diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/job_view.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/job_view.ui
index f30c4fc821..953887ce7a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/job_view.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/job_view.ui
@@ -18,13 +18,19 @@
   </property>
   <layout class="QGridLayout" >
    <item row="0" column="0" >
-    <widget class="QTextEdit" name="log" >
+    <widget class="QPlainTextEdit" name="log" >
      <property name="undoRedoEnabled" >
       <bool>false</bool>
      </property>
+     <property name="lineWrapMode" >
+      <enum>QPlainTextEdit::NoWrap</enum>
+     </property>
      <property name="readOnly" >
       <bool>true</bool>
      </property>
+     <property name="maximumBlockCount" >
+      <number>400</number>
+     </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
   </layout>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/jobs2.py b/src/calibre/gui2/jobs2.py
index 109c4eaa33..8ecc87a7f4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/jobs2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/jobs2.py
@@ -188,6 +188,6 @@ class DetailView(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         
             
     def update(self):
-        self.log.setHtml(self.job.gui_text())
+        self.log.setPlainText(self.job.gui_text())
         vbar = self.log.verticalScrollBar()
         vbar.setValue(vbar.maximum())
diff --git a/src/calibre/parallel.py b/src/calibre/parallel.py
index 766c6b009b..0b84568a9f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/parallel.py
+++ b/src/calibre/parallel.py
@@ -588,11 +588,11 @@ class Job(object):
         if self.description:
             if not isinstance(self.description, unicode):
                 self.description = self.description.decode('utf-8', 'replace')
-            ans[0] += u'<b>%s</b>'%self.description
+            ans[0] += u'**%s**'%self.description
         if self.exception is not None:
             header = unicode(self.exception.__class__.__name__) if \
                     hasattr(self.exception, '__class__') else u'Error'
-            header = u'<b>%s</b>'%header
+            header = u'**%s**'%header
             header += u': '
             try:
                 header += unicode(self.exception)
@@ -600,15 +600,15 @@ class Job(object):
                 header += unicode(repr(self.exception))
             ans.append(header)
             if self.traceback:
-                ans.append(u'<b>Traceback</b>:')
+                ans.append(u'**Traceback**:')
                 ans.extend(self.traceback.split('\n'))
         if self.log:
-            ans.append(u'<b>Log</b>:')
+            ans.append(u'**Log**:')
             if isinstance(self.log, str):
                 self.log = unicode(self.log, 'utf-8', 'replace')
             ans.extend(self.log.split('\n'))
             
-        return '<br>'.join(ans)
+        return '\n'.join(ans)
 
 
 class ParallelJob(Job):