diff --git a/direct/src/plugin/p3dMainObject.cxx b/direct/src/plugin/p3dMainObject.cxx
index 9ba3199c4d..07ee45897e 100644
--- a/direct/src/plugin/p3dMainObject.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/plugin/p3dMainObject.cxx
@@ -546,48 +546,54 @@ read_log(const string &log_pathname, P3D_object *params[], int num_params) {
   if (num_params > 3) {
     head_bytes_prev = (size_t)max(P3D_OBJECT_GET_INT(params[3]), 0);
   }
-  // Read the log data from the primary file
-  read_log_file(log_pathname, tail_bytes, head_bytes, log_data);
-  
-  // Read data from previous logs if requested
-  if ((tail_bytes_prev > 0) || (head_bytes_prev > 0)) {
-    // Determine the base of the log file names
-    string log_basename = log_pathname;
-    size_t slash = log_basename.rfind('/');
-    if (slash != string::npos) {
-      log_basename = log_basename.substr(slash + 1);
-    }
-#ifdef _WIN32
-    slash = log_basename.rfind('\\');
-    if (slash != string::npos) {
-      log_basename = log_basename.substr(slash + 1);
-    }
-#endif  // _WIN32
-    string log_basename_primary = log_basename;
-    int dash = log_basename.rfind("-");
-    if (dash != string::npos) {
-      log_basename = log_basename.substr(0, dash+1);
-    } else {
-      int dotLog = log_basename.rfind(".log");
-      if (dotLog != string::npos) {
-        log_basename = log_basename.substr(0, dotLog);
-        log_basename += "-";
-      }
-    }
 
-    // Find matching files
-    vector<string> all_logs;
-    inst_mgr->scan_directory(log_directory, all_logs);
-    for (int i=(int)all_logs.size()-1; i>=0; --i) {
-      if ((all_logs[i].find(log_basename) == 0) &&
-          (all_logs[i] != log_basename_primary) && 
-          (all_logs[i].size() > 4) &&
-          (all_logs[i].substr(all_logs[i].size() - 4) == string(".log"))) {
-        read_log_file((log_directory+all_logs[i]), tail_bytes_prev, head_bytes_prev, log_data);
-      }
+  // Determine the base of the log file names
+  nout << "log_pathname: " << log_pathname << "\n";
+  string log_basename = log_pathname;
+  size_t slash = log_basename.rfind('/');
+  if (slash != string::npos) {
+    log_basename = log_basename.substr(slash + 1);
+  }
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  slash = log_basename.rfind('\\');
+  if (slash != string::npos) {
+    log_basename = log_basename.substr(slash + 1);
+  }
+#endif  // _WIN32
+  string log_leafname_primary = log_basename;
+  int dash = log_basename.rfind("-");
+  if (dash != string::npos) {
+    log_basename = log_basename.substr(0, dash+1);
+  } else {
+    int dotLog = log_basename.rfind(".log");
+    if (dotLog != string::npos) {
+      log_basename = log_basename.substr(0, dotLog);
+      log_basename += "-";
     }
   }
 
+  // Read matching files
+  vector<string> all_logs;
+  int log_matches_found = 0; 
+  string log_matching_pathname;
+  inst_mgr->scan_directory(log_directory, all_logs);
+  for (int i=(int)all_logs.size()-1; i>=0; --i) {
+    if ((all_logs[i] == log_leafname_primary) ||
+        (all_logs[i].find(log_basename) == 0) &&
+        (all_logs[i].size() > 4) &&
+        (all_logs[i].substr(all_logs[i].size() - 4) == string(".log"))) {
+      log_matches_found++;
+      log_matching_pathname = (log_directory + all_logs[i]);
+      read_log_file(log_matching_pathname, tail_bytes, head_bytes, log_data);
+      tail_bytes = tail_bytes_prev;
+      head_bytes = head_bytes_prev;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (log_matches_found == 0) {
+    nout << "read_log: warning: no matching file(s) on disk." << "\n";
+  }
+
   string log_data_str = log_data.str();
   P3D_object *result = new P3DStringObject(log_data_str);
   return result;
diff --git a/direct/src/plugin/p3dSession.cxx b/direct/src/plugin/p3dSession.cxx
index 9c8c321a4d..0a135e724c 100644
--- a/direct/src/plugin/p3dSession.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/plugin/p3dSession.cxx
@@ -1054,31 +1054,49 @@ start_p3dpython(P3DInstance *inst) {
   }
 #endif  // _WIN32
 
-  // Check if we want to keep copies of recent logs on disk.
   // Get the log history count from the HTML tokens, or from the
   // p3d_info.xml file.
   int log_history = inst->get_fparams().lookup_token_int("log_history");
-  if (!log_basename.empty() && (log_history > 1)) {
-    // Append suffix separator
-    log_basename += "-";
 
-    // Delete all but the most recent 'log_history' logs
+  // Check if we want to keep copies of recent logs on disk.
+  if (!log_basename.empty()) {
+    // Get a list of all logs on disk
     vector<string> all_logs;
-    vector<string> matching_logs;
     string log_directory = inst_mgr->get_log_directory();
     inst_mgr->scan_directory(log_directory, all_logs);
+
+    // If keeping logs, only logs with a -timestamp suffix are valid.
+    if (log_history > 0) {
+      // Remove exact match (no suffix) file, if it is on disk
+      string log_exact_leafname = (log_basename + string(".log"));
+      for (int i=0; i<(int)all_logs.size(); ++i) {
+        if (all_logs[i] == log_exact_leafname) {
+          string log_exact_pathname = (log_directory + log_exact_leafname);
+          unlink(log_exact_pathname.c_str());
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Remove all but the most recent log_history timestamped logs
+    string log_basename_dash = (log_basename + string("-"));
+    string log_matching_pathname;
+    vector<string> matching_logs;
     for (int i=0; i<(int)all_logs.size(); ++i) {
       if ((all_logs[i].size() > 4) &&
-          (all_logs[i].find(log_basename) == 0) &&
+          (all_logs[i].find(log_basename_dash) == 0) &&
           (all_logs[i].substr(all_logs[i].size() - 4) == string(".log"))) {
-        matching_logs.push_back((log_directory + all_logs[i]));
+        log_matching_pathname = (log_directory + all_logs[i]);
+        matching_logs.push_back(log_matching_pathname);
       }
     }
     for (int i=0; i<(int)matching_logs.size()-log_history; ++i) {
       unlink(matching_logs[i].c_str());
     }
+  }
 
-    // Append a timestamp suffix to the log_basename
+  // Append a timestamp suffix to the log_basename
+  if (!log_basename.empty() && (log_history > 0)) {
 #ifdef _WIN32
     _tzset();
 #else
@@ -1097,6 +1115,7 @@ start_p3dpython(P3DInstance *inst) {
               (int)(log_time_local.tm_hour),
               (int)(log_time_local.tm_min),
               (int)(log_time_local.tm_sec));
+      log_basename += "-";
       log_basename += buffer;
     }
   }