diff --git a/DLLSocket/server_controller.py b/DLLSocket/server_controller.py
index 5c50da8a204..19dd13f7533 100644
--- a/DLLSocket/server_controller.py
+++ b/DLLSocket/server_controller.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ sock = socket.socket( socket.AF_INET, # Internet
                       socket.SOCK_DGRAM ) # UDP
 sock.bind( (UDP_IP,UDP_PORT) )
 
+last_ticker_state = None
+
 def handle_message(data, addr):
     params = urlparse.parse_qs(data)
     print(data)
@@ -20,6 +22,20 @@ def handle_message(data, addr):
         pass
     except KeyError:
         pass
+    
+    try:
+        if params["type"][0] == "ticker_state" and str(params["message"][0]):
+            last_ticker_state = str(params["message"][0])
+    except KeyError:
+        pass
+    
+    try:
+        global last_ticker_state
+        if params["type"][0] == "startup" and last_ticker_state:
+            open("crashlog.txt","a+").write("Server exited, last ticker state was: "+last_ticker_state)
+    except KeyError:
+        pass
+            
 
 while True:
     data, addr = sock.recvfrom( 1024 ) # buffer size is 1024 bytes
diff --git a/code/game/master_controller.dm b/code/game/master_controller.dm
index e614099ee15..1fc6a160da1 100644
--- a/code/game/master_controller.dm
+++ b/code/game/master_controller.dm
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ datum/controller/game_controller
 
 		socket_talk = new /datum/socket_talk()
 
+		// notify the other process that we started up
+		socket_talk.send_raw("type=startup")
+
 		if(!air_master)
 			air_master = new /datum/controller/air_system()
 			air_master.setup()
@@ -121,7 +124,7 @@ datum/controller/game_controller
 		// This should describe what is currently being done by the master controller
 		// Useful for crashlogs and similar, because that way it's easy to tell what
 		// was going on when the server crashed.
-		socket_talk.send_log("crashlog.txt","TickerState: [txt]")
+		socket_talk.send_raw("type=ticker_state&message=[txt]")
 		return
 
 	process()