diff --git a/src/libply-splash-core/ply-text-display.c b/src/libply-splash-core/ply-text-display.c
index 7bf6e06d..6eaea421 100644
--- a/src/libply-splash-core/ply-text-display.c
+++ b/src/libply-splash-core/ply-text-display.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 #include "ply-utils.h"
 
 #ifndef CLEAR_SCREEN_SEQUENCE
-#define CLEAR_SCREEN_SEQUENCE "\033[2J"
+#define CLEAR_SCREEN_SEQUENCE "\033[2J\033[3J"
 #endif
 
 #ifndef CLEAR_LINE_SEQUENCE
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ ply_text_display_set_cursor_position (ply_text_display_t *display,
 void
 ply_text_display_clear_screen (ply_text_display_t *display)
 {
-        if (ply_is_tracing ())
+        if (ply_is_tracing_to_terminal ())
                 return;
 
         ply_terminal_write (display->terminal,
diff --git a/src/libply/ply-logger.c b/src/libply/ply-logger.c
index 03dd347f..749c9da5 100644
--- a/src/libply/ply-logger.c
+++ b/src/libply/ply-logger.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ typedef struct
 struct _ply_logger
 {
         int                       output_fd;
+        bool                      output_fd_is_terminal;
         char                     *filename;
 
         char                     *buffer;
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ ply_logger_new (void)
         logger = calloc (1, sizeof(ply_logger_t));
 
         logger->output_fd = -1;
+        logger->output_fd_is_terminal = false;
         logger->filename = NULL;
         logger->is_enabled = true;
         logger->tracing_is_enabled = false;
@@ -363,6 +365,7 @@ ply_logger_set_output_fd (ply_logger_t *logger,
         assert (logger != NULL);
 
         logger->output_fd = fd;
+        logger->output_fd_is_terminal = isatty(fd);
 }
 
 int
@@ -580,6 +583,15 @@ ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled (ply_logger_t *logger)
 
         return logger->tracing_is_enabled != false;
 }
+
+bool
+ply_logger_is_tracing_to_terminal (ply_logger_t *logger)
+{
+        assert (logger != NULL);
+
+        return logger->tracing_is_enabled && logger->output_fd_is_terminal;
+}
+
 #endif /* PLY_ENABLE_TRACING */
 
 /* vim: set ts=4 sw=4 expandtab autoindent cindent cino={.5s,(0: */
diff --git a/src/libply/ply-logger.h b/src/libply/ply-logger.h
index 0015c0cf..8d8ee871 100644
--- a/src/libply/ply-logger.h
+++ b/src/libply/ply-logger.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ ply_logger_t *ply_logger_get_error_default (void);
 #ifdef PLY_ENABLE_TRACING
 void ply_logger_toggle_tracing (ply_logger_t *logger);
 bool ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled (ply_logger_t *logger);
+bool ply_logger_is_tracing_to_terminal (ply_logger_t *logger);
 
 #define ply_logger_trace(logger, format, args ...)                              \
         do                                                                             \
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ bool ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled (ply_logger_t *logger);
 #define ply_logger_trace(logger, format, args ...)
 #define ply_logger_toggle_tracing(logger)
 #define ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled(logger) (false)
+#define ply_logger_is_tracing_to_terminal(logger) (false)
 #endif /* PLY_ENABLE_TRACING */
 
 /* convenience macros
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ bool ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled (ply_logger_t *logger);
         ply_logger_toggle_tracing (ply_logger_get_error_default ())
 #define ply_is_tracing()                                                       \
         ply_logger_is_tracing_enabled (ply_logger_get_error_default ())
+#define ply_is_tracing_to_terminal()                                            \
+        ply_logger_is_tracing_to_terminal (ply_logger_get_error_default ())
 #define ply_trace(format, args ...)                                             \
         ply_logger_trace (ply_logger_get_error_default (), format, ## args)
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 0ad34fc4..122cb734 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -1976,7 +1976,7 @@ initialize_environment (state_t *state)
         state->entry_buffer = ply_buffer_new ();
         state->messages = ply_list_new ();
 
-        if (!ply_is_tracing ())
+        if (!ply_is_tracing_to_terminal ())
                 redirect_standard_io_to_dev_null ();
 
         ply_trace ("Making sure " PLYMOUTH_RUNTIME_DIR " exists");
diff --git a/src/plugins/splash/details/plugin.c b/src/plugins/splash/details/plugin.c
index f534450b..254f682b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/splash/details/plugin.c
+++ b/src/plugins/splash/details/plugin.c
@@ -237,8 +237,10 @@ add_text_display (ply_boot_splash_plugin_t *plugin,
         view = view_new (plugin, display);
 
         terminal = ply_text_display_get_terminal (view->display);
-        if (ply_terminal_open (terminal))
+        if (ply_terminal_open (terminal)) {
+                ply_text_display_clear_screen (view->display);        
                 ply_terminal_activate_vt (terminal);
+        }
 
         ply_list_append_data (plugin->views, view);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/splash/text/plugin.c b/src/plugins/splash/text/plugin.c
index 7805b9e8..3fa01a77 100644
--- a/src/plugins/splash/text/plugin.c
+++ b/src/plugins/splash/text/plugin.c
@@ -233,11 +233,10 @@ view_hide (view_t *view)
 
                 terminal = ply_text_display_get_terminal (view->display);
 
+                ply_terminal_reset_colors (terminal);
                 ply_text_display_set_background_color (view->display, PLY_TERMINAL_COLOR_DEFAULT);
                 ply_text_display_clear_screen (view->display);
                 ply_text_display_show_cursor (view->display);
-
-                ply_terminal_reset_colors (terminal);
         }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/splash/tribar/plugin.c b/src/plugins/splash/tribar/plugin.c
index 1778822a..7c33e184 100644
--- a/src/plugins/splash/tribar/plugin.c
+++ b/src/plugins/splash/tribar/plugin.c
@@ -239,11 +239,10 @@ view_hide (view_t *view)
 
                 terminal = ply_text_display_get_terminal (view->display);
 
+                ply_terminal_reset_colors (terminal);
                 ply_text_display_set_background_color (view->display, PLY_TERMINAL_COLOR_DEFAULT);
                 ply_text_display_clear_screen (view->display);
                 ply_text_display_show_cursor (view->display);
-
-                ply_terminal_reset_colors (terminal);
         }
 }