diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 43b6a27a62..ca28ce33b0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ Update to Python 3
 - Use `python3 -m venv <myenvname>`
 - Use `python3 -m pdb <script>` for debugging
 
+### Misc
+
+- Swap argument order of `evennia.set_trace` to `set_trace(term_size=(140, 40), debugger='auto')`
+  since the size is more likely to be changed on the command line.
+
 
 ## Evennia 0.8 (2018)
 
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@ Update to Python 3
   to terminal and can be stopped with Ctrl-C. Using `evennia reload`, or reloading in-game, will
   return Server to normal daemon operation.
 - For validating passwords, use safe Django password-validation backend instead of custom Evennia one.
-- Alias `evennia restart` to mean the same as `evennia reload`. 
+- Alias `evennia restart` to mean the same as `evennia reload`.
 
 ### Prototype changes
 
diff --git a/evennia/__init__.py b/evennia/__init__.py
index 7aa878ee2e..c3f5355d56 100644
--- a/evennia/__init__.py
+++ b/evennia/__init__.py
@@ -316,17 +316,17 @@ def _init():
     del _EvContainer
 
 
-def set_trace(debugger="auto", term_size=(140, 40)):
+def set_trace(term_size=(140, 40), debugger="auto"):
     """
     Helper function for running a debugger inside the Evennia event loop.
 
     Args:
+        term_size (tuple, optional): Only used for Pudb and defines the size of the terminal
+            (width, height) in number of characters.
         debugger (str, optional): One of 'auto', 'pdb' or 'pudb'. Pdb is the standard debugger. Pudb
             is an external package with a different, more 'graphical', ncurses-based UI. With
             'auto', will use pudb if possible, otherwise fall back to pdb. Pudb is available through
             `pip install pudb`.
-        term_size (tuple, optional): Only used for Pudb and defines the size of the terminal
-            (width, height) in number of characters.
 
     Notes:
         To use:
@@ -345,14 +345,12 @@ def set_trace(debugger="auto", term_size=(140, 40)):
     """
     import sys
     dbg = None
-    pudb_mode = False
 
     if debugger in ('auto', 'pudb'):
         try:
             from pudb import debugger
             dbg = debugger.Debugger(stdout=sys.__stdout__,
                                     term_size=term_size)
-            pudb_mode = True
         except ImportError:
             if debugger == 'pudb':
                 raise
@@ -361,12 +359,11 @@ def set_trace(debugger="auto", term_size=(140, 40)):
     if not dbg:
         import pdb
         dbg = pdb.Pdb(stdout=sys.__stdout__)
-        pudb_mode = False
 
-    if pudb_mode:
-        # Stopped at breakpoint. Press 'n' to continue into the code.
-        dbg.set_trace()
-    else:
+    try:
         # Start debugger, forcing it up one stack frame (otherwise `set_trace` will start debugger
         # this point, not the actual code location)
         dbg.set_trace(sys._getframe().f_back)
+    except Exception:
+        # Stopped at breakpoint. Press 'n' to continue into the code.
+        dbg.set_trace()
diff --git a/evennia/server/amp_client.py b/evennia/server/amp_client.py
index e6a003975f..be27c737e2 100644
--- a/evennia/server/amp_client.py
+++ b/evennia/server/amp_client.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class AMPClientFactory(protocol.ReconnectingClientFactory):
 
     def startedConnecting(self, connector):
         """
-        Called when starting to try to connect to the MUD server.
+        Called when starting to try to connect to the Portal AMP server.
 
         Args:
             connector (Connector): Twisted Connector instance representing
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ class AMPServerClientProtocol(amp.AMPMultiConnectionProtocol):
         Called when a new connection is established.
 
         """
+        print("AMPClient new connection {}".format(self))
         info_dict = self.factory.server.get_info_dict()
         super(AMPServerClientProtocol, self).connectionMade()
         # first thing we do is to request the Portal to sync all sessions
diff --git a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
index 86b10e47be..30ac7d7d6c 100644
--- a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
+++ b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
@@ -632,9 +632,6 @@ def send_instruction(operation, arguments, callback=None, errback=None):
     """
     global AMP_CONNECTION, REACTOR_RUN
 
-    print("send_instruction: {}, {}, {}, {}, {})".format(operation, arguments, callback, errback, AMP_CONNECTION))
-
-
     if None in (AMP_HOST, AMP_PORT, AMP_INTERFACE):
         print(ERROR_AMP_UNCONFIGURED)
         sys.exit()
@@ -663,13 +660,11 @@ def send_instruction(operation, arguments, callback=None, errback=None):
 
     def _send():
         if operation == PSTATUS:
-            print("send PSTATUS ... {}".format(AMP_CONNECTION))
-            return AMP_CONNECTION.callRemote(MsgStatus, status="").addCallbacks(_callback, _errback)
+            return AMP_CONNECTION.callRemote(MsgStatus, status=b"").addCallbacks(_callback, _errback)
         else:
-            print("send callremote")
             return AMP_CONNECTION.callRemote(
                 MsgLauncher2Portal,
-                operation=operation,
+                operation=bytes(operation, 'utf-8'),
                 arguments=pickle.dumps(arguments, pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)).addCallbacks(
                     _callback, _errback)
 
@@ -1095,7 +1090,10 @@ def tail_log_files(filename1, filename2, start_lines1=20, start_lines2=20, rate=
 
     def _file_changed(filename, prev_size):
         "Get size of file in bytes, get diff compared with previous size"
-        new_size = os.path.getsize(filename)
+        try:
+            new_size = os.path.getsize(filename)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return False, 0
         return new_size != prev_size, new_size
 
     def _get_new_lines(filehandle, old_linecount):
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/amp.py b/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
index 24afad49d1..33bf278a17 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 import time
 from twisted.protocols import amp
 from collections import defaultdict, namedtuple
-from io import StringIO, BytesIO
+from io import BytesIO
 from itertools import count
 import zlib  # Used in Compressed class
 import pickle
@@ -282,6 +282,7 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
         """
         Handle non-AMP messages, such as HTTP communication.
         """
+        print("dataReceived: {}".format(data))
         if data[:1] == NUL:
             # an AMP communication
             if data[-2:] != NULNUL:
@@ -318,6 +319,7 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
         This is called when an AMP connection is (re-)established. AMP calls it on both sides.
 
         """
+        print("connectionMade: {}".format(self))
         self.factory.broadcasts.append(self)
 
     def connectionLost(self, reason):
@@ -330,6 +332,7 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
         portal will continuously try to reconnect, showing the problem
         that way.
         """
+        print("ConnectionLost: {}: {}".format(self, reason))
         try:
             self.factory.broadcasts.remove(self)
         except ValueError:
@@ -385,6 +388,8 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
 
         """
         deferreds = []
+        print("broadcast: {} {}: {}".format(command, sessid, kwargs))
+
         for protcl in self.factory.broadcasts:
             deferreds.append(protcl.callRemote(command, **kwargs).addErrback(
                 self.errback, command.key))
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/amp_server.py b/evennia/server/portal/amp_server.py
index 454aad8558..f8c2ff3b2b 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/amp_server.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/amp_server.py
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ class AMPServerProtocol(amp.AMPMultiConnectionProtocol):
 
         """
         # start the Server
+        print("Portal starting server ... {}".format(server_twistd_cmd))
         process = None
         with open(settings.SERVER_LOG_FILE, 'a') as logfile:
             # we link stdout to a file in order to catch
@@ -226,6 +227,8 @@ class AMPServerProtocol(amp.AMPMultiConnectionProtocol):
         Send a status stanza to the launcher.
 
         """
+        print("send status to launcher")
+        print("self.get_status(): {}".format(self.get_status()))
         if self.factory.launcher_connection:
             self.factory.launcher_connection.callRemote(
                     amp.MsgStatus,
@@ -302,7 +305,7 @@ class AMPServerProtocol(amp.AMPMultiConnectionProtocol):
 
         _, server_connected, _, _, _, _ = self.get_status()
 
-        # logger.log_msg("Evennia Launcher->Portal operation %s received" % (ord(operation)))
+        logger.log_msg("Evennia Launcher->Portal operation %s:%s received" % (ord(operation), arguments))
 
         if operation == amp.SSTART:   # portal start  #15
             # first, check if server is already running
@@ -382,6 +385,9 @@ class AMPServerProtocol(amp.AMPMultiConnectionProtocol):
         self.factory.server_connection = self
 
         sessid, kwargs = self.data_in(packed_data)
+
+        logger.log_msg("Evennia Server->Portal admin data %s:%s received" % (sessid, kwargs))
+
         operation = kwargs.pop("operation")
         portal_sessionhandler = self.factory.portal.sessions