diff --git a/collects/meta/build/build b/collects/meta/build/build
index 4e9b661f3b..d0691965f9 100755
--- a/collects/meta/build/build
+++ b/collects/meta/build/build
@@ -373,12 +373,12 @@ no_exit_on_error="no"
 exit_error() {
   echo ""
   echo "<<<BOOM>>>  (Working on $machine($platform))" 1>&2
-  echo "$@" 1>&2
+  echo "$*" 1>&2
   if [[ "$no_exit_on_error" = "yes" ]]; then
     echo ""
   else
     echo "Aborting" 1>&2
-    write_status "Build error, aborted"
+    write_status "Build error, aborted: $*"
     exit 1
   fi
 }
@@ -477,17 +477,18 @@ else
 fi
 
 show() {
+  if [[ "x$1" = "x-s" ]]; then shift; write_status "$*"; fi
   if [[ "$verbose" = "yes" ]]; then
     echo ""
     case "$platform" in
       ( *"-linux"* | "sparc-solaris" | *"-win32" )
-        echo ">>>" "$@" | fmt -t -w 79
+        echo ">>> $*" | fmt -t -w 79
         ;;
       ( *"-freebsd" | *"-osx-mac" | *"-darwin" )
-        echo ">>>" "$@" | fmt -w 79
+        echo ">>> $*" | fmt -w 79
         ;;
       ( * )
-        echo ">>>" "$@" | fmt
+        echo ">>> $*" | fmt
         ;;
     esac
   fi
@@ -704,11 +705,6 @@ git_get() { # inputs: git repository, git branch, path in $maindir
   _cd "$maindir"
 }
 
-append_dots() { # inputs: width, string
-  local line="............................................................"
-  echo "${2}${line:0:$(( ${1} - ${#2} ))}"
-}
-
 base_status=""
 write_status() {
   local message="$*"
@@ -720,10 +716,10 @@ write_status() {
       touch "$statusfile"
       chcon --type=httpd_sys_content_t "$statusfile"
     fi
-    echo "$*" > "$statusfile"
+    echo "$message" > "$statusfile"
   else
     # greppable lines for status, filtered out in final log (see below)
-    echo "### <<< $* >>>"
+    echo "### <<< $message >>>"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -1092,7 +1088,7 @@ MAIN_BUILD() {
 
   # and now wait for all builds
   if is_yes make_bins; then
-    show "Waiting for remote jobs to finish"
+    show -s "Waiting for remote jobs to finish"
     wait
     for m in "${machines[@]}"; do
       machine="$m"
diff --git a/collects/meta/build/current-build-status.cgi b/collects/meta/build/current-build-status.cgi
index 596d23b356..94b72c16b3 100644
--- a/collects/meta/build/current-build-status.cgi
+++ b/collects/meta/build/current-build-status.cgi
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ elif [[ "$S" = "Y" ]]; then
     printf '\n%s build jobs running:\n' "$(ls "$bglogfile"* | wc -l)"
     for bg in "$bglogfile"*; do
       s="$(grep "^### <<< .* >>>" "$bg" | tail -1 \
+           | sed -e 's/([^()]* build) //' \
            | sed -e 's/^### <<< \(.*\) >>>/\1/')"
       if [[ "x$s" = "x" ]]; then
         printf '  %s: (just starting)\n' "${bg#$bglogfile-}"
@@ -53,8 +54,14 @@ else
       last="${last#Done (}"
       last="${last%)}"
       printf 'Last build successfully ended at %s\n' "$last"
+    elif [[ "x$last" = "x("*" build) Done ("*")" ]]; then
+      last="${last#(}"
+      build="${last% build) Done*}"
+      last="${last#*) Done (}"
+      last="${last%)}"
+      printf 'Last %s build successfully ended at %s\n' "$build" "$last"
     else
-      printf 'Last build was unsuccessful (while: %s)\n' "$last"
+      printf 'Last build was unsuccessful (%s)\n' "$last"
     fi
   fi
   if [[ "$L" = "Y" ]]; then