diff --git a/run.py b/run.py
index 9a2b7f19..4c36046d 100644
--- a/run.py
+++ b/run.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if os.environ.get("DEBUG_TOOLKIT", "0") == "1":
 import argparse
 from toolkit.job import get_job
 from toolkit.accelerator import get_accelerator
-from toolkit.print import print_acc
+from toolkit.print import print_acc, setup_log_to_file
 
 accelerator = get_accelerator()
 
@@ -67,7 +67,17 @@ def main():
         default=None,
         help='Name to replace [name] tag in config file, useful for shared config file'
     )
+    
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-l', '--log',
+        type=str,
+        default=None,
+        help='Log file to write output to'
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    
+    if args.log is not None:
+        setup_log_to_file(args.log)
 
     config_file_list = args.config_file_list
     if len(config_file_list) == 0:
diff --git a/toolkit/print.py b/toolkit/print.py
index 0ada4102..e0f6c23b 100644
--- a/toolkit/print.py
+++ b/toolkit/print.py
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
+import sys
+import os
 from toolkit.accelerator import get_accelerator
 
 
 def print_acc(*args, **kwargs):
     if get_accelerator().is_local_main_process:
         print(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+class Logger:
+    def __init__(self, filename):
+        self.terminal = sys.stdout
+        self.log = open(filename, 'a')
+
+    def write(self, message):
+        self.terminal.write(message)
+        self.log.write(message)
+        self.log.flush()  # Make sure it's written immediately
+
+    def flush(self):
+        self.terminal.flush()
+        self.log.flush()
+
+
+def setup_log_to_file(filename):
+    if get_accelerator().is_local_main_process:
+        if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(filename)):
+            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(filename))
+    sys.stdout = Logger(filename)
+    sys.stderr = Logger(filename)
diff --git a/ui/src/app/api/jobs/[jobID]/start/route.ts b/ui/src/app/api/jobs/[jobID]/start/route.ts
index e8260713..ba1feaf9 100644
--- a/ui/src/app/api/jobs/[jobID]/start/route.ts
+++ b/ui/src/app/api/jobs/[jobID]/start/route.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest, { params }: { params: { jobID: s
   });
 
   // setup the training
-
   const trainingRoot = await getTrainingFolder();
 
   const trainingFolder = path.join(trainingRoot, job.name);
@@ -43,6 +42,29 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest, { params }: { params: { jobID: s
   // make the config file
   const configPath = path.join(trainingFolder, '.job_config.json');
 
+  //log to path
+  const logPath = path.join(trainingFolder, 'log.txt');
+
+  try {
+    // if the log path exists, move it to a folder called logs and rename it {num}_log.txt, looking for the highest num
+    // if the log path does not exist, create it
+    if (fs.existsSync(logPath)) {
+      const logsFolder = path.join(trainingFolder, 'logs');
+      if (!fs.existsSync(logsFolder)) {
+        fs.mkdirSync(logsFolder, { recursive: true });
+      }
+
+      let num = 0;
+      while (fs.existsSync(path.join(logsFolder, `${num}_log.txt`))) {
+        num++;
+      }
+
+      fs.renameSync(logPath, path.join(logsFolder, `${num}_log.txt`));
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('Error moving log file:', e);
+  }
+
   // update the config dataset path
   const jobConfig = JSON.parse(job.job_config);
   jobConfig.config.process[0].sqlite_db_path = path.join(TOOLKIT_ROOT, 'aitk_db.db');
@@ -70,6 +92,7 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest, { params }: { params: { jobID: s
   if (!fs.existsSync(runFilePath)) {
     return NextResponse.json({ error: 'run.py not found' }, { status: 500 });
   }
+
   const additionalEnv: any = {
     AITK_JOB_ID: jobID,
     CUDA_VISIBLE_DEVICES: `${job.gpu_ids}`,
@@ -81,55 +104,111 @@ export async function GET(request: NextRequest, { params }: { params: { jobID: s
     additionalEnv.HF_TOKEN = hfToken;
   }
 
-  let cmd = `${pythonPath} ${runFilePath} ${configPath}`;
-  for (const key in additionalEnv) {
-    if (os.platform() === 'win32') {
-      cmd = `set ${key}=${additionalEnv[key]} && ${cmd}`;
+  // Add the --log argument to the command
+  const args = [runFilePath, configPath, '--log', logPath];
+
+  try {
+    let subprocess;
+
+    if (isWindows) {
+      // For Windows, use 'cmd.exe' to open a new command window
+      subprocess = spawn('cmd.exe', ['/c', 'start', 'cmd.exe', '/k', pythonPath, ...args], {
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          ...additionalEnv,
+        },
+        cwd: TOOLKIT_ROOT,
+        windowsHide: false,
+      });
     } else {
-      cmd = `${key}=${additionalEnv[key]} ${cmd}`;
+      // For non-Windows platforms
+      subprocess = spawn(pythonPath, args, {
+        detached: true,
+        stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'], // Changed from 'ignore' to capture output
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          ...additionalEnv,
+        },
+        cwd: TOOLKIT_ROOT,
+      });
     }
-  }
 
-  console.log('Spawning command:', cmd);
+    // Start monitoring in the background without blocking the response
+    const monitorProcess = async () => {
+      const startTime = Date.now();
+      let errorOutput = '';
+      let stdoutput = '';
 
-  // start job
-  if (isWindows) {
-    // For Windows, use 'cmd.exe' to open a new command window
-    const subprocess = spawn('cmd.exe', ['/c', 'start', 'cmd.exe', '/k', pythonPath, runFilePath, configPath], {
-      env: {
-        ...process.env,
-        ...additionalEnv,
-      },
-      cwd: TOOLKIT_ROOT,
-      windowsHide: false,
+      if (subprocess.stderr) {
+        subprocess.stderr.on('data', data => {
+          errorOutput += data.toString();
+        });
+        subprocess.stdout.on('data', data => {
+          stdoutput += data.toString();
+          // truncate to only get the last 500 characters
+          if (stdoutput.length > 500) {
+            stdoutput = stdoutput.substring(stdoutput.length - 500);
+          }
+        });
+      }
+
+      subprocess.on('exit', async code => {
+        const currentTime = Date.now();
+        const duration = (currentTime - startTime) / 1000;
+        console.log(`Job ${jobID} exited with code ${code} after ${duration} seconds.`);
+        // wait for 5 seconds to give it time to stop itself. It id still has a status of running in the db, update it to stopped
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5000));
+        const updatedJob = await prisma.job.findUnique({
+          where: { id: jobID },
+        });
+        if (updatedJob?.status === 'running') {
+          let errorString = errorOutput;
+          if (errorString.trim() === '') {
+            errorString = stdoutput;
+          }
+          await prisma.job.update({
+            where: { id: jobID },
+            data: {
+              status: 'error',
+              info: `Error launching job: ${errorString.substring(0, 500)}`,
+            },
+          });
+        }
+      });
+
+      // Wait 30 seconds before releasing the process
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 30000));
+      // Detach the process for non-Windows systems
+      if (!isWindows && subprocess.unref) {
+        subprocess.unref();
+      }
+    };
+
+    // Start the monitoring without awaiting it
+    monitorProcess().catch(err => {
+      console.error(`Error in process monitoring for job ${jobID}:`, err);
     });
 
-    subprocess.unref();
-  } else {
-    // For non-Windows platforms, use your original approach
-    const subprocess = spawn(pythonPath, [runFilePath, configPath], {
-      detached: true,
-      stdio: 'ignore',
-      env: {
-        ...process.env,
-        ...additionalEnv,
+    // Return the response immediately
+    return NextResponse.json(job);
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    // Handle any exceptions during process launch
+    console.error('Error launching process:', error);
+
+    await prisma.job.update({
+      where: { id: jobID },
+      data: {
+        status: 'error',
+        info: `Error launching job: ${error?.message || 'Unknown error'}`,
       },
-      cwd: TOOLKIT_ROOT,
     });
 
-    subprocess.unref();
+    return NextResponse.json(
+      {
+        error: 'Failed to launch job process',
+        details: error?.message || 'Unknown error',
+      },
+      { status: 500 },
+    );
   }
-  // const subprocess = spawn(pythonPath, [runFilePath, configPath], {
-  //   detached: true,
-  //   stdio: 'ignore',
-  //   env: {
-  //     ...process.env,
-  //     ...additionalEnv,
-  //   },
-  //   cwd: TOOLKIT_ROOT,
-  // });
-
-  // subprocess.unref();
-
-  return NextResponse.json(job);
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/components/JobActionBar.tsx b/ui/src/components/JobActionBar.tsx
index 3aac3da0..4c4c910b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/JobActionBar.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/JobActionBar.tsx
@@ -62,26 +62,34 @@ export default function JobActionBar({ job, onRefresh, afterDelete, className, h
           <Pen />
         </Link>
       )}
-      {canDelete && (
-        <Button
-          onClick={() => {
-            if (!canDelete) return;
-            openConfirm({
-              title: 'Delete Job',
-              message: `Are you sure you want to delete the job "${job.name}"? This will also permanently remove it from your disk.`,
-              type: 'warning',
-              confirmText: 'Delete',
-              onConfirm: async () => {
-                await deleteJob(job.id);
-                if (afterDelete) afterDelete();
-              },
-            });
-          }}
-          className={`ml-2 opacity-100`}
-        >
-          <Trash2 />
-        </Button>
-      )}
+      <Button
+        onClick={() => {
+          let message = `Are you sure you want to delete the job "${job.name}"? This will also permanently remove it from your disk.`;
+          if (job.status === 'running') {
+            message += ' WARNING: The job is currently running. You should stop it first if you can.';
+          }
+          openConfirm({
+            title: 'Delete Job',
+            message: message,
+            type: 'warning',
+            confirmText: 'Delete',
+            onConfirm: async () => {
+              if (job.status === 'running') {
+                try {
+                  await stopJob(job.id);
+                } catch (e) {
+                  console.error('Error stopping job before deleting:', e);
+                }
+              }
+              await deleteJob(job.id);
+              if (afterDelete) afterDelete();
+            },
+          });
+        }}
+        className={`ml-2 opacity-100`}
+      >
+        <Trash2 />
+      </Button>
     </div>
   );
 }