diff --git a/src/logging/Manager.cc b/src/logging/Manager.cc
index 269ba32bfa..bcbea6e266 100644
--- a/src/logging/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/logging/Manager.cc
@@ -1215,12 +1215,16 @@ bool Manager::Flush(EnumVal* id)
 void Manager::Terminate()
 	{
 	// Make sure we process all the pending rotations.
-	while ( rotations_pending )
+
+	while ( rotations_pending > 0 )
 		{
 		thread_mgr->ForceProcessing(); // A blatant layering violation ...
 		usleep(1000);
 		}
 
+	if ( rotations_pending < 0 )
+		reporter->InternalError("Negative pending log rotations: %d", rotations_pending);
+
 	for ( vector<Stream *>::iterator s = streams.begin(); s != streams.end(); ++s )
 		{
 		if ( ! *s )
@@ -1384,3 +1388,11 @@ bool Manager::FinishedRotation(WriterFrontend* writer, const char* new_name, con
 	return result;
 	}
 
+bool Manager::FailedRotation(WriterFrontend* writer, const char* filename,
+                             double open, double close, bool terminating)
+	{
+	--rotations_pending;
+	DBG_LOG(DBG_LOGGING, "Failed rotating writer '%s', file '%s' at %.6f,",
+	        writer->Name(), filename, network_time);
+	return true;
+	}
diff --git a/src/logging/Manager.h b/src/logging/Manager.h
index d2041592c1..7de99035c4 100644
--- a/src/logging/Manager.h
+++ b/src/logging/Manager.h
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ public:
 protected:
 	friend class WriterFrontend;
 	friend class RotationFinishedMessage;
+	friend class RotationFailedMessage;
 	friend class ::RemoteSerializer;
 	friend class ::RotationTimer;
 
@@ -178,6 +179,12 @@ protected:
 	bool FinishedRotation(WriterFrontend* writer, const char* new_name, const char* old_name,
 			      double open, double close, bool terminating);
 
+	// Signals that a file couldn't be rotated, either because the writer
+	// implementation decided there was nothing to do or because a real error
+	// occurred.  In the error case, a separate message for the reason is sent.
+	bool FailedRotation(WriterFrontend* writer, const char* filename,
+	                    double open, double close, bool terminating);
+
 	// Deletes the values as passed into Write().
 	void DeleteVals(int num_fields, threading::Value** vals);
 
diff --git a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
index afdc4b99c5..8b4d49d6e9 100644
--- a/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
+++ b/src/logging/WriterBackend.cc
@@ -43,6 +43,32 @@ private:
         bool terminating;
 };
 
+class RotationFailedMessage : public threading::OutputMessage<WriterFrontend>
+{
+public:
+	RotationFailedMessage(WriterFrontend* writer, const char* filename,
+				double open, double close, bool terminating)
+		: threading::OutputMessage<WriterFrontend>("RotationFailed", writer),
+		filename(copy_string(filename)), open(open),
+		close(close), terminating(terminating)	{ }
+
+	virtual ~RotationFailedMessage()
+		{
+		delete [] filename;
+		}
+
+	virtual bool Process()
+		{
+		return log_mgr->FailedRotation(Object(), filename, open, close, terminating);
+		}
+
+private:
+        const char* filename;
+        double open;
+        double close;
+        bool terminating;
+};
+
 class FlushWriteBufferMessage : public threading::OutputMessage<WriterFrontend>
 {
 public:
@@ -164,6 +190,13 @@ bool WriterBackend::FinishedRotation(const char* new_name, const char* old_name,
 	return true;
 	}
 
+bool WriterBackend::FailedRotation(const char* filename, double open,
+                                   double close, bool terminating)
+	{
+	SendOut(new RotationFailedMessage(frontend, filename, open, close, terminating));
+	return true;
+	}
+
 void WriterBackend::DisableFrontend()
 	{
 	SendOut(new DisableMessage(frontend));
diff --git a/src/logging/WriterBackend.h b/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
index 77dbe71f45..64eb13ddec 100644
--- a/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
+++ b/src/logging/WriterBackend.h
@@ -229,6 +229,25 @@ public:
 	bool FinishedRotation(const char* new_name, const char* old_name,
 			      double open, double close, bool terminating);
 
+	/**
+	 * Signals that a file couldn't be rotated. This must be called by a
+	 * writer's implementation of DoRotate() in all cases where
+	 * FinishedRotation() was not called or failed.
+	 *
+	 * Most of the parameters should be passed through from DoRotate().
+	 *
+	 * @param filename The name of the file that was attempted to be rotated.
+	 *
+	 * @param open: The timestamp when the original file was opened.
+	 *
+	 * @param close: The timestamp when the origina file was closed.
+	 *
+	 * @param terminating: True if the original rotation request occured
+	 * due to the main Bro process shutting down.
+	 */
+	bool FailedRotation(const char* filename, double open, double close,
+	                    bool terminating);
+
 	/** Helper method to render an IP address as a string.
 	  *
 	  * @param addr The address.
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc b/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
index c4c6b06563..805ccaa4cc 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/Ascii.cc
@@ -373,7 +373,10 @@ bool Ascii::DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool t
 	{
 	// Don't rotate special files or if there's not one currently open.
 	if ( ! fd || IsSpecial(Info().path) )
+		{
+		FailedRotation(rotated_path, open, close, terminating);
 		return true;
+		}
 
 	CloseFile(close);
 
@@ -382,6 +385,7 @@ bool Ascii::DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool t
 
 	if ( ! FinishedRotation(nname.c_str(), fname.c_str(), open, close, terminating) )
 		{
+		FailedRotation(rotated_path, open, close, terminating);
 		Error(Fmt("error rotating %s to %s", fname.c_str(), nname.c_str()));
 		return false;
 		}
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/DataSeries.cc b/src/logging/writers/DataSeries.cc
index 7d3053e341..29e1705bf5 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/DataSeries.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/DataSeries.cc
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ bool DataSeries::DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, b
 
 	if ( ! FinishedRotation(nname.c_str(), dsname.c_str(), open, close, terminating) )
 		{
+		FailedRotation(rotated_path, open, close, terminating);
 		Error(Fmt("error rotating %s to %s", dsname.c_str(), nname.c_str()));
 		return false;
 		}
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/ElasticSearch.cc b/src/logging/writers/ElasticSearch.cc
index cc6f8b1c4f..d663e375c5 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/ElasticSearch.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/ElasticSearch.cc
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ bool ElasticSearch::DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close
 
 	if ( ! FinishedRotation(current_index.c_str(), prev_index.c_str(), open, close, terminating) )
 		{
+		FailedRotation(rotated_path, open, close, terminating);
 		Error(Fmt("error rotating %s to %s", prev_index.c_str(), current_index.c_str()));
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/None.cc b/src/logging/writers/None.cc
index 9b91b82199..0d659ed34e 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/None.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/None.cc
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ bool None::DoRotate(const char* rotated_path, double open, double close, bool te
 	{
 	if ( ! FinishedRotation("/dev/null", Info().path, open, close, terminating))
 		{
+		FailedRotation(rotated_path, open, close, terminating);
 		Error(Fmt("error rotating %s", Info().path));
 		return false;
 		}