diff --git a/local/index.html b/local/index.html
index 7a262984..a5fd00b3 100644
--- a/local/index.html
+++ b/local/index.html
@@ -326,9 +326,17 @@
         
         //::dev:{*/
         function $rebuild() {
+            var progressMsg = document.getElementById("progress-msg");
             if (!window.rebuildProc) {
-                if (document.getElementById("progress-msg"))
-                    document.getElementById("progress-msg").firstChild.data = "Rebuilding";
+                if (sessionStorage.triedToReload) {
+                    win.showDevTools();
+                    progressMsg.textContent = "there were errors starting application";
+                    return 
+                }
+                sessionStorage.triedToReload = 1;
+                
+                if (progressMsg)
+                    progressMsg.firstChild.data = "Rebuilding";
                 var proc = window.rebuildProc = spawn("bash", ["./scripts/makelocal.sh", "--quick"]);
                 proc = spawn("bash", ["../scripts/makelocal.sh"], {cwd: server.__dirname});
                 proc.stdout.on("data", function(d) { console.log(d + "") });
diff --git a/local/server.js b/local/server.js
index ed2ea053..9598972f 100644
--- a/local/server.js
+++ b/local/server.js
@@ -613,12 +613,18 @@ function registerWindow(win, id) {
     
     allWindows[id] = win;
     activeWindowId = id;
-    win.on("close", function() {
+    function mainCloseHandler() {
         if (win.listeners("close").length == 1) {
             onClose(id);
             win.close(true);
         }
+    }
+    // make sure only one mainCloseHandler is attached even after calling win.reload()
+    win.listeners("close").forEach(function(f) {
+        if (f.name == "mainCloseHandler")
+            win.removeListener("close", f);
     });
+    win.on("close", mainCloseHandler);
     win.on("focus", function() {
         onFocus(id);
     });