diff --git a/port/include/system.h b/port/include/system.h
index 005dbaf48..e6b75ac3d 100644
--- a/port/include/system.h
+++ b/port/include/system.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ u64 sysGetMicroseconds(void);
 
 void sysFatalError(const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((noreturn));
 
+void sysLogStartCrash(void);
 void sysLogPrintf(s32 level, const char *fmt, ...);
 
 void sysGetExecutablePath(char *outPath, const u32 outLen);
diff --git a/port/src/crash.c b/port/src/crash.c
index 77a8228ed..1ea2ea557 100644
--- a/port/src/crash.c
+++ b/port/src/crash.c
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ static long __stdcall crashHandler(PEXCEPTION_POINTERS exinfo)
 		return EXCEPTION_CONTINUE_EXECUTION;
 	}
 
+	// start writing to a crash log file
+	sysLogStartCrash();
+
 	sysLogPrintf(LOG_ERROR, "FATAL: Crashed: PC=%p CODE=0x%08lx", exinfo->ExceptionRecord->ExceptionAddress, exinfo->ExceptionRecord->ExceptionCode);
 
 	fflush(stderr);
diff --git a/port/src/system.c b/port/src/system.c
index 5261f05cd..fb24addd0 100644
--- a/port/src/system.c
+++ b/port/src/system.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "system.h"
 
 #define LOG_FNAME "pd.log"
+#define CRASHLOG_FNAME "pd.crash.log"
 #define USEC_IN_SEC 1000000ULL
 
 static u64 startTick = 0;
@@ -19,6 +20,24 @@ static char logPath[2048];
 static s32 sysArgc;
 static const char **sysArgv;
 
+static inline void sysLogSetPath(const char *fname)
+{
+	// figure out where the log is and clear it
+	// try working dir first
+	snprintf(logPath, sizeof(logPath), "./%s", fname);
+	FILE *f = fopen(logPath, "wb");
+	if (!f) {
+		// try home dir
+		sysGetHomePath(logPath, sizeof(logPath) - 1);
+		strncat(logPath, "/", sizeof(logPath) - 1);
+		strncat(logPath, fname, sizeof(logPath) - 1);
+		f = fopen(logPath, "wb");
+	}
+	if (f) {
+		fclose(f);
+	}
+}
+
 void sysInitArgs(s32 argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	sysArgc = argc;
@@ -30,19 +49,7 @@ void sysInit(void)
 	startTick = sysGetMicroseconds();
 
 	if (sysArgCheck("--log")) {
-		// figure out where the log is and clear it
-		// try working dir first
-		snprintf(logPath, sizeof(logPath), "./%s", LOG_FNAME);
-		FILE *f = fopen(logPath, "wb");
-		if (!f) {
-			// try home dir
-			sysGetHomePath(logPath, sizeof(logPath) - 1);
-			strncat(logPath, "/" LOG_FNAME, sizeof(logPath) - 1);
-			f = fopen(logPath, "wb");
-		}
-		if (f) {
-			fclose(f);
-		}
+		sysLogSetPath(LOG_FNAME);
 	}
 
 #ifdef VERSION_HASH
@@ -96,6 +103,13 @@ u64 sysGetMicroseconds(void)
 	return ((u64)tv.tv_sec * USEC_IN_SEC + (u64)tv.tv_usec) - startTick;
 }
 
+void sysLogStartCrash(void)
+{
+	if (!logPath[0]) {
+		sysLogSetPath(CRASHLOG_FNAME);
+	}
+}
+
 void sysLogPrintf(s32 level, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	static const char *prefix[3] = {