diff --git a/esphomeyaml/api/client.py b/esphomeyaml/api/client.py
index 2708933fd2..da5b71b219 100644
--- a/esphomeyaml/api/client.py
+++ b/esphomeyaml/api/client.py
@@ -346,6 +346,8 @@ class APIClient(threading.Thread):
                 raise APIConnectionError("No socket!")
             try:
                 val = self._socket.recv(amount - len(ret))
+            except AttributeError:
+                raise APIConnectionError("Socket was closed")
             except socket.timeout:
                 continue
             except socket.error as err:
@@ -453,8 +455,8 @@ def run_logs(config, address):
         time_ = datetime.now().time().strftime(u'[%H:%M:%S]')
         text = msg.message
         if msg.send_failed:
-            text = color('white', '(Message not received because it was too big to fit in '
-                                  'TCP buffer)')
+            text = color('white', '(Message skipped because it was too big to fit in '
+                                  'TCP buffer - This is only cosmetic)')
         safe_print(time_ + text)
 
     has_connects = []
diff --git a/esphomeyaml/util.py b/esphomeyaml/util.py
index 0a3a6046d5..eebb4b7c93 100644
--- a/esphomeyaml/util.py
+++ b/esphomeyaml/util.py
@@ -88,12 +88,14 @@ def run_external_command(func, *cmd, **kwargs):
     full_cmd = u' '.join(shlex_quote(x) for x in cmd)
     _LOGGER.info(u"Running:  %s", full_cmd)
 
+    orig_stdout = sys.stdout
     sys.stdout = RedirectText(sys.stdout)
+    orig_stderr = sys.stderr
     sys.stderr = RedirectText(sys.stderr)
 
     capture_stdout = kwargs.get('capture_stdout', False)
     if capture_stdout:
-        sys.stdout = io.BytesIO()
+        cap_stdout = sys.stdout = io.BytesIO()
 
     try:
         sys.argv = list(cmd)
@@ -110,13 +112,9 @@ def run_external_command(func, *cmd, **kwargs):
         sys.argv = orig_argv
         sys.exit = orig_exit
 
-        if isinstance(sys.stdout, RedirectText):
-            sys.stdout = sys.__stdout__
-        if isinstance(sys.stderr, RedirectText):
-            sys.stderr = sys.__stderr__
+        sys.stdout = orig_stdout
+        sys.stderr = orig_stderr
 
         if capture_stdout:
             # pylint: disable=lost-exception
-            stdout = sys.stdout.getvalue()
-            sys.stdout = sys.__stdout__
-            return stdout
+            return cap_stdout.getvalue()