diff --git a/fsl/utils/dialog.py b/fsl/utils/dialog.py
index fd1886daaeef719737b3f54775732bd95282f928..429531dc2a225812485287dca0ef3f33bd5bc1e9 100644
--- a/fsl/utils/dialog.py
+++ b/fsl/utils/dialog.py
@@ -449,6 +449,7 @@ class TextEditDialog(wx.Dialog):
         # set the min size of the text 
         # ctrl so it can fit a few lines
         self.__textEdit.SetMinSize((-1, 120))
+        self.__textEdit.SetMaxSize((600, -1))
 
         self.__ok      = (-1, -1)
         self.__copy    = (-1, -1)
diff --git a/fsl/utils/status.py b/fsl/utils/status.py
index 03474883f4277c73ad51e5750382f52e82dd0a8c..e52e9b37c529ec2e2936bd83a9cf10ca58170d1d 100644
--- a/fsl/utils/status.py
+++ b/fsl/utils/status.py
@@ -131,8 +131,6 @@ def reportError(title, msg, err):
     from .platform import platform as fslplatform
     from .         import async
 
-    log.error('{}: {}'.format(title, msg, exc_info=True))
-
     if fslplatform.haveGui:
         msg = '{}\n\nDetails: {}'.format(msg, str(err))
         
@@ -149,7 +147,9 @@ def reportIfError(title, msg, raiseError=True):
         yield
         
     except Exception as e:
-        
+
+        log.error('{}: {}'.format(title, msg), exc_info=True)
+
         reportError(title, msg, e)
 
         if raiseError: