diff --git a/red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json b/red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
index 37c82dc14..168e461ba 100644
--- a/red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
+++ b/red/runtime/locales/en-US/runtime.json
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@
             "empty": "Existing __type__ file is empty",
             "invalid": "Existing __type__ file is not valid json",
             "restore": "Restoring __type__ file backup : __path__",
-            "restore-fail": "Restoring __type__ file backup failed : __message__"
+            "restore-fail": "Restoring __type__ file backup failed : __message__",
+            "fsync-fail": "Flushing file __path__ to disk failed : __message__"
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
index 32c0415f8..ecb5b55ab 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem.js
@@ -114,8 +114,13 @@ function writeFile(path,content) {
     return when.promise(function(resolve,reject) {
         var stream = fs.createWriteStream(path);
         stream.on('open',function(fd) {
-            stream.end(content,'utf8',function() {
-                fs.fsync(fd,resolve);
+            stream.write(content,'utf8',function() {
+                fs.fsync(fd,function(err) {
+                    if (err) {
+                        log.warn(log._("storage.localfilesystem.fsync-fail",{path: path, message: err.toString()}));
+                    }
+                    stream.end(resolve);
+                });
             });
         });
         stream.on('error',function(err) {
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/core/75-exec_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/core/75-exec_spec.js
index c56647bee..28f6eb00f 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/core/75-exec_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/core/75-exec_spec.js
@@ -544,6 +544,7 @@ describe('exec node', function() {
         it('should return an error for a failing command', function(done) {
             var flow;
             var expected;
+            var expectedFound = false;
             if (osType === "Windows_NT") {
                 // Cannot use mkdir because Windows mkdir command automatically creates non-existent directories.
                 flow = [{id:"n1",type:"exec",wires:[["n2"],["n3"],["n4"]],command:"ping /foo/bar/doo/dah", addpay:false, append:"", useSpawn:"true", oldrc:"false"},
@@ -563,12 +564,18 @@ describe('exec node', function() {
                     try {
                         msg.should.have.property("payload");
                         msg.payload.should.be.a.String();
-                        msg.payload.indexOf(expected).should.not.be.equal(-1);
+                        if (msg.payload.indexOf(expected) >= 0) {
+                            // The error text on the stderr stream might get sent in more than one piece.
+                            // We only need to know that it occurred before the return code is sent,
+                            // as checked below in node n4.
+                            expectedFound = true;
+                        }
                     }
                     catch(err) { done(err); }
                 });
                 n4.on("input", function(msg) {
                     try {
+                        expectedFound.should.be.true;
                         msg.should.have.property("payload");
                         msg.payload.should.have.property("code",1);
                         done();
diff --git a/test/red/runtime/nodes/index_spec.js b/test/red/runtime/nodes/index_spec.js
index a26474a24..b76378784 100644
--- a/test/red/runtime/nodes/index_spec.js
+++ b/test/red/runtime/nodes/index_spec.js
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ var registry = require("../../../../red/runtime/nodes/registry");
 
 describe("red/nodes/index", function() {
     before(function() {
-        sinon.stub(flows,"startFlows");
+        sinon.stub(index,"startFlows");
         process.env.NODE_RED_HOME = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname,"..","..","..",".."))
     });
     after(function() {
-        flows.startFlows.restore();
+        index.startFlows.restore();
         delete process.env.NODE_RED_HOME;
     });
 
diff --git a/test/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem_spec.js b/test/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem_spec.js
index 646ade069..c7f68bbcf 100644
--- a/test/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem_spec.js
+++ b/test/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem_spec.js
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
 var should = require("should");
 var fs = require('fs-extra');
 var path = require('path');
+var sinon = require('sinon');
 
 var localfilesystem = require("../../../../red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem");
+var log = require("../../../../red/runtime/log");
 
 describe('LocalFileSystem', function() {
     var userDir = path.join(__dirname,".testUserHome");
@@ -279,6 +281,45 @@ describe('LocalFileSystem', function() {
         });
     });
 
+    it('should fsync the flows file',function(done) {
+        var flowFile = 'test.json';
+        var flowFilePath = path.join(userDir,flowFile);
+        localfilesystem.init({userDir:userDir, flowFile:flowFilePath}).then(function() {
+            sinon.spy(fs,"fsync");
+            localfilesystem.saveFlows(testFlow).then(function() {
+                fs.fsync.callCount.should.eql(1);
+                fs.fsync.restore();
+                done();
+            }).otherwise(function(err) {
+                done(err);
+            });
+        }).otherwise(function(err) {
+            done(err);
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should log fsync errors and continue',function(done) {
+        var flowFile = 'test.json';
+        var flowFilePath = path.join(userDir,flowFile);
+        localfilesystem.init({userDir:userDir, flowFile:flowFilePath}).then(function() {
+            sinon.stub(fs,"fsync", function(fd, cb) {
+                cb(new Error());
+            });
+            sinon.spy(log,"warn");
+            localfilesystem.saveFlows(testFlow).then(function() {
+                log.warn.callCount.should.eql(1);
+                log.warn.restore();               
+                fs.fsync.callCount.should.eql(1);
+                fs.fsync.restore();
+                done();
+            }).otherwise(function(err) {
+                done(err);
+            });
+        }).otherwise(function(err) {
+            done(err);
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should backup the flows file', function(done) {
         var defaultFlowFile = 'flows_'+require('os').hostname()+'.json';
         var defaultFlowFilePath = path.join(userDir,defaultFlowFile);