diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/galaxy.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/galaxy.js
index ae306e14687..cbd968e2ecc 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/galaxy.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/galaxy.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ addLogging(GalaxyApp, "GalaxyApp");
 var DEBUGGING_KEY = "galaxy:debug";
 
 var NAMESPACE_KEY = `${DEBUGGING_KEY}:namespaces`;
+var FLATTEN_LOG_MESSAGES_KEY = `${DEBUGGING_KEY}:flatten`;
+
 var localDebugging = false;
 try {
     localDebugging = localStorage.getItem(DEBUGGING_KEY) == "true";
@@ -137,6 +139,10 @@ GalaxyApp.prototype._initLogger = function _initLogger(loggerOptions) {
         try {
             loggerOptions.consoleNamespaceWhitelist = localStorage.getItem(NAMESPACE_KEY).split(",");
         } catch (storageErr) {}
+        try {
+            loggerOptions.consoleFlattenMessages = localStorage.getItem(FLATTEN_LOG_MESSAGES_KEY) == "true";
+        } catch (storageErr) {}
+        console.log(loggerOptions.consoleFlattenMessages);
     }
 
     self.logger = new metricsLogger.MetricsLogger(loggerOptions);
diff --git a/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/metrics-logger.js b/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/metrics-logger.js
index abe9f09c9ed..a1fb80b1672 100644
--- a/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/metrics-logger.js
+++ b/client/galaxy/scripts/utils/metrics-logger.js
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ MetricsLogger.defaultOptions = {
      *  note: applies only to the console (not the event/metrics log/cache)
      */
     consoleNamespaceWhitelist: null,
+    /** Force all messages into simple strings. */
+    consoleFlattenMessages: false,
     /** the prefix attached to client-side logs to distinguish them in the metrics db */
     clientPrefix: "client.",
 
@@ -283,6 +285,14 @@ MetricsLogger.prototype._delayPost = function _delayPost() {
     }, self.options.delayPostInMs);
 };
 
+function usefulToString(arg) {
+    var asStr = String(arg);
+    if (asStr == "[object Object]") {
+        asStr = JSON.stringify(arg);
+    }
+    return asStr;
+}
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------- console
 /** output message to console based on level and consoleLogger type */
 MetricsLogger.prototype._emitToConsole = function _emitToConsole(level, namespace, logArguments) {
@@ -300,6 +310,9 @@ MetricsLogger.prototype._emitToConsole = function _emitToConsole(level, namespac
 
     var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(logArguments, 0);
     args.unshift(namespace);
+    if (self.options.consoleFlattenMessages) {
+        args = [args.map(usefulToString).join(" ")];
+    }
     //TODO: script location and/or source maps?
     //TODO: branch on navigator.userAgent == AIIEEE - it only has log
     if (level >= MetricsLogger.METRIC && typeof self.consoleLogger.info === "function") {
diff --git a/test/galaxy_selenium/driver_factory.py b/test/galaxy_selenium/driver_factory.py
index f232e155448..1e9b729225c 100644
--- a/test/galaxy_selenium/driver_factory.py
+++ b/test/galaxy_selenium/driver_factory.py
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ from selenium.webdriver.common.desired_capabilities import DesiredCapabilities
 
 
 DEFAULT_BROWSER = "auto"
+LOGGING_PREFS = {
+    "browser": "ALL",
+}
 
 
 def get_local_driver(browser=DEFAULT_BROWSER):
@@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ def get_local_driver(browser=DEFAULT_BROWSER):
         "PHANTOMJS": webdriver.PhantomJS,
     }
     driver_class = driver_to_class[browser]
-    return driver_class()
+    return driver_class(desired_capabilities={"loggingPrefs": LOGGING_PREFS})
 
 
 def get_remote_driver(
@@ -42,9 +45,7 @@ def get_remote_driver(
         browser = "CHROME"
     assert browser in ["CHROME", "EDGE", "ANDROID", "FIREFOX", "INTERNETEXPLORER", "IPAD", "IPHONE", "OPERA", "PHANTOMJS", "SAFARI"]
     desired_capabilities = getattr(DesiredCapabilities, browser)
-    desired_capabilities["loggingPrefs"] = {
-        "browser": "ALL",
-    }
+    desired_capabilities["loggingPrefs"] = LOGGING_PREFS
     executor = 'http://%s:%s/wd/hub' % (host, port)
     driver = webdriver.Remote(
         command_executor=executor,
diff --git a/test/selenium_tests/framework.py b/test/selenium_tests/framework.py
index 4f83ded97e7..b2d91676f19 100644
--- a/test/selenium_tests/framework.py
+++ b/test/selenium_tests/framework.py
@@ -57,6 +57,14 @@ GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_PASSWORD = os.environ.get("GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_P
 GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_ADMIN_USER_EMAIL = os.environ.get("GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_ADMIN_USER_EMAIL", DEFAULT_ADMIN_USER)
 GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_ADMIN_USER_PASSWORD = os.environ.get("GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_ADMIN_USER_PASSWORD", DEFAULT_ADMIN_PASSWORD)
 
+# JS code to execute in Galaxy JS console to setup localStorage of session for logging and
+# logging "flatten" messages because it seems Selenium (with Chrome at least) only grabs
+# the first argument to console.XXX when recovering the browser log.
+SETUP_LOGGING_JS = '''
+window.localStorage && window.localStorage.setItem("galaxy:debug", true);
+window.localStorage && window.localStorage.setItem("galaxy:debug:flatten", true);
+'''
+
 try:
     from nose.tools import nottest
 except ImportError:
@@ -107,8 +115,11 @@ def dump_test_information(self, name_prefix):
             snapshot.write_to_error_directory(write_file)
 
         for log_type in ["browser", "driver"]:
+            full_log = self.driver.get_log(log_type)
+            trimmed_log = [l for l in full_log if l["level"] not in ["DEBUG", "INFO"]]
             try:
-                write_file("%s.log.json" % log_type, json.dumps(self.driver.get_log(log_type)))
+                write_file("%s.log.json" % log_type, json.dumps(trimmed_log, indent=True))
+                write_file("%s.log.verbose.json" % log_type, json.dumps(full_log, indent=True))
             except Exception:
                 continue
         iframes = self.driver.find_elements_by_css_selector("iframe")
@@ -227,9 +238,15 @@ class SeleniumTestCase(FunctionalTestCase, NavigatesGalaxy, UsesApiTestCaseMixin
         # to increase this.
         self.driver.set_window_size(1280, 900)
 
+        self._setup_galaxy_logging()
+
         if self.ensure_registered:
             self.login()
 
+    def _setup_galaxy_logging(self):
+        self.home()
+        self.driver.execute_script(SETUP_LOGGING_JS)
+
     def login(self):
         if GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_EMAIL:
             assert GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_PASSWORD, "If GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_EMAIL is set, a password must be set also with GALAXY_TEST_SELENIUM_USER_PASSWORD"