diff --git a/nodes/core/core/58-debug.html b/nodes/core/core/58-debug.html
index 5349ce82d..341d1a844 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/58-debug.html
+++ b/nodes/core/core/58-debug.html
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@
                     msg:msg
                 });
             }
-
+            function sanitize(m) {
+                return m.replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;");
+            }
             this.handleDebugMessage = function(t,o) {
                 var msg = document.createElement("div");
                 msg.onmouseover = function() {
@@ -184,15 +186,17 @@
                     }
 
                 };
-                var name = (o.name?o.name:o.id).toString().replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;");
-                var topic = (o.topic||"").toString().replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;");
-                var property = (o.property?o.property:'').replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;");
-                var payload = (o.msg||"()").toString().replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;");
-                var typ = payload.substring(0,payload.indexOf(')')+1);
-                payload = payload.substring(payload.indexOf(')')+1);
+                console.log(o);
+                var name = sanitize(((o.name?o.name:o.id)||"").toString());
+                var topic = sanitize((o.topic||"").toString());
+                var property = sanitize(o.property?o.property:'');
+                var payload = sanitize((o.msg||"").toString());
+                var format = sanitize((o.format||"").toString());
+                
                 msg.className = 'debug-message'+(o.level?(' debug-message-level-'+o.level):'');
                 msg.innerHTML = '<span class="debug-message-date">'+
-                                getTimestamp()+'</span><span class="debug-message-name">['+name+']'+
+                                getTimestamp()+'</span>'+
+                                (name?'<span class="debug-message-name">['+name+']':'')+
                                 '</span>';
                 // NOTE: relying on function error to have a "type" that all other msgs don't
                 if (o.hasOwnProperty("type") && (o.type === "function")) {
@@ -205,8 +209,11 @@
                     msg.className = 'debug-message debug-message-level-' + errorLvl;
                     msg.innerHTML += '<span class="debug-message-topic">[function] : (' + errorLvlType + ')</span>';
                 } else {
-                    msg.innerHTML += '<span class="debug-message-topic">'+(o.topic?topic+' : ':'')+
-                                    (o.property?'[msg.'+property+']':'[msg]')+" : "+typ+'</span>';
+                    msg.innerHTML += '<span class="debug-message-topic">'+
+                                    (o.topic?topic+' : ':'')+
+                                    (o.property?'[msg.'+property+']':'[msg]')+" : "+format+
+                                    
+                                    '</span>';
                 }
                 msg.innerHTML += '<span class="debug-message-payload">'+ payload+ '</span>';
                 var atBottom = (sbc.scrollHeight-messages.offsetHeight-sbc.scrollTop) < 5;
diff --git a/nodes/core/core/58-debug.js b/nodes/core/core/58-debug.js
index c30356cc3..8230b9f2f 100644
--- a/nodes/core/core/58-debug.js
+++ b/nodes/core/core/58-debug.js
@@ -82,14 +82,18 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
     function sendDebug(msg) {
         if (msg.msg instanceof Error) {
+            msg.format = "error";
             msg.msg = msg.msg.toString();
         } else if (msg.msg instanceof Buffer) {
-            msg.msg = "(Buffer) "+msg.msg.toString('hex');
+            msg.format = "buffer";
+            msg.msg = msg.msg.toString('hex');
         } else if (typeof msg.msg === 'object') {
             var seen = [];
-            var ty = "(Object) ";
-            if (util.isArray(msg.msg)) { ty = "(Array) "; }
-            msg.msg = ty + JSON.stringify(msg.msg, function(key, value) {
+            msg.format = "object";
+            if (util.isArray(msg.msg)) {
+                msg.format = "array";
+            }
+            msg.msg = JSON.stringify(msg.msg, function(key, value) {
                 if (typeof value === 'object' && value !== null) {
                     if (seen.indexOf(value) !== -1) { return "[circular]"; }
                     seen.push(value);
@@ -98,14 +102,21 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
             }," ");
             seen = null;
         } else if (typeof msg.msg === "boolean") {
-            msg.msg = "(boolean) "+msg.msg.toString();
+            msg.format = "boolean";
+            msg.msg = msg.msg.toString();
         } else if (typeof msg.msg === "number") {
-            msg.msg = "(number) "+msg.msg.toString();
+            msg.format = "number";
+            msg.msg = msg.msg.toString();
         } else if (msg.msg === 0) {
+            msg.format = "number";
             msg.msg = "0";
         } else if (msg.msg === null || typeof msg.msg === "undefined") {
+            msg.format = (msg.msg === null)?"null":"undefined";
             msg.msg = "(undefined)";
-        } else { msg.msg = "(string) "+msg.msg; }
+        } else {
+            msg.format = "string";
+            msg.msg = msg.msg;
+        }
 
         if (msg.msg.length > debuglength) {
             msg.msg = msg.msg.substr(0,debuglength) +" ....";
diff --git a/public/red/ui/tab-info.js b/public/red/ui/tab-info.js
index e11fb655b..c5f62c5c9 100644
--- a/public/red/ui/tab-info.js
+++ b/public/red/ui/tab-info.js
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ RED.sidebar.info = (function() {
                         var val = node[n]||"";
                         var type = typeof val;
                         if (type === "string") {
-                            if (val.length == 0) {
+                            if (val.length === 0) {
                                 val += '<span style="font-style: italic; color: #ccc;">blank</span>';
                             } else {
                                 if (val.length > 30) {
diff --git a/red/nodes/Flow.js b/red/nodes/Flow.js
index 106e1a1fa..259b7debf 100644
--- a/red/nodes/Flow.js
+++ b/red/nodes/Flow.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ var typeRegistry = require("./registry");
 var credentials = require("./credentials");
 var redUtil = require("../util");
 var events = require("../events");
-var log = require("../log");
+var Log = require("../log");
 
 function getID() {
     return (1+Math.random()*4294967295).toString(16);
@@ -35,10 +35,15 @@ function createNode(type,config) {
             nn = new nt(clone(config));
         }
         catch (err) {
-            log.warn(type+" : "+err);
+            Log.log({
+                level: Log.ERROR,
+                id:config.id,
+                type: type,
+                msg: err
+            });
         }
     } else {
-        log.warn("unknown type: "+type);
+        Log.error("Unknown type: "+type);
     }
     return nn;
 }
diff --git a/test/nodes/core/core/58-debug_spec.js b/test/nodes/core/core/58-debug_spec.js
index 1a6b98bd6..7955f2614 100644
--- a/test/nodes/core/core/58-debug_spec.js
+++ b/test/nodes/core/core/58-debug_spec.js
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload:"test"});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",name:"Debug",msg:"(string) test",
-                    property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",name:"Debug",msg:"test",
+                    format:"string",property:"payload"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload:"test"});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"(string) test",property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"test",property:"payload",format:"string"}
                 });
                 count++;
             }, function() {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
                     topic:"debug",
-                    data:{id:"n1",msg:'(Object) {\n "payload": "test"\n}'}
+                    data:{id:"n1",msg:'{\n "payload": "test"\n}',format:"object"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload:"test", foo:"bar"});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"(string) bar",property:"foo"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"bar",property:"foo",format:"string"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload:"test", foo: {bar: "bar"}});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"(string) bar",property:"foo.bar"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"bar",property:"foo.bar",format:"string"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload: new Error("oops")});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"Error: oops",property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"Error: oops",property:"payload",format:"error"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload: true});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg: '(boolean) true',property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg: 'true',property:"payload",format:"boolean"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {});
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg: '(undefined)',property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg: '(undefined)',property:"payload",format:"undefined"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
                     topic:"debug",
-                    data:{id:"n1",msg:'(Object) {\n "type": "foo"\n}',property:"payload"}
+                    data:{id:"n1",msg:'{\n "type": "foo"\n}',property:"payload",format:"object"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
                     topic:"debug",
-                    data:{id:"n1",msg: '(Array) [\n 0,\n 1,\n 2,\n 3\n]',
+                    data:{id:"n1",msg: '[\n 0,\n 1,\n 2,\n 3\n]',format:"array",
                     property:"payload"}
                 });
             }, done);
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                     topic:"debug",
                     data:{
                         id:"n1",
-                        msg:'(Object) {\n "name": "bar",\n "o": "[circular]"\n}',
-                        property:"payload"
+                        msg:'{\n "name": "bar",\n "o": "[circular]"\n}',
+                        property:"payload",format:"object"
                     }
                 });
             }, done);
@@ -228,12 +228,14 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
             websocket_test(function() {
                 n1.emit("input", {payload: Array(1002).join("X")});
             }, function(msg) {
-                JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
+                var a = JSON.parse(msg);
+                a.should.eql({
                     topic:"debug",
                     data:{
                         id:"n1",
-                        msg: "(string) "+Array(992).join("X")+' ....',
-                        property:"payload"
+                        msg: Array(1001).join("X")+' ....',
+                        property:"payload",
+                        format:"string"
                     }
                 });
             }, done);
@@ -251,8 +253,9 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                     topic:"debug",
                     data:{
                         id:"n1",
-                        msg: '(Buffer) 48454c4c4f',
-                        property:"payload"
+                        msg: '48454c4c4f',
+                        property:"payload",
+                        format: "buffer"
                     }
                 });
             }, done);
@@ -273,7 +276,7 @@ describe('debug node', function() {
                     });
             }, function(msg) {
                 JSON.parse(msg).should.eql({
-                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"(string) message 2",property:"payload"}
+                    topic:"debug",data:{id:"n1",msg:"message 2",property:"payload",format:"string"}
                 });
             }, done);
         });