5187f 100755
--- a/config/cloudinit/datasource/vmware/vmware_amd64.go
+++ b/config/cloudinit/datasource/vmware/vmware_amd64.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/os/log"
+	"github.com/rancher/os/util"
 
 	"github.com/rancher/os/config/cloudinit/pkg"
 
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ func (ovf ovfWrapper) readConfig(key string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func NewDatasource(fileName string) *VMWare {
+	if util.GetHypervisor() != "vmware" {
+		return nil
+	}
 	// read from provided ovf environment document (typically /media/ovfenv/ovf-env.xml)
 	if fileName != "" {
 		log.Printf("Using OVF environment from %s\n", fileName)
@@ -69,6 +73,9 @@ func NewDatasource(fileName string) *VMWare {
 }
 
 func (v VMWare) IsAvailable() bool {
+	if util.GetHypervisor() != "vmware" {
+		return false
+	}
 	if v.ovfFileName != "" {
 		_, v.lastError = os.Stat(v.ovfFileName)
 		return !os.IsNotExist(v.lastError)
diff --git a/init/init.go b/init/init.go
index f9af0e33..bde14389 100755
--- a/init/init.go
+++ b/init/init.go
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rancher/os/log"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/util"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/util/network"
-
-	"github.com/SvenDowideit/cpuid"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -93,7 +91,7 @@ func sysInit(c *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 }
 
 func MainInit() {
-	log.InitDeferedLogger()
+	log.InitLogger()
 	// TODO: this breaks and does nothing if the cfg is invalid (or is it due to threading?)
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
@@ -327,7 +325,7 @@ func RunInit() error {
 		}},
 		config.CfgFuncData{"cloud-init", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			cfg.Rancher.CloudInit.Datasources = config.LoadConfigWithPrefix(state).Rancher.CloudInit.Datasources
-			hypervisor = checkHypervisor(cfg)
+			hypervisor = util.GetHypervisor()
 			if hypervisor == "vmware" {
 				// add vmware to the end - we don't want to over-ride an choices the user has made
 				cfg.Rancher.CloudInit.Datasources = append(cfg.Rancher.CloudInit.Datasources, hypervisor)
@@ -343,13 +341,22 @@ func RunInit() error {
 
 			return config.LoadConfig(), nil
 		}},
-		config.CfgFuncData{"read cfg files", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
+		config.CfgFuncData{"read cfg and log files", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			filesToCopy := []string{
 				config.CloudConfigInitFile,
 				config.CloudConfigBootFile,
 				config.CloudConfigNetworkFile,
 				config.MetaDataFile,
 			}
+			// And all the files in /var/log/boot/
+			// TODO: I wonder if we can put this code into the log module, and have things write to the buffer until we FsReady()
+			bootLog := "/var/log/boot/"
+			if files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(bootLog); err == nil {
+				for _, file := range files {
+					filePath := filepath.Join(bootLog, file.Name())
+					filesToCopy = append(filesToCopy, filePath)
+				}
+			}
 			for _, name := range filesToCopy {
 				if _, err := os.Lstat(name); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 					content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(name)
@@ -357,6 +364,7 @@ func RunInit() error {
 						log.Errorf("read cfg file (%s) %s", name, err)
 						continue
 					}
+					log.Debugf("Saved %s to memory", name)
 					configFiles[name] = content
 				}
 			}
@@ -373,8 +381,7 @@ func RunInit() error {
 			return cfg, nil
 		}},
 		config.CfgFuncData{"mount OEM2", mountOem},
-		config.CfgFuncData{"write cfg files", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
-			log.FsReady()
+		config.CfgFuncData{"write cfg and log files", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			for name, content := range configFiles {
 				if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(name), os.ModeDir|0700); err != nil {
 					log.Error(err)
@@ -382,6 +389,7 @@ func RunInit() error {
 				if err := util.WriteFileAtomic(name, content, 400); err != nil {
 					log.Error(err)
 				}
+				log.Infof("Wrote log to %s", name)
 			}
 			if err := os.MkdirAll(config.VarRancherDir, os.ModeDir|0755); err != nil {
 				log.Error(err)
@@ -389,6 +397,8 @@ func RunInit() error {
 			if err := os.Chmod(config.VarRancherDir, os.ModeDir|0755); err != nil {
 				log.Error(err)
 			}
+			log.FsReady()
+			log.Debugf("WARNING: switchroot and mount OEM2 phases not written to log file")
 
 			return cfg, nil
 		}},
@@ -442,15 +452,6 @@ func RunInit() error {
 	return pidOne()
 }
 
-func checkHypervisor(cfg *config.CloudConfig) string {
-	if cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName == "" {
-		log.Infof("ros init: No Detected Hypervisor")
-	} else {
-		log.Infof("ros init: Detected Hypervisor: %s", cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName)
-	}
-	return cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName
-}
-
 func enableHypervisorService(cfg *config.CloudConfig, hypervisorName string) {
 	if hypervisorName == "" {
 		return
diff --git a/log/log.go b/log/log.go
index dacea7d0..f6b3f944 100755
--- a/log/log.go
+++ b/log/log.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
-	"io/ioutil"
-
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
@@ -132,8 +130,8 @@ func InitLogger() {
 func logTheseApps() bool {
 	// TODO: mmm, not very functional.
 	if filepath.Base(os.Args[0]) == "ros" ||
-		filepath.Base(os.Args[0]) == "host_ros" ||
-		filepath.Base(os.Args[0]) == "system-docker" {
+		//		filepath.Base(os.Args[0]) == "system-docker" ||
+		filepath.Base(os.Args[0]) == "host_ros" {
 		return false
 	}
 	return true
@@ -145,7 +143,12 @@ func logTheseApps() bool {
 func InitDeferedLogger() {
 	if logTheseApps() {
 		innerInit(true)
-		logrus.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
+		//logrus.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
+		// write to dmesg until we can write to file. (maybe we can do this if rancher.debug=true?)
+		f, err := os.OpenFile("/dev/kmsg", os.O_WRONLY|os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+		if err == nil {
+			logrus.SetOutput(f)
+		}
 
 		pwd, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/os-config.tpl.yml b/os-config.tpl.yml
index 0612bcaf..08b6a803 100644
--- a/os-config.tpl.yml
+++ b/os-config.tpl.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ rancher:
       - /usr/bin/ros:/usr/bin/ros:ro
       - /usr/share/ros:/usr/share/ros:ro
       - /var/lib/rancher:/var/lib/rancher:ro
+      - /var/log:/var/log
   cloud_init_services:
     cloud-init:
       image: {{.OS_REPO}}/os-base:{{.VERSION}}{{.SUFFIX}}
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ rancher:
       - /usr/share/ros:/usr/share/ros:ro
       - /var/lib/rancher:/var/lib/rancher
       - /var/lib/rancher/conf:/var/lib/rancher/conf
+      - /var/log:/var/log
   bootstrap_docker:
     bridge: none
     storage_driver: overlay
diff --git a/util/util_linux.go b/util/util_linux.go
index e93e228c..7525b0d8 100755
--- a/util/util_linux.go
+++ b/util/util_linux.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
+	"github.com/SvenDowideit/cpuid"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mount"
 	"github.com/rancher/os/log"
 )
@@ -121,3 +122,13 @@ func Blkid(label string) (deviceName, deviceType string) {
 	}
 	return
 }
+
+// GetHypervisor tries to detect if we're running in a VM, and returns a string for its type
+func GetHypervisor() string {
+	if cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName == "" {
+		log.Infof("ros init: No Detected Hypervisor")
+	} else {
+		log.Infof("ros init: Detected Hypervisor: %s", cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName)
+	}
+	return cpuid.CPU.HypervisorName
+}