diff --git a/ipylab/jupyterfrontend.py b/ipylab/jupyterfrontend.py
index ea3e8f8..1740e58 100644
--- a/ipylab/jupyterfrontend.py
+++ b/ipylab/jupyterfrontend.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 from ipylab.dialog import Dialog
 from ipylab.ipylab import IpylabBase, Readonly
 from ipylab.launcher import Launcher
-from ipylab.log import IpylabLogFormatter, IpylabLoggerAdapter, IpylabLogHandler, LogLevel
+from ipylab.log import IpylabLogFormatter, IpylabLogHandler, LogLevel
 from ipylab.menu import ContextMenu, MainMenu
 from ipylab.notification import NotificationManager
 from ipylab.sessions import SessionManager
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class App(Ipylab):
     sessions = Readonly(SessionManager)
 
     console = Instance(ShellConnection, allow_none=True, read_only=True)
-    logging_handler = Instance(logging.Handler, allow_none=True, read_only=True)
+    logging_handler = Instance(IpylabLogHandler, read_only=True)
 
     active_namespace = Unicode("", read_only=True, help="name of the current namespace")
     selector = Unicode("", read_only=True, help="Selector class for context menus (css)")
@@ -92,10 +92,9 @@ def close(self):
 
     @default("log")
     def _default_log(self):
-        log = IpylabLoggerAdapter(logging.getLogger("ipylab"))
-        if isinstance(self.logging_handler, logging.Handler):
-            log.logger.addHandler(self.logging_handler)
-        return log
+        log = logging.getLogger("ipylab")
+        self.logging_handler.set_as_handler(log)
+        return logging.LoggerAdapter(log)
 
     @default("logging_handler")
     def _default_logging_handler(self):
@@ -218,10 +217,6 @@ async def _open_console():
 
         return self.to_task(_open_console(), "Open console")
 
-    def toggle_log_console(self) -> Task[ShellConnection]:
-        # How can we check if the log console is open?
-        return self.commands.execute("logconsole:open", {"source": self.vpath})
-
     def shutdown_kernel(self, vpath: str | None = None):
         "Shutdown the kernel"
         return self.operation("shutdownKernel", {"vpath": vpath})
diff --git a/ipylab/lib.py b/ipylab/lib.py
index 69f3ec5..6150f08 100644
--- a/ipylab/lib.py
+++ b/ipylab/lib.py
@@ -43,15 +43,18 @@ def launch_jupyterlab():
 
 @hookimpl
 def on_error(obj: Ipylab, source: ErrorSource, error: Exception):
-    msg = f"{source} {error}"
-    obj.log.exception(msg, extra={"source": source}, exc_info=error)
+    obj.log.exception(str(source), exc_info=error)
     task = objects.get("error_task")
     if isinstance(task, Task):
         # Try to minimize the number of notifications.
         if not task.done():
             return
         task.result().close()
-    a = NotifyAction(label="📝", caption="Toggle log console", callback=ipylab.app.toggle_log_console, keep_open=True)
+    msg = f"{ipylab.app} {source} {error} {obj=}"
+    if isinstance(obj, ipylab.ShellConnection):
+        a = NotifyAction(label="👀", caption="Activate", callback=obj.activate, keep_open=True)
+    else:
+        a = NotifyAction(label="📝", caption="Open console", callback=ipylab.app.open_console, keep_open=True)
     objects["error_task"] = ipylab.app.notification.notify(msg, type=ipylab.NotificationType.error, actions=[a])
 
 
diff --git a/ipylab/log.py b/ipylab/log.py
index 942291c..e9235d7 100644
--- a/ipylab/log.py
+++ b/ipylab/log.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class LogPayloadOutput(LogPayloadBase):
 
 
 class IpylabLogHandler(logging.Handler):
-    loggers: ClassVar[weakref.WeakSet[logging.Logger]] = weakref.WeakSet()
+    _loggers: ClassVar[weakref.WeakSet[logging.Logger]] = weakref.WeakSet()
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
         ipylab.app.observe(self._observe_app_log_level, "logger_level")
@@ -118,34 +118,30 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
     def _observe_app_log_level(self, change: dict):
         level = LogLevel.to_numeric(change["new"])
         self.setLevel(level)
-        for log in self.loggers:
+        for log in self._loggers:
             log.setLevel(level)
 
     def emit(self, record):
-        log = LogPayloadOutput(
-            type=LogTypes.output, level=LogLevel.to_level(record.levelno), data=self.parse_record(record)
-        )
-        ipylab.app.send_log_message(log)
-
-    def parse_record(self, record) -> OutputTypes:
         msg = self.format(record)
-        if record.levelno <= log_name_mappings[LogLevel.warning]:
-            return OutputStream(output_type="stream", type="stdout", text=msg)
-        if record.exc_info and record.exc_info[2]:
-            (etype, value, tb) = record.exc_info
-            stb = ipylab.app._ipy_shell.InteractiveTB.structured_traceback(etype, value, tb)  # type: ignore # noqa: SLF001
-        else:
-            value, stb = "", None
-        return OutputError(output_type="error", ename=str(value), evalue=msg, traceback=stb)
-
+        data = OutputStream(output_type="stream", type="stdout", text=msg)
+        log = LogPayloadOutput(type=LogTypes.output, level=LogLevel.to_level(record.levelno), data=data)
+        ipylab.app.send_log_message(log)
 
-class IpylabLoggerAdapter(logging.LoggerAdapter):
-    def __init__(self, logger: logging.Logger, extra=None):
-        logger.setLevel(LogLevel.to_numeric(ipylab.app.logger_level))
-        IpylabLogHandler.loggers.add(logger)
-        super().__init__(logger, extra)
+    def set_as_handler(self, log: logging.Logger):
+        "Set this handler as a handler for log and keep the level in sync."
+        if log not in self._loggers:
+            log.addHandler(self)
+            log.setLevel(self.level)
+            self._loggers.add(log)
 
 
 class IpylabLogFormatter(logging.Formatter):
-    def formatException(self, ei) -> str:  # noqa: ARG002, N802
-        return ""
+    def formatException(self, ei) -> str:  # noqa: N802
+        (etype, value, tb) = ei
+        sh = ipylab.app._ipy_shell  # noqa: SLF001
+        if not sh:
+            return super().formatException(ei)
+        itb = sh.InteractiveTB
+        itb.verbose if ipylab.app.logging_handler.level <= log_name_mappings[LogLevel.debug] else itb.minimal
+        stb = itb.structured_traceback(etype, value, tb)  # type: ignore
+        return itb.stb2text(stb)