diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c98aa7f62..e9f8b7813 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/etc/postrm.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/postrm @ONL
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/etc/upstart/maxscale.conf.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/upstart/maxscale.conf @ONLY)
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/server/test/maxscale_test.cnf ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.cnf @ONLY)
 
-set(FLAGS "-Wall -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-unused-function -Werror -fPIC" CACHE STRING "Compilation flags")
+set(FLAGS "-rdynamic -Wall -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-unused-function -Werror -fPIC" CACHE STRING "Compilation flags")
 set(DEBUG_FLAGS "-ggdb -pthread -pipe -Wformat -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4" CACHE STRING "Debug compilation flags")
 
 if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 2.6)
diff --git a/include/maxscale/log_manager.h b/include/maxscale/log_manager.h
index 329155dc7..4f2acf64d 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/log_manager.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/log_manager.h
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ void mxs_log_get_throttling(MXS_LOG_THROTTLING* throttling);
 static inline bool mxs_log_priority_is_enabled(int priority)
 {
     assert((priority & ~LOG_PRIMASK) == 0);
-    return MXS_LOG_PRIORITY_IS_ENABLED(priority);
+    return MXS_LOG_PRIORITY_IS_ENABLED(priority) || priority == LOG_ALERT;
 }
 
 int mxs_log_message(int priority,
diff --git a/server/core/gateway.cc b/server/core/gateway.cc
index 0c838245c..da4aefd08 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.cc
+++ b/server/core/gateway.cc
@@ -398,32 +398,31 @@ sigfatal_handler(int i)
     }
     fatal_handling = 1;
     MXS_CONFIG* cnf = config_get_global_options();
-    fprintf(stderr, "\n\nMaxScale " MAXSCALE_VERSION " received fatal signal %d\n", i);
+    fprintf(stderr, "Fatal: MaxScale " MAXSCALE_VERSION " received fatal signal %d. "
+            "Attempting backtrace.\n", i);
+    fprintf(stderr, "Commit ID: %s System name: %s Release string: %s\n\n",
+            maxscale_commit, cnf->sysname, cnf->release_string);
+    void *addrs[128];
+    int count = backtrace(addrs, 128);
 
-    MXS_ALERT("Fatal: MaxScale " MAXSCALE_VERSION " received fatal signal %d. Attempting backtrace.", i);
+    // First print the stack trace to stderr as malloc is likely broken
+    backtrace_symbols_fd(addrs, count, STDERR_FILENO);
 
+    MXS_ALERT("Fatal: MaxScale " MAXSCALE_VERSION " received fatal signal %d. "
+              "Attempting backtrace.", i);
     MXS_ALERT("Commit ID: %s System name: %s "
               "Release string: %s",
               maxscale_commit, cnf->sysname, cnf->release_string);
+    // Then see if we can log them
+    char** symbols = backtrace_symbols(addrs, count);
 
+    if (symbols)
     {
-        void *addrs[128];
-        int count = backtrace(addrs, 128);
-        char** symbols = backtrace_symbols(addrs, count);
-
-        if (symbols)
+        for (int n = 0; n < count; n++)
         {
-            for (int n = 0; n < count; n++)
-            {
-                MXS_ALERT("  %s\n", symbols[n]);
-            }
-            MXS_FREE(symbols);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            fprintf(stderr, "\nresolving symbols to error log failed, writing call trace to stderr:\n");
-            backtrace_symbols_fd(addrs, count, fileno(stderr));
+            MXS_ALERT("  %s\n", symbols[n]);
         }
+        MXS_FREE(symbols);
     }
 
     mxs_log_flush_sync();
@@ -434,8 +433,6 @@ sigfatal_handler(int i)
     raise(i);
 }
 
-
-
 /**
  * @node Wraps sigaction calls
  *