diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.osgi/container/src/org/eclipse/osgi/internal/log/EquinoxLogWriter.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.osgi/container/src/org/eclipse/osgi/internal/log/EquinoxLogWriter.java
index bfd7b4068e..cd5ba36749 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.osgi/container/src/org/eclipse/osgi/internal/log/EquinoxLogWriter.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.osgi/container/src/org/eclipse/osgi/internal/log/EquinoxLogWriter.java
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ class EquinoxLogWriter implements SynchronousLogListener, LogFilter {
 
 	/** The system property used to specify command line args should be omitted from the log */
 	private static final String PROP_LOG_INCLUDE_COMMAND_LINE = "eclipse.log.include.commandline"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	/** The system property used to specify the the log file writer should be closed eagerly */
+	private static final String PROP_CLOSE_LOG_FILE_EAGERLY = "eclipse.log.closeFile.eagerClose"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
 	/** Indicates if the console messages should be printed to the console (System.out) */
 	private boolean consoleLog = false;
 	/** Indicates if the next log message is part of a new session */
@@ -112,6 +115,15 @@ class EquinoxLogWriter implements SynchronousLogListener, LogFilter {
 
 	private LoggerAdmin loggerAdmin = null;
 
+	/**
+	 * Controls whether the log file should be closed eagerly upon every log
+	 * invocation.
+	 * 
+	 * Can be controlled by property
+	 * {@link EquinoxLogWriter#PROP_CLOSE_LOG_FILE_EAGERLY}.
+	 */
+	private boolean closeLogFileEagerly = false;
+
 	/**
 	 * Constructs an EclipseLog which uses the specified File to log messages to
 	 * @param outFile a file to log messages to
@@ -322,6 +334,10 @@ private synchronized void log(FrameworkLogEntry logEntry) {
 				// ensure that the error stream writer is closed
 				closeFile();
 			}
+		} finally {
+			if (closeLogFileEagerly) {
+				closeFile();
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -683,6 +699,13 @@ else if (newLogLevel.equals("INFO")) //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 		includeCommandLine = "true".equals(environmentInfo.getConfiguration(PROP_LOG_INCLUDE_COMMAND_LINE, "true")); //$NON-NLS-1$//$NON-NLS-2$
 		applyLogLevel();
+
+		String newCloseLogFileEagerlyValue = environmentInfo.getConfiguration(PROP_CLOSE_LOG_FILE_EAGERLY);
+		if (newCloseLogFileEagerlyValue != null) {
+			if (Boolean.valueOf(newCloseLogFileEagerlyValue) == Boolean.TRUE) {
+				closeLogFileEagerly = true;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	void applyLogLevel() {