diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/EditorConsole.java b/app/src/processing/app/EditorConsole.java
index e8dc578f1..002fb3edd 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/EditorConsole.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/EditorConsole.java
@@ -305,16 +305,17 @@ public class EditorConsole extends JScrollPane {
     public void flush() { }
 
     public void write(byte b[]) {  // appears never to be used
-//      if (currentConsole.isDisplayable()) {
-      currentConsole.write(b, 0, b.length, err);
-//      } else {
-//        systemOut.println("not displayable");
-//        if (err) {
-//          systemErr.write(b, 0, b.length);
-//        } else {
-//          systemOut.write(b, 0, b.length);
-//        }
-//      }
+      if (currentConsole != null) {
+        currentConsole.write(b, 0, b.length, err);
+      } else {
+        try {
+          if (err) {
+            systemErr.write(b);
+          } else {
+            systemOut.write(b);
+          }
+        } catch (IOException e) { }  // just ignore, where would we write?
+      }
 
       OutputStream echo = err ? stderrFile : stdoutFile;
       if (echo != null) {
@@ -329,18 +330,17 @@ public class EditorConsole extends JScrollPane {
     }
 
     public void write(byte b[], int offset, int length) {
-      currentConsole.write(b, offset, length, err);
-//      if (currentConsole.isDisplayable()) {
-//        systemOut.println("is displayable");
-//        currentConsole.write(b, offset, length, err);
-//      } else {
-//        systemOut.println("not displayable");
-//        if (err) {
-//          systemErr.write(b, offset, length);
-//        } else {
-//          systemOut.write(b, offset, length);
-//        }
-//      }
+      if (currentConsole != null) {
+        currentConsole.write(b, offset, length, err);
+      } else {
+        try {
+          if (err) {
+            systemErr.write(b);
+          } else {
+            systemOut.write(b);
+          }
+        } catch (IOException e) { }  // just ignore, where would we write?
+      }
 
       OutputStream echo = err ? stderrFile : stdoutFile;
       if (echo != null) {
@@ -356,7 +356,12 @@ public class EditorConsole extends JScrollPane {
 
     public void write(int b) {
       single[0] = (byte)b;
-      currentConsole.write(single, 0, 1, err);
+      if (currentConsole != null) {
+        currentConsole.write(single, 0, 1, err);
+      } else {
+        // redirect for all the extra handling above
+        write(new byte[] { (byte) b }, 0, 1);
+      }
 
       OutputStream echo = err ? stderrFile : stdoutFile;
       if (echo != null) {