diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py
index 1f71c5cd2e..0c6351d2e8 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py
@@ -408,22 +408,28 @@ class BitBakeServer(object):
                 logstart_re = re.compile(self.start_log_format % ('([0-9]+)', '([0-9-]+ [0-9:.]+)'))
                 started = False
                 lines = []
+                lastlines = []
                 with open(logfile, "r") as f:
                     for line in f:
                         if started:
                             lines.append(line)
                         else:
+                            lastlines.append(line)
                             res = logstart_re.match(line.rstrip())
                             if res:
                                 ldatetime = datetime.datetime.strptime(res.group(2), self.start_log_datetime_format)
                                 if ldatetime >= startdatetime:
                                     started = True
                                     lines.append(line)
+                        if len(lastlines) > 60:
+                            lastlines = lastlines[-60:]
                 if lines:
                     if len(lines) > 60:
                         bb.error("Last 60 lines of server log for this session (%s):\n%s" % (logfile, "".join(lines[-60:])))
                     else:
                         bb.error("Server log for this session (%s):\n%s" % (logfile, "".join(lines)))
+                elif lastlines:
+                        bb.error("Server didn't start, last 60 loglines (%s):\n%s" % (logfile, "".join(lastlines)))
             else:
                 bb.error("%s doesn't exist" % logfile)