diff --git a/pkg/urbit/daemon/main.c b/pkg/urbit/daemon/main.c
index 293f9c6c97..d6d197dcd8 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/daemon/main.c
+++ b/pkg/urbit/daemon/main.c
@@ -467,6 +467,8 @@ report(void)
   printf("argon2: 0x%x\n", ARGON2_VERSION_NUMBER);
 }
 
+/* _stop_exit(): exit immediately.
+*/
 static void
 _stop_exit(c3_i int_i)
 {
@@ -476,6 +478,18 @@ _stop_exit(c3_i int_i)
   u3_daemon_bail();
 }
 
+/* _stop_trace(): print trace on SIGABRT.
+*/
+static void
+_stop_trace(c3_i int_i)
+{
+  //  if we have a pier, unmap the event log before dumping core
+  //
+  if ( 0 != u3K.len_w ) {
+    u3_pier_db_shutdown(u3_pier_stub());
+  }
+}
+
 /*
   This is set to the the write-end of a pipe when Urbit is started in
   daemon mode. It's meant to be used as a signal to the parent process
@@ -626,6 +640,10 @@ main(c3_i   argc,
   //
   signal(SIGTSTP, _stop_exit);
 
+  //  Cleanup on SIGABRT.
+  //
+  signal(SIGABRT, _stop_trace);
+
   printf("~\n");
   //  printf("welcome.\n");
   printf("urbit %s\n", URBIT_VERSION);
diff --git a/pkg/urbit/include/vere/vere.h b/pkg/urbit/include/vere/vere.h
index 710f27710b..09bfe9aacf 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/include/vere/vere.h
+++ b/pkg/urbit/include/vere/vere.h
@@ -1174,6 +1174,11 @@
 
     /** Pier control.
     **/
+      /* u3_pier_db_shutdown(): close the log.
+      */
+        void
+        u3_pier_db_shutdown(u3_pier* pir_u);
+
       /* u3_pier_interrupt(): interrupt running process.
       */
         void
diff --git a/pkg/urbit/vere/daemon.c b/pkg/urbit/vere/daemon.c
index bdf9e14e7e..16b5665aef 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/vere/daemon.c
+++ b/pkg/urbit/vere/daemon.c
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ _boothack_key(u3_noun kef)
     u3_noun whu = u3dc("slaw", 'p', u3k(woh));
 
     if ( u3_nul == whu ) {
-      u3l_log("dawn: invalid ship specificed with -w %s\r\n",
+      u3l_log("dawn: invalid ship specified with -w %s\r\n",
               u3_Host.ops_u.who_c);
       exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/pkg/urbit/vere/dawn.c b/pkg/urbit/vere/dawn.c
index 80a3856aa0..8a4aaf3ca4 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/vere/dawn.c
+++ b/pkg/urbit/vere/dawn.c
@@ -506,6 +506,30 @@ _dawn_come(u3_noun stars)
     c3_c* who_c = u3r_string(who);
 
     u3l_log("boot: found comet %s\r\n", who_c);
+
+  //  enable to print and save comet private key for future reuse
+  //
+#if 0
+    {
+      u3_noun key = u3dc("scot", c3__uw, u3qe_jam(seed));
+      c3_c* key_c = u3r_string(key);
+
+      u3l_log("boot: comet private key\n  %s\n", key_c);
+
+      {
+        c3_c  pat_c[64];
+        snprintf(pat_c, 64, "%s.key", who_c + 1);
+
+        FILE* fil_u = fopen(pat_c, "w");
+        fprintf(fil_u, "%s\n", key_c);
+        fclose(fil_u);
+      }
+
+      free(key_c);
+      u3z(key);
+    }
+#endif
+
     free(who_c);
     u3z(who);
   }
diff --git a/pkg/urbit/vere/pier.c b/pkg/urbit/vere/pier.c
index 730e47f095..08889c0007 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/vere/pier.c
+++ b/pkg/urbit/vere/pier.c
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ _pier_db_bail(void* vod_p, const c3_c* err_c)
   u3l_log("disk error: %s\r\n", err_c);
 }
 
-/* _pier_db_shutdown(): close the log.
+/* u3_pier_db_shutdown(): close the log.
 */
-static void
-_pier_db_shutdown(u3_pier* pir_u)
+void
+u3_pier_db_shutdown(u3_pier* pir_u)
 {
   u3_lmdb_shutdown(pir_u->log_u->db_u);
 }
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ _pier_work_boot(u3_pier* pir_u, c3_o sav_o)
   u3_noun len = u3i_chubs(1, &pir_u->lif_d);
 
   if ( c3y == sav_o ) {
-    _pier_db_write_header(pir_u, who, u3k(pir_u->fak_o), len);
+    _pier_db_write_header(pir_u, u3k(who), pir_u->fak_o, u3k(len));
   }
 
   u3_noun msg = u3nq(c3__boot, who, pir_u->fak_o, len);
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ _pier_work_exit(uv_process_t* req_u,
   u3l_log("pier: exit: status %" PRIu64 ", signal %d\r\n", sas_i, sig_i);
   uv_close((uv_handle_t*) req_u, 0);
 
-  _pier_db_shutdown(pir_u);
+  u3_pier_db_shutdown(pir_u);
   _pier_work_shutdown(pir_u);
 }
 
@@ -1787,7 +1787,7 @@ _pier_exit_done(u3_pier* pir_u)
 {
   u3l_log("pier: exit\r\n");
 
-  _pier_db_shutdown(pir_u);
+  u3_pier_db_shutdown(pir_u);
   _pier_work_shutdown(pir_u);
   _pier_loop_exit(pir_u);