diff --git a/waveshell/main-waveshell.go b/waveshell/main-waveshell.go
index 3889681f4..77f1511d0 100644
--- a/waveshell/main-waveshell.go
+++ b/waveshell/main-waveshell.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/packet"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/shexec"
+	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/wlog"
 )
 
 var BuildTime = "0"
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ func handleSingle() {
 		sender.Close()
 		sender.WaitForDone()
 	}()
+	wlog.LogConsumer = sender.SendLogPacket
 	initPacket := shexec.MakeInitPacket()
 	sender.SendPacket(initPacket)
 	if len(os.Args) >= 3 && os.Args[2] == "--version" {
@@ -133,11 +135,13 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	} else if firstArg == "--single" || firstArg == "--single-from-server" {
 		base.ProcessType = base.ProcessType_WaveShellSingle
+		wlog.GlobalSubsystem = base.ProcessType_WaveShellSingle
 		base.InitDebugLog("single")
 		handleSingle()
 		return
 	} else if firstArg == "--server" {
 		base.ProcessType = base.ProcessType_WaveShellServer
+		wlog.GlobalSubsystem = base.ProcessType_WaveShellServer
 		base.InitDebugLog("server")
 		rtnCode, err := server.RunServer()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/base/base.go b/waveshell/pkg/base/base.go
index 4a229bacf..82f042363 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/base/base.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/base/base.go
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ const LogRcFileName = "debug.rcfile"
 const (
 	ProcessType_Unknown         = "unknown"
 	ProcessType_WaveSrv         = "wavesrv"
-	ProcessType_WaveShellSingle = "waveshell-single"
-	ProcessType_WaveShellServer = "waveshell-server"
+	ProcessType_WaveShellSingle = "wsh-1"
+	ProcessType_WaveShellServer = "wsh-s"
 )
 
 // keys are sessionids (also the key RcFilesDirBaseName)
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go b/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
index a19d4f850..72b5231d5 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/packet/packet.go
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/base"
+	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/wlog"
 )
 
 // single          : <init, >run, >cmddata, >cmddone, <cmdstart, <>data, <>dataack, <cmddone
@@ -556,11 +556,8 @@ func MakeRawPacket(val string) *RawPacketType {
 }
 
 type LogPacketType struct {
-	Type     string `json:"type"`
-	Ts       int64  `json:"ts"`                 // log timestamp
-	ReqId    string `json:"reqid,omitempty"`    // if this log line is related to an rpc request
-	ProcInfo string `json:"procinfo,omitempty"` // server/single
-	LogLine  string `json:"logline"`            // the logline data
+	Type  string        `json:"type"`
+	Entry wlog.LogEntry `json:"entry"`
 }
 
 func (*LogPacketType) GetType() string {
@@ -571,8 +568,8 @@ func (p *LogPacketType) String() string {
 	return "log"
 }
 
-func MakeLogPacket() *LogPacketType {
-	return &LogPacketType{Type: LogPacketStr, Ts: time.Now().UnixMilli()}
+func MakeLogPacket(entry wlog.LogEntry) *LogPacketType {
+	return &LogPacketType{Type: LogPacketStr, Entry: entry}
 }
 
 type ShellStatePacketType struct {
@@ -975,6 +972,11 @@ type CommandPacketType interface {
 	GetCK() base.CommandKey
 }
 
+type ModelUpdatePacketType struct {
+	Type    string `json:"type"`
+	Updates []any  `json:"updates"`
+}
+
 func AsExtType(pk PacketType) string {
 	if rpcPacket, ok := pk.(RpcPacketType); ok {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%s[%s]", rpcPacket.GetType(), rpcPacket.GetReqId())
@@ -1103,6 +1105,10 @@ func MakePacketSender(output io.Writer, errHandler func(*PacketSender, PacketTyp
 	return sender
 }
 
+func (sender *PacketSender) SendLogPacket(entry wlog.LogEntry) {
+	sender.SendPacket(MakeLogPacket(entry))
+}
+
 func (sender *PacketSender) goHandleError(pk PacketType, err error) {
 	sender.Lock.Lock()
 	defer sender.Lock.Unlock()
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/packet/parser.go b/waveshell/pkg/packet/parser.go
index a41608663..954403e62 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/packet/parser.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/packet/parser.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/wlog"
 )
 
 type PacketParser struct {
@@ -243,6 +245,11 @@ func MakePacketParser(input io.Reader, opts *PacketParserOpts) *PacketParser {
 			if pk.GetType() == PingPacketStr {
 				continue
 			}
+			if pk.GetType() == LogPacketStr {
+				logPk := pk.(*LogPacketType)
+				wlog.LogLogEntry(logPk.Entry)
+				continue
+			}
 			if parser.RpcHandler {
 				sent := parser.trySendRpcResponse(pk)
 				if sent {
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/server/server.go b/waveshell/pkg/server/server.go
index 6f83ff663..b331d7370 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/server/server.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/server/server.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/shellapi"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/shexec"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/utilfn"
+	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/wlog"
 )
 
 const MaxFileDataPacketSize = 16 * 1024
@@ -741,6 +742,13 @@ func RunServer() (int, error) {
 		WriteErrorChOnce:    &sync.Once{},
 		WriteFileContextMap: make(map[string]*WriteFileContext),
 	}
+	if debug {
+		packet.GlobalDebug = true
+	}
+	server.MainInput = packet.MakePacketParser(os.Stdin, nil)
+	server.Sender = packet.MakePacketSender(os.Stdout, server.packetSenderErrorHandler)
+	defer server.Close()
+	wlog.LogConsumer = server.Sender.SendLogPacket
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			if server.checkDone() {
@@ -750,12 +758,6 @@ func RunServer() (int, error) {
 			server.cleanWriteFileContexts()
 		}
 	}()
-	if debug {
-		packet.GlobalDebug = true
-	}
-	server.MainInput = packet.MakePacketParser(os.Stdin, nil)
-	server.Sender = packet.MakePacketSender(os.Stdout, server.packetSenderErrorHandler)
-	defer server.Close()
 	var err error
 	initPacket, err := shexec.MakeServerInitPacket()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/shexec/shexec.go b/waveshell/pkg/shexec/shexec.go
index 8ce9f10e1..6a858b786 100644
--- a/waveshell/pkg/shexec/shexec.go
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/shexec/shexec.go
@@ -1091,7 +1091,6 @@ func (cmd *ShExecType) DetachedWait(startPacket *packet.CmdStartPacketType) {
 	cmd.DetachedOutput.SendPacket(donePacket)
 	<-ptyCopyDone
 	cmd.Close()
-	return
 }
 
 func RunCommandDetached(pk *packet.RunPacketType, sender *packet.PacketSender) (*ShExecType, *packet.CmdStartPacketType, error) {
diff --git a/waveshell/pkg/wlog/wlog.go b/waveshell/pkg/wlog/wlog.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69530034f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/waveshell/pkg/wlog/wlog.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// Copyright 2024, Command Line Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+// implements distributed logging for waveshell processes
+package wlog
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+)
+
+// wlog will send logs back to the controlling wavesrv process
+// note that these logs end up on your local machine where the main Wave Terminal process is running
+// wlog has no ability to send logs to a cloud service or Command Line Inc servers
+
+// this code is written a bit strange (with globals getting set from other packages)
+// because we want no dependencies so any package (including base) can use wlog
+
+// this should match base.ProcessType (set by main)
+var GlobalSubsystem string
+
+// if not set, Logf is a no-op.  will be set by main to hook up to
+// the main packet.PacketSender
+var LogConsumer func(LogEntry)
+
+type LogEntry struct {
+	LogLine   string `json:"logline"`
+	ReqId     string `json:"reqid"`
+	SubSystem string `json:"subsystem"`
+}
+
+func LogLogEntry(entry LogEntry) {
+	if LogConsumer == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	LogConsumer(entry)
+}
+
+// log with a request id (if related to an rpc request)
+func LogfRpc(reqId string, format string, args ...interface{}) {
+	if LogConsumer == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	logEntry := LogEntry{
+		LogLine:   fmt.Sprintf(format, args...),
+		ReqId:     reqId,
+		SubSystem: GlobalSubsystem,
+	}
+	LogConsumer(logEntry)
+}
+
+func LogfSS(subsystem string, format string, args ...interface{}) {
+	if LogConsumer == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	logEntry := LogEntry{
+		LogLine:   fmt.Sprintf(format, args...),
+		ReqId:     "",
+		SubSystem: subsystem,
+	}
+	LogConsumer(logEntry)
+}
+
+func Logf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
+	LogfSS(GlobalSubsystem, format, args...)
+}
+
+func LogWithLogger(entry LogEntry) {
+	if entry.SubSystem == "" {
+		entry.SubSystem = "unknown"
+	}
+	if entry.ReqId != "" {
+		log.Printf("[%s] reqid=%s %s", entry.SubSystem, entry.ReqId, entry.LogLine)
+	} else {
+		log.Printf("[%s] %s", entry.SubSystem, entry.LogLine)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/wavesrv/cmd/main-server.go b/wavesrv/cmd/main-server.go
index 716e13a5c..8fbc23d0d 100644
--- a/wavesrv/cmd/main-server.go
+++ b/wavesrv/cmd/main-server.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/base"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/packet"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/server"
+	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/waveshell/pkg/wlog"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/wavesrv/pkg/cmdrunner"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/wavesrv/pkg/pcloud"
 	"github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm/wavesrv/pkg/releasechecker"
@@ -804,6 +805,8 @@ func doShutdown(reason string) {
 func main() {
 	scbase.BuildTime = BuildTime
 	base.ProcessType = base.ProcessType_WaveSrv
+	wlog.GlobalSubsystem = base.ProcessType_WaveSrv
+	wlog.LogConsumer = wlog.LogWithLogger
 
 	if len(os.Args) >= 2 && os.Args[1] == "--test" {
 		log.Printf("running test fn\n")
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
index f41c2afb0..e9b24f6cd 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/remote/remote.go
@@ -556,6 +556,9 @@ func (msh *MShellProc) GetShellPref() string {
 	if msh.Remote.ShellPref == sstore.ShellTypePref_Detect {
 		return msh.InitPkShellType
 	}
+	if msh.Remote.ShellPref == "" {
+		return packet.ShellType_bash
+	}
 	return msh.Remote.ShellPref
 }
 
diff --git a/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/dbops.go b/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
index 8666d5c4d..6b562a558 100644
--- a/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
+++ b/wavesrv/pkg/sstore/dbops.go
@@ -2868,6 +2868,9 @@ func GetRemoteActiveShells(ctx context.Context, remoteId string) ([]string, erro
 		riArr := dbutil.SelectMapsGen[*RemoteInstance](tx, query, remoteId)
 		shellTypeMap := make(map[string]bool)
 		for _, ri := range riArr {
+			if ri.ShellType == "" {
+				continue
+			}
 			shellTypeMap[ri.ShellType] = true
 		}
 		return utilfn.GetMapKeys(shellTypeMap), nil