diff --git a/library/Console-linux.cpp b/library/Console-linux.cpp
index c25e4cdce..3e37b6cd1 100644
--- a/library/Console-linux.cpp
+++ b/library/Console-linux.cpp
@@ -118,15 +118,17 @@ namespace DFHack
 }
 Console::Console():std::ostream(0), std::ios(0)
 {
-    d = new Private();
+    d = 0;
 }
 Console::~Console()
 {
-    delete d;
+    if(d)
+        delete d;
 }
 
 bool Console::init(void)
 {
+    d = new Private();
     // make our own weird streams so our IO isn't redirected
     d->dfout_C = fopen("/dev/tty", "w");
     d->stream_o = new duthomhas::stdiobuf(d->dfout_C);
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ bool Console::shutdown(void)
 {
     if(d->rawmode)
         disable_raw();
-    *this << std::endl;
+    print("\n");
 }
 
 int Console::print( const char* format, ... )
@@ -174,16 +176,13 @@ void Console::clear()
     }
     else
     {
-        *this << "\033c";
-        *this << "\033[3J\033[H";
+        print("\033c\033[3J\033[H");
     }
 }
 
 void Console::gotoxy(int x, int y)
 {
-    std::ostringstream oss;
-    oss << "\033[" << y << ";" << x << "H";
-    *this << oss.str();
+    print("\033[%d;%dH", y,x);
 }
 
 const char * ANSI_CLS = "\033[2J";
@@ -231,25 +230,20 @@ const char * getANSIColor(const int c)
 
 void Console::color(int index)
 {
-    *this << getANSIColor(index);
+    print(getANSIColor(index));
 }
 
 void Console::reset_color( void )
 {
-    *this << RESETCOLOR;
+    print(RESETCOLOR);
 }
 
-
 void Console::cursor(bool enable)
 {
     if(enable)
-    {
-        *this <<"\033[?25h";
-    }
+        print("\033[?25h");
     else
-    {
-        *this <<"\033[?25l";
-    }
+        print("\033[?25l");
 }
 
 void Console::msleep (unsigned int msec)
@@ -339,8 +333,8 @@ int Console::prompt_loop(const std::string & prompt, std::string & buffer)
 
     /* The latest history entry is always our current buffer, that
      * initially is just an empty string. */
-    history_add("");
-
+    const std::string empty;
+    history_add(empty);
     if (::write(fd,prompt.c_str(),plen) == -1) return -1;
     while(1)
     {
@@ -374,7 +368,8 @@ int Console::prompt_loop(const std::string & prompt, std::string & buffer)
             continue;
         }
 
-        switch(c) {
+        switch(c)
+        {
         case 13:    /* enter */
             d->history.pop_front();
             return buffer.size();
@@ -516,7 +511,7 @@ int Console::prompt_loop(const std::string & prompt, std::string & buffer)
 // push to front, remove from back if we are above maximum. ignore immediate duplicates
 void Console::history_add(const std::string & command)
 {
-    if(d->history.front() == command)
+    if(!d->history.empty() && d->history.front() == command)
         return;
     d->history.push_front(command);
     if(d->history.size() > 100)
@@ -527,11 +522,10 @@ int Console::lineedit(const std::string & prompt, std::string & output)
 {
     output.clear();
     int count;
-
     if (d->isUnsupportedTerm() || !isatty(STDIN_FILENO))
     {
-        *this << prompt;
-        flush();
+        print(prompt.c_str());
+        fflush(d->dfout_C);
         std::getline(std::cin, output);
         return output.size();
     }
@@ -540,7 +534,7 @@ int Console::lineedit(const std::string & prompt, std::string & output)
         if (enable_raw() == -1) return 0;
         count = prompt_loop(prompt, output);
         disable_raw();
-        *this << std::endl;
+        print("\n");
         return output.size();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/library/Console-windows.cpp b/library/Console-windows.cpp
index 8c1480935..e0c0fc172 100644
--- a/library/Console-windows.cpp
+++ b/library/Console-windows.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ namespace DFHack
 
 Console::Console():std::ostream(0), std::ios(0)
 {
-    d = new Private();
+    d = 0;
 }
 
 Console::~Console()
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ Console::~Console()
 
 bool Console::init(void)
 {
+    d = new Private();
     int                        hConHandle;
     long                       lStdHandle;
     CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO coninfo;
@@ -267,10 +268,10 @@ int Console::prompt_loop(const std::string & prompt, std::string & buffer)
     size_t plen = prompt.size();
     size_t pos = 0;
     int history_index = 0;
-
     /* The latest history entry is always our current buffer, that
      * initially is just an empty string. */
-    history_add("");
+    const std::string empty;
+    history_add(empty);
 
     CONSOLE_SCREEN_BUFFER_INFO inf = { 0 };
     GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(d->console_out, &inf);
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 403e22267..94bba0935 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ int fIOthread(void * iodata)
     Console & con = core->con;
     if(plug_mgr == 0 || core == 0)
     {
-        con.print("Something horrible happened to the plugin manager in Core's constructor...\n");
+        con.print("Something horrible happened in Core's constructor...\n");
         return 0;
     }
     con.print("DFHack is ready. Have a nice day! Type in '?' or 'help' for help.\n");
@@ -162,9 +162,10 @@ int fIOthread(void * iodata)
                 for (int j = 0; j < plug->size();j++)
                 {
                     const PluginCommand & pcmd = (plug->operator[](j));
-                    con << setw(12) << pcmd.name << "| " << pcmd.description << endl;
+                    con.print("%12s| %s\n",pcmd.name.c_str(), pcmd.description.c_str());
+                    //con << setw(12) << pcmd.name << "| " << pcmd.description << endl;
                 }
-                con << endl;
+                con.print("\n");
             }
         }
         else if( command == "" )
@@ -186,18 +187,18 @@ int fIOthread(void * iodata)
                 command_result res = plug_mgr->InvokeCommand(first, parts);
                 if(res == CR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED)
                 {
-                    con << "Invalid command." << endl;
+                    con.print("Invalid command.\n");
                     clueless_counter ++;
                 }
                 else if(res == CR_FAILURE)
                 {
-                    con << "ERROR!" << endl;
+                    con.print("ERROR!\n");
                 }
             }
         }
         if(clueless_counter == 3)
         {
-            con << "Do 'help' or '?' for the list of available commands." << endl;
+            con.print("Do 'help' or '?' for the list of available commands.\n");
             clueless_counter = 0;
         }
     }
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ bool Core::Init()
     p = new DFHack::Process(vif);
     if (!p->isIdentified())
     {
-        con << "Couldn't identify this version of DF." << std::endl;
+        con.print("Couldn't identify this version of DF.\n");
         errorstate = true;
         delete p;
         p = NULL;
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ bool Core::Init()
     AccessMutex = SDL_CreateMutex();
     if(!AccessMutex)
     {
-        con << "Mutex creation failed." << std::endl;
+        con.print("Mutex creation failed\n");
         errorstate = true;
         return false;
     }
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ bool Core::Init()
     plug_mgr = new PluginManager(this);
     if(!plug_mgr)
     {
-        con << "Failed to create the Plugin Manager." << std::endl;
+        con.print("Failed to create the Plugin Manager.\n");
         errorstate = true;
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/library/PluginManager.cpp b/library/PluginManager.cpp
index da51d0569..1d34d8add 100644
--- a/library/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/library/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -81,20 +81,20 @@ Plugin::Plugin(Core * core, const std::string & file)
     DFLibrary * plug = OpenPlugin(file.c_str());
     if(!plug)
     {
-        con << "Can't load plugin " << filename << endl;
+        con.print("Can't load plugin %s\n", filename.c_str());
         return;
     }
     const char * (*_PlugName)() =(const char * (*)()) LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_name");
     if(!_PlugName)
     {
-        con << "Plugin " << filename << " has no name." << endl;
+        con.print("Plugin %s has no name.\n", filename.c_str());
         ClosePlugin(plug);
         return;
     }
     plugin_init = (command_result (*)(Core *, std::vector <PluginCommand> &)) LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_init");
     if(!plugin_init)
     {
-        con << "Plugin " << filename << " has no init function." << endl;
+        con.print("Plugin %s has no init function.\n", filename.c_str());
         ClosePlugin(plug);
         return;
     }
diff --git a/package/linux/dfhack b/package/linux/dfhack
index 35e9cfeb2..3b6708f95 100755
--- a/package/linux/dfhack
+++ b/package/linux/dfhack
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ case "$1" in
     gdb ./libs/Dwarf_Fortress $*
     ret=$?
     ;;
+  -h | --helgrind)
+    shift
+    valgrind --tool=helgrind --log-file=helgrind.log ./libs/Dwarf_Fortress $*
+    ret=$?
+    ;;
+  -v | --valgrind)
+    shift
+    valgrind --log-file=valgrind.log ./libs/Dwarf_Fortress $*
+    ret=$?
+    ;;
   *)
     ./libs/Dwarf_Fortress $*
     ret=$?