diff --git a/build/server/main.js b/build/server/main.js
index a2e2880..016694b 100644
--- a/build/server/main.js
+++ b/build/server/main.js
@@ -1276,13 +1276,11 @@ const idxname = (gameId) => `${DATA_DIR}/log_${gameId}.idx.log`;
 const create = (gameId, ts) => {
     const idxfile = idxname(gameId);
     if (!fs.existsSync(idxfile)) {
-        const logfile = filename(gameId, 0);
-        fs.appendFileSync(logfile, "");
         fs.appendFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify({
             gameId: gameId,
             total: 0,
             lastTs: ts,
-            currentFile: logfile,
+            currentFile: '',
             perFile: LINES_PER_LOG_FILE,
         }));
     }
@@ -1296,21 +1294,21 @@ const _log = (gameId, type, ...args) => {
     if (!fs.existsSync(idxfile)) {
         return;
     }
-    const ts = args[args.length - 1];
-    const otherArgs = args.slice(0, -1);
-    const idx = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(idxfile, 'utf-8'));
-    idx.total++;
-    const diff = ts - idx.lastTs;
-    idx.lastTs = ts;
-    const line = JSON.stringify([type, ...otherArgs, diff]).slice(1, -1);
-    fs.appendFileSync(idx.currentFile, line + "\n");
-    // prepare next log file
-    if (idx.total % idx.perFile === 0) {
-        const logfile = filename(gameId, idx.total);
-        fs.appendFileSync(logfile, "");
-        idx.currentFile = logfile;
+    const idxObj = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(idxfile, 'utf-8'));
+    if (idxObj.total % idxObj.perFile === 0) {
+        idxObj.currentFile = filename(gameId, idxObj.total);
     }
-    fs.writeFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify(idx));
+    const tsIdx = type === Protocol.LOG_HEADER ? 3 : (args.length - 1);
+    const ts = args[tsIdx];
+    if (type !== Protocol.LOG_HEADER) {
+        // for everything but header save the diff to last log entry
+        args[tsIdx] = ts - idxObj.lastTs;
+    }
+    const line = JSON.stringify([type, ...args]).slice(1, -1);
+    fs.appendFileSync(idxObj.currentFile, line + "\n");
+    idxObj.total++;
+    idxObj.lastTs = ts;
+    fs.writeFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify(idxObj));
 };
 const get = (gameId, offset = 0) => {
     const idxfile = idxname(gameId);
diff --git a/src/server/GameLog.ts b/src/server/GameLog.ts
index b71e3db..859610f 100644
--- a/src/server/GameLog.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameLog.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs'
+import Protocol from '../common/Protocol'
 import Time from '../common/Time'
 import { Timestamp } from '../common/Types'
 import { logger } from './../common/Util'
@@ -27,13 +28,11 @@ export const idxname = (gameId: string) => `${DATA_DIR}/log_${gameId}.idx.log`
 const create = (gameId: string, ts: Timestamp): void => {
   const idxfile = idxname(gameId)
   if (!fs.existsSync(idxfile)) {
-    const logfile = filename(gameId, 0)
-    fs.appendFileSync(logfile, "")
     fs.appendFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify({
       gameId: gameId,
       total: 0,
       lastTs: ts,
-      currentFile: logfile,
+      currentFile: '',
       perFile: LINES_PER_LOG_FILE,
     }))
   }
@@ -50,23 +49,23 @@ const _log = (gameId: string, type: number, ...args: Array<any>): void => {
     return
   }
 
-  const ts: Timestamp = args[args.length - 1]
-  const otherArgs: any[] = args.slice(0, -1)
-
-  const idx = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(idxfile, 'utf-8'))
-  idx.total++
-  const diff = ts - idx.lastTs
-  idx.lastTs = ts
-  const line = JSON.stringify([type, ...otherArgs, diff]).slice(1, -1)
-  fs.appendFileSync(idx.currentFile, line + "\n")
-
-  // prepare next log file
-  if (idx.total % idx.perFile === 0) {
-    const logfile = filename(gameId, idx.total)
-    fs.appendFileSync(logfile, "")
-    idx.currentFile = logfile
+  const idxObj = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(idxfile, 'utf-8'))
+  if (idxObj.total % idxObj.perFile === 0) {
+    idxObj.currentFile = filename(gameId, idxObj.total)
   }
-  fs.writeFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify(idx))
+
+  const tsIdx = type === Protocol.LOG_HEADER ? 3 : (args.length - 1)
+  const ts: Timestamp = args[tsIdx]
+  if (type !== Protocol.LOG_HEADER) {
+    // for everything but header save the diff to last log entry
+    args[tsIdx] = ts - idxObj.lastTs
+  }
+  const line = JSON.stringify([type, ...args]).slice(1, -1)
+  fs.appendFileSync(idxObj.currentFile, line + "\n")
+
+  idxObj.total++
+  idxObj.lastTs = ts
+  fs.writeFileSync(idxfile, JSON.stringify(idxObj))
 }
 
 const get = (