diff --git a/benchmarks/multicore/smallLogEntry.c b/benchmarks/multicore/smallLogEntry.c
index bb6a85a..95795a8 100644
--- a/benchmarks/multicore/smallLogEntry.c
+++ b/benchmarks/multicore/smallLogEntry.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ static void* worker(void* arg) {
     LogEntry * e = allocUpdateLogEntry(l, -1, -1, OPERATION_NOOP, 0, 0);
     l->write_entry(l, e);
     l->write_entry_done(l, e);
+    l->force_tail(l, LOG_FORCE_COMMIT);
 //    if(! (i & 1023)) { l->force_tail(l, 0);}
   }
   return 0;
diff --git a/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c b/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
index 88fdc8b..16b37b8 100644
--- a/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
+++ b/src/stasis/logger/filePool.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ void stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_open(stasis_log_file_pool_state * fp, int chunk)
 static int get_chunk_from_offset(stasis_log_t * log, lsn_t lsn) {
   stasis_log_file_pool_state * fp = log->impl;
   int chunk = -1;
-  if(fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1] <= lsn && fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1] + fp->target_chunk_size > lsn) {
+  if(fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1] <= lsn && (fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1] + fp->target_chunk_size) > lsn) {
     return fp->live_count - 1;
   }
   for(int i = 0; i < fp->live_count; i++) {
@@ -212,7 +212,6 @@ static int get_chunk_from_offset(stasis_log_t * log, lsn_t lsn) {
  */
 int stasis_log_file_pool_append_chunk(stasis_log_t * log, off_t new_offset) {
   stasis_log_file_pool_state * fp = log->impl;
-
   char * old_file = 0;
   char * new_file = stasis_log_file_pool_build_filename(fp, new_offset);
   char * new_path = build_path(fp->dirname, new_file);
@@ -251,18 +250,28 @@ LogEntry * stasis_log_file_pool_reserve_entry(stasis_log_t * log, size_t szs) {
 
   uint64_t framed_size = sz+sizeof(uint32_t)+sizeof(uint32_t);
   lsn_t off  = stasis_ringbuffer_reserve_space(fp->ring, framed_size, handle);
+
+  pthread_mutex_lock(&fp->mut);
+  int endchunk = get_chunk_from_offset(log, off + sz + 2*sizeof(uint32_t));
+  //if(chunk >= fp->live_count || (off + (sz+2*sizeof(uint32_t)) > fp->live_offsets[chunk] + fp->target_chunk_size)) {
+  if(endchunk == -1) { //>= fp->live_count) {
+    stasis_log_file_pool_append_chunk(log, off);
+    int chunk = get_chunk_from_offset(log, off);
+    assert(chunk == fp->live_count-1);
+  }
+  lsn_t barrier = fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count - 1]-1;
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(&fp->mut);
+
+  if(barrier < off) {
+    stasis_ringbuffer_flush(fp->ring, barrier);
+  }
+
   byte * buf = stasis_ringbuffer_get_wr_buf(fp->ring, off, framed_size);
 
   memcpy(buf,            &sz, sizeof(uint32_t));
   LogEntry * e = (LogEntry*)(buf + (2 * sizeof(uint32_t)));
   e->LSN = off;
 
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&fp->mut);
-  int chunk = get_chunk_from_offset(log, off);
-  if(chunk >= fp->live_count || (off + (sz+2*sizeof(uint32_t)) > fp->live_offsets[chunk] + fp->target_chunk_size)) {
-    stasis_log_file_pool_append_chunk(log, off);
-  }
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&fp->mut);
   return e;
 }
 /**
@@ -484,6 +493,8 @@ int stasis_log_file_pool_close(stasis_log_t * log) {
   pthread_join(fp->write_thread, 0);
 //  pthread_join(fp->write_thread2, 0);
 
+  stasis_ringbuffer_free(fp->ring);
+
   for(int i = 0; i < fp->live_count; i++) {
   close(fp->ro_fd[i]);
     free(fp->live_filenames[i]);
@@ -506,72 +517,52 @@ void * stasis_log_file_pool_writeback_worker(void * arg) {
   stasis_log_file_pool_state * fp = log->impl;
 
   lsn_t handle;
-  lsn_t off, next_chunk_off, chunk_len, remaining_len;
+  lsn_t off;
   while(1) {
     lsn_t len = 16*1024*1024;
     off = stasis_ringbuffer_consume_bytes(fp->ring, &len, &handle);
+    const byte * buf = stasis_ringbuffer_get_rd_buf(fp->ring, off, len);
+
     if(off == RING_CLOSED) break;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&fp->mut);
     int chunk = get_chunk_from_offset(log, off);
-    assert(chunk != -1); // chunks are created on insertion into the ring buffer...
-    if(fp->live_count > chunk+1) {
-      // see if this log record spans chunks.
-      next_chunk_off = fp->live_offsets[chunk+1];
-      chunk_len = next_chunk_off - off;
-      if(chunk_len > len) {
-        chunk_len = len;
-        remaining_len = 0;
-      } else {
-        remaining_len = len - chunk_len;
-      }
-    } else {
-      // this log record *cannot* span chunks, or the chunk would already
-      // exist.
-      chunk_len = len;
-      remaining_len = 0;
+    int endchunk = get_chunk_from_offset(log, off + len);
+    // build vector of write operations.
+    int* fds = malloc(sizeof(int) * (1 + endchunk-chunk));
+    lsn_t* file_offs = malloc(sizeof(lsn_t) * (1 + endchunk-chunk));
+    for(int c = chunk; c <= endchunk; c++) {
+      fds[c-chunk]       = fp->ro_fd[c];
+      file_offs[c-chunk] = fp->live_offsets[c];
     }
-    int fd = fp->ro_fd[chunk];
-    lsn_t file_off = fp->live_offsets[chunk];
-    int spill_fd = -1;
-    lsn_t spill_off = INVALID_LSN;
-    if(remaining_len) {
-      spill_fd = fp->ro_fd[chunk+1];
-      spill_off = fp->live_offsets[chunk+1];
-    }
-    // As above, the fds cannot change as we are writing.  Release mut so that
-    // we do not hold it while we go to disk.
+    assert(endchunk != -1);
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&fp->mut);
-    const byte * buf = stasis_ringbuffer_get_rd_buf(fp->ring, off, len);
-    int succ = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_write_buffer(fd, buf, chunk_len, file_off, off);
-    if(!succ) {
-      fprintf(stderr, "A: chunk is %d cnk offset is %lld offset =s %lldn", chunk, file_off, off);
+    lsn_t bytes_written = 0;
+    for(int c = chunk; c <= endchunk; c++){
+      lsn_t write_len;
+      if(c < endchunk) {
+        write_len = fp->live_offsets[c+1] - (off+bytes_written);
+      } else {
+        write_len = len - bytes_written;
+      }
+      int succ = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_write_buffer(fds[c-chunk], buf+bytes_written, write_len, file_offs[c-chunk], off+bytes_written);
       assert(succ);
-    }
-    if(remaining_len) {
-      uint32_t zero = 0;
-      // Close current log file.  This might increase its length
-      // by a byte or so, but that's the filesystem's problem.
-      succ = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_write_buffer(
-          fd,
-          (const byte*)&zero,
-          sizeof(zero),
-          file_off,
-          off+chunk_len);
-      if(!succ) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "B: chunk is %d cnk offset is %lld offset =s %lld\n", chunk, file_off, off);
-        assert(succ);
-      }
-      succ = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_write_buffer(
-          spill_fd,
-          buf + chunk_len,
-          remaining_len,
-          spill_off,
-          off + chunk_len);
-      if(!succ) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "C: chunk is %d cnk offset is %lld offset =s %lld\n", chunk, spill_off, off);
+      bytes_written += write_len;
+
+      if(c < endchunk) {
+        uint32_t zero = 0;
+        // Close current log file.  This might increase its length
+        // by a byte or so, but that's the filesystem's problem.
+        succ = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_write_buffer(
+            fds[c-chunk],
+            (const byte*)&zero,
+            sizeof(zero),
+            file_offs[c-chunk],
+            off+bytes_written);  // don't count this write toward bytes written, since it's not logically part of the log.
         assert(succ);
       }
     }
+    free(file_offs);
+    free(fds);
     stasis_ringbuffer_read_done(fp->ring, &handle);
   }
   return 0;
@@ -661,9 +652,9 @@ stasis_log_t* stasis_log_file_pool_open(const char* dirname, int filemode, int f
 
   fp->target_chunk_size = 64 * 1024 * 1024;
 
-  fp->filemode = filemode | O_SYNC;  /// XXX should not hard-code O_SYNC.
+  fp->filemode = filemode | O_DSYNC;  /// XXX should not hard-code O_SYNC.
   fp->fileperm = fileperm;
-  fp->softcommit = !(filemode & O_SYNC);
+  fp->softcommit = !(filemode & O_DSYNC);
 
   off_t current_target = 0;
   for(int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
@@ -690,6 +681,7 @@ stasis_log_t* stasis_log_file_pool_open(const char* dirname, int filemode, int f
       fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count]   = lsn;
       /*fo->ro_fd=*/ stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_open(fp, fp->live_count);
 
+      // XXX check to see if this file contains valid data.  If not, then we crashed after creating this file, but before syncing the previous one.
       assert(lsn <= current_target || !current_target);
       char * full_name = build_path(fp->dirname, fp->live_filenames[fp->live_count]);
       if(!stat(full_name, &st)) {
@@ -712,15 +704,20 @@ stasis_log_t* stasis_log_file_pool_open(const char* dirname, int filemode, int f
 
     free(namelist[i]);
   }
-  assert(fp->live_count);
   free(namelist);
 
-  printf("Current log segment appears to be %s.  Scanning for next available LSN\n", fp->live_filenames[fp->live_count-1]);
+  lsn_t next_lsn;
+  if(!fp->live_count) {
+    next_lsn = 1;
+    stasis_log_file_pool_append_chunk(ret, 1);
+  } else {
 
-  lsn_t next_lsn = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_scrub_to_eof(ret, fp->ro_fd[fp->live_count-1], fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1]);
+    printf("Current log segment appears to be %s.  Scanning for next available LSN\n", fp->live_filenames[fp->live_count-1]);
 
-  printf("Scan returned %lld\n", (long long)next_lsn);
+    next_lsn = stasis_log_file_pool_chunk_scrub_to_eof(ret, fp->ro_fd[fp->live_count-1], fp->live_offsets[fp->live_count-1]);
 
+    printf("Scan returned %lld\n", (long long)next_lsn);
+  }
   // The previous segment must have been forced to disk before we created the current one, so we're good to go.
 
   fp->ring = stasis_ringbuffer_init(26, next_lsn); // 64mb buffer
diff --git a/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c b/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
index 375fb72..d5f63c9 100644
--- a/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
+++ b/src/stasis/util/ringbuffer.c
@@ -91,7 +91,10 @@ lsn_t stasis_ringbuffer_reserve_space(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t sz, lsn_
 }
 lsn_t stasis_ringbuffer_nb_consume_bytes(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t off, lsn_t* sz) {
   if(off == RING_NEXT) { off = ring->rf; }
-  if(*sz == RING_NEXT)  { *sz  = ring->wt - off; }
+  if(*sz == RING_NEXT) {
+    *sz  = ring->wt - off;
+    if(*sz == 0) { return RING_VOLATILE; }
+  }
 
   // has the entire byte range been consumed?  (This is "normal".)
   if(off + *sz < ring->rt) { return RING_TRUNCATED; }
@@ -117,17 +120,10 @@ lsn_t stasis_ringbuffer_consume_bytes(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t* sz, lsn
   lsn_t orig_sz = *sz;
 
   if(ring->flush > ring->rf) {
-//    pthread_mutex_unlock(&ring->mut);
-//    struct timespec tv;
-//    tv.tv_sec = 0;
-//    tv.tv_nsec = 100000;
-//    nanosleep(&tv, 0);
-//    pthread_mutex_lock(&ring->mut);
     if(ring->flush > ring->rf) { *sz = RING_NEXT; }
   }
   if(ring->shutdown) {
     if(ring->rt == ring->wf) {
-      fprintf(stderr, "Shutting down, and there are no more bytes.  Signaling shutdown thread.\n");
       pthread_cond_signal(&ring->read_done);
       pthread_mutex_unlock(&ring->mut);
       return RING_CLOSED;
@@ -260,7 +256,7 @@ stasis_ringbuffer_t * stasis_ringbuffer_init(intptr_t base, lsn_t initial_offset
 
   // Allocate the memory region using mmap black magic.
 
-  char* name = strdup("/dev/shm/stasis-ringbuffer-XXXXXX");
+  char* name = strdup("/tmp/stasis-ringbuffer-XXXXXX");
   ring->fd = mkstemp(name);
   if(ring->fd == -1) { perror("Couldn't mkstemp\n"); abort(); }
 
@@ -320,14 +316,15 @@ void stasis_ringbuffer_shutdown(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring) {
   pthread_mutex_lock(&ring->mut);
   ring->shutdown = 1;
   do {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%lld < %lld signaling readers for shutdown and sleeping\n", ring->rt, ring->wf);
+//    fprintf(stderr, "%lld < %lld signaling readers for shutdown and sleeping\n", ring->rt, ring->wf);
     pthread_cond_signal(&ring->write_done);
     pthread_cond_wait(&ring->read_done,&ring->mut);
-    fprintf(stderr, "readers done\n");
+//    fprintf(stderr, "readers done\n");
   } while (ring->rt < ring->wf);
 
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&ring->mut);
-
+}
+void stasis_ringbuffer_free(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring) {
   lsn_t size = ring->mask+1;
   int err = munmap(((char*)ring->mem), size * 2);
   if(err == -1) { perror("could not munmap first half of ringbuffer"); }
diff --git a/stasis/util/ringbuffer.h b/stasis/util/ringbuffer.h
index 3b0664f..116878b 100644
--- a/stasis/util/ringbuffer.h
+++ b/stasis/util/ringbuffer.h
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ lsn_t stasis_ringbuffer_get_write_frontier(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring);
 void   stasis_ringbuffer_advance_read_tail(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t off);
 typedef enum { RING_TORN = -1, RING_VOLATILE = -2, RING_FULL = -3, RING_TRUNCATED = -4, RING_NEXT = -5, RING_CLOSED = -6, RING_MINERR = -7 } stasis_ringbuffer_error_t;
 void stasis_ringbuffer_flush(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring, lsn_t off);
-void stasis_ringbuffer_shutdown(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring);
 
+// Causes ringbuffer requests to stop blocking, and return RING_CLOSED
+void stasis_ringbuffer_shutdown(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring);
+// Deallocates the ringbuffer (call after any threads using the ringbuffer have shutdown).
+void stasis_ringbuffer_free(stasis_ringbuffer_t * ring);
 END_C_DECLS
 #endif /* RINGBUFFER_H_ */
diff --git a/utilities/README.log b/utilities/README.log
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1645863
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/README.log
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+Stasis' default log implementation ("filePool") creates a directory
+full of 64MB log "chunk" files.  Synchronously extending these files
+one entry at a time is extremely expensive, as the filesystem must
+repeatedly update its metadata.  The "preallocate_log" utility in this
+directory creates a Stasis log directory, and fills it with some
+number of empty log chunks.  It is safe to run this utility against an
+existing Stasis log directory, but Stasis will not use the new chunks
+until it is restarted.  Also, although it is safe to mix and match log
+chunk sizes, Stasis will continue to use its compiled-in size, wasting
+the end of overly large chunks, and incrementally extending undersized
+ones.
+
+preallocate_log usage:
+
+The first parameter is an integer, and specifies the number of log
+chunks to be created.  The second parameter is the name of the Stasis
+log directory, and defaults to "stasis_log", the current default name.
+The third parameter is the log chunk size, in the format extended by
+dd's "bs" option (eg: 64MB, 1GB, and so on).
+
+delete_log usage:
+
+This script renames all of the files in a log directory so that they
+end in "~".  This will cause Stasis to reuse the files, but ignore
+their contents (which avoids the cost of re-creating them).
+
diff --git a/utilities/delete_log b/utilities/delete_log
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9ccbdf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/delete_log
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+use strict;
+
+my $dir = shift || "stasis_log";
+
+my @files = `ls $dir/log-chunk-????????????????????`;
+foreach my $f (@files) {
+  chomp $f;
+  print "$f -> $f~\n";
+  system("mv $f $f~");
+}
diff --git a/utilities/preallocate_log b/utilities/preallocate_log
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8f5f68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/preallocate_log
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+use strict;
+
+my $count = shift || die "Usage: $0 count [dir] [chunk-size]\n";
+my $dir   = shift || "stasis_log/";
+my $sz    = shift || "64M";
+
+system("mkdir -p $dir");
+
+for(my $i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
+  my $file = sprintf("log-chunk-%020d~", $i);
+  print("Writing $file\n");
+  system("dd if=/dev/zero of=$dir/$file bs=$sz count=1\n");
+}