diff --git a/demo/demo.cpp b/demo/demo.cpp
index 3c025289..dc4e3af3 100644
--- a/demo/demo.cpp
+++ b/demo/demo.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ bool MyApp::OnInit()
     wxInitAllImageHandlers();
 
     // enable this to route wxLog messages to a file:
-    // auto logFile = new LogFile;
+    // auto logFile = new LogFile{ true };
     // delete wxLog::SetActiveTarget(logFile);
 
     MyFrame* frame = new MyFrame;
diff --git a/src/ui/app.cpp b/src/ui/app.cpp
index f0b50c2f..3cc404f7 100644
--- a/src/ui/app.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/app.cpp
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ bool Wisteria::UI::BaseApp::OnInit()
     SET_PROFILER_REPORT_PATH(m_profileReportPath.mb_str());
     DUMP_PROFILER_REPORT(); // flush out data in temp file from previous run
 
-    // logs will be written to file now, delete the old logging system
-    m_logBuffer = new LogFile;
+    // Logs will be written to file now, delete the old logging system.
+    // (We will append to an existing log file if SHIFT key is held down.)
+    m_logBuffer = new LogFile{ !wxGetMouseState().ShiftDown() };
     delete wxLog::SetActiveTarget(m_logBuffer);
 
     // log some system information
@@ -503,4 +504,4 @@ wxString Wisteria::UI::BaseApp::FindResourceDirectoryWithAppInfo(
     if (wxFileName::DirExists(foundFolder))
         { return foundFolder; }
     return wxString{};
-    }
\ No newline at end of file
+    }
diff --git a/src/util/logfile.cpp b/src/util/logfile.cpp
index fe77662d..960c021d 100644
--- a/src/util/logfile.cpp
+++ b/src/util/logfile.cpp
@@ -9,23 +9,21 @@
 #include "logfile.h"
 
 //--------------------------------------------------
-LogFile::LogFile() :
+LogFile::LogFile(bool clearPreviousLog) :
     // will be a unique file name on a per day basis
     m_logFilePath(wxStandardPaths::Get().GetTempDir() + wxFileName::GetPathSeparator() +
         wxTheApp->GetAppName() + wxDateTime::Now().FormatISODate() + L".log")
     {
-    wxFile logFile;
-    if (!logFile.Create(m_logFilePath, true))
+    wxFile logFile(m_logFilePath, clearPreviousLog ? wxFile::write : wxFile::write_append);
+    if (!logFile.IsOpened())
         {
         wxMessageBox(wxString::Format(
             _(L"Unable to create log file at '%s'"), m_logFilePath),
             _(L"Logging Error"), wxOK|wxICON_WARNING);
+        return;
         }
-    else
-        {
-        // clear file (from a previous program run) and prepare for appending
-        logFile.Write(wxEmptyString);
-        }
+    // clear file (from a previous program run) or prepare for appending
+    logFile.Write(wxString{});
     }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/util/logfile.h b/src/util/logfile.h
index ab9f141f..81400154 100644
--- a/src/util/logfile.h
+++ b/src/util/logfile.h
@@ -57,17 +57,15 @@ class LogFile : public wxLog
     {
 public:
     /// @brief Default constructor.
+    /// @param clearPreviousLog @c true to clear the contents of the target log file
+    ///     if it exists.
     /// @details Should be created on the heap and passed to
     ///     @c wxLog::SetActiveTarget().
-    LogFile();
+    explicit LogFile(bool clearPreviousLog);
     /// @private
     LogFile(const LogFile&) = delete;
     /// @private
-    LogFile(LogFile&&) = delete;
-    /// @private
     LogFile& operator=(const LogFile&) = delete;
-    /// @private
-    LogFile& operator=(LogFile&&) = delete;
 
     /// @brief Reads (and returns) the content of the log file.
     /// @returns The content of the log report.