diff --git a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
index a53464f925..fe39b86c76 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/ascii/Ascii.cc
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ bool Ascii::DoInit(const WriterInfo& info, int num_fields, const threading::Fiel
 
 			if ( sfd < 0 )
 				{
-				Error(Fmt("cannot open %s: %s", sfname.data(), Strerror(errno)));
+				Error(Fmt("cannot open %s: %s", tmp_sfname.data(), Strerror(errno)));
 				return false;
 				}
 
@@ -479,6 +479,8 @@ bool Ascii::DoInit(const WriterInfo& info, int num_fields, const threading::Fiel
 
 			util::safe_write(sfd, "\n", 1);
 
+			util::safe_fsync(sfd);
+
 			util::safe_close(sfd);
 
 			if ( rename(tmp_sfname.data(), sfname.data()) == -1 )
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index cfa612a864..51527303c0 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -2162,6 +2162,24 @@ bool safe_pwrite(int fd, const unsigned char* data, size_t len, size_t offset)
 	return true;
 	}
 
+void safe_fsync(int fd)
+	{
+	int r;
+
+	do
+		{
+		r = fsync(fd);
+		} while ( r < 0 && errno == EINTR );
+
+	if ( r < 0 )
+		{
+		char buf[128];
+		zeek_strerror_r(errno, buf, sizeof(buf));
+		fprintf(stderr, "safe_fsync error %d: %s\n", errno, buf);
+		abort();
+		}
+	}
+
 void safe_close(int fd)
 	{
 	/*
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index fa07f585a7..851191246a 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -461,6 +461,10 @@ extern bool safe_write(int fd, const char* data, int len);
 // Same as safe_write(), but for pwrite().
 extern bool safe_pwrite(int fd, const unsigned char* data, size_t len, size_t offset);
 
+// Like fsync() but handles interrupted system calls by retrying and
+// aborts on unrecoverable errors.
+extern void safe_fsync(int fd);
+
 // Wraps close(2) to emit error messages and abort on unrecoverable errors.
 extern void safe_close(int fd);