diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
index c449ef33..404b30a8 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/commands.js
@@ -483,15 +483,53 @@ function Commands() //{{{
                   "Here, downloads can be paused, canceled and resumed."
         }
     ));
-    addDefaultCommand(new Command(["ec[ho]"],
-        function(args) { vimperator.echo(args); } ,
+
+    function argToString(arg, color)
+    {
+        try
         {
+            // TODO: move to vimperator.eval()?
+            arg = eval(arg);
+        }
+        catch (e)
+        {
+            vimperator.echoerr(e.toString());
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (typeof arg === "object")
+            arg = vimperator.objectToString(arg, color);
+        else if (typeof arg === "function")
+            arg = arg.toString().replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/, "&gt;");
+        else if (typeof arg === "number" || typeof arg === "boolean")
+            arg = "" + arg;
+        else if (typeof arg === "undefined")
+            arg = "undefined";
+
+        return arg;
+    }
+    addDefaultCommand(new Command(["ec[ho]"],
+        function(args)
+        {
+            var res = argToString(args, true);
+            if (res != null)
+                vimperator.echo(res);
+        },
+        {
+            usage: ["ec[ho] {arg}"],
             short_help: "Display a string at the bottom of the window",
-            help: "Echo all arguments of this command. Useful for showing informational messages.<br/>Multiple lines can be separated by \\n."
+            help: "Useful for showing informational messages.Multiple lines can be separated by \\n.<br/>" +
+                  "<code class=\"argument\"}{arg}</code> can either be a quoted string, or any expression which can be fed to eval() like 4+5. " +
+                  "You can also view the source code of objects and functions if the return value of <code class=\"argument\">{arg}</code> is an object or function."
         }
     ));
     addDefaultCommand(new Command(["echoe[rr]"],
-        function(args) { vimperator.echoerr(args); } ,
+        function(args)
+        {
+            var res = argToString(args, false);
+            if (res != null)
+                vimperator.echoerr(res);
+        },
         {
             short_help: "Display an error string at the bottom of the window",
             help: "Echo all arguments of this command highlighted in red. Useful for showing important messages."
@@ -1565,7 +1603,7 @@ function Commands() //{{{
             // TODO: if special, run the last command
             var output = vimperator.system(args)
             if (typeof output === "string")
-                vimperator.echo("<pre>" + output + "</pre>");
+                vimperator.echo(output);
             else
                 vimperator.echoerr("Invalid system command: " + args);
         },
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
index 2f314915..9e9039af 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/ui.js
@@ -185,9 +185,7 @@ function CommandLine() //{{{
 
         multiline_input_widget.collapsed = true;
 
-        var output = str.replace(/\n|\\n/g, "<br/>");
-        //output =  ":" + command_widget.value + "<br/>" + output;
-        output += "<br/>"
+        var output = "<pre>" + str + "</pre>";
         output += '<span id="end-prompt" style="color: green; background-color: white;">Press ENTER or type command to continue</span>';
         output += '<span id="more-prompt" style="display: none; position: fixed; top: auto; bottom: 0; left: 0; right: 0; color: green; background-color: white;">';
         output += "-- More --";
@@ -289,7 +287,7 @@ function CommandLine() //{{{
             str = "";
 
         setNormalStyle();
-        if (flags || str.indexOf("\n") > -1 || str.indexOf("\\n") > -1 || str.indexOf("<br>") > -1 || str.indexOf("<br/>") > -1)
+        if (flags || str.indexOf("\n") > -1 || str.indexOf("<br>") > -1 || str.indexOf("<br/>") > -1)
         {
             setMultiline(str);
         }
diff --git a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
index 4ba3e94d..920f10d2 100644
--- a/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
+++ b/chrome/content/vimperator/vimperator.js
@@ -346,39 +346,89 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
             }
         },
 
-        // logs a message to the javascript error console
-        log: function(msg, level)
+        // if color = true it uses HTML markup to color certain items
+        objectToString: function(object, color)
         {
-            // if (Options.getPref("verbose") >= level) // FIXME: hangs vimperator, probably timing issue --mst
-                console_service.logStringMessage('vimperator: ' + msg);
-        },
-
-        // log an object to the javascript error console and print all
-        // properties of the object
-        logObject: function(object, level)
-        {
-            if (typeof object != 'object')
+            if (object === null)
+                return "null";
+            if (typeof object != "object")
                 return false;
 
-            var string = object + '::\n';
+            var string = "";
+            var obj = "";
+            try { // for window.JSON
+                obj = object.toString();
+            } catch (e) {
+                obj = "&lt;Object&gt;";
+            }
+
+            if (color)
+                string += "<span style=\"color: magenta; font-weight: bold;\">" + obj + "</span>::\n";
+            else
+                string += obj + "::\n";
+
             for (var i in object)
             {
                 var value;
                 try
                 {
-                    var value = object[i];
+                    if (i == "JSON") // without this ugly hack, ":echo window" does not work
+                        value = "[object JSON]";
+                    else
+                        value = object[i];
                 }
                 catch (e)
                 {
                     value = "";
                 }
 
-                string += i + ": " + value + "\n";
+                if (color)
+                {
+                    // syntax highlighting for special items
+                    if (typeof value === "number")
+                        value = "<span style=\"color: red;\">" + value + "</span>";
+                    else if (typeof value === "string")
+                    {
+                        value = value.replace(/\n/, "\\n").replace(/</, "&lt;");
+                        value = "<span style=\"color: green;\">\"" + value + "\"</span>";
+                    }
+                    else if (typeof value === "boolean")
+                        value = "<span style=\"color: blue;\">" + value + "</span>";
+                    else if (value == null || value == "undefined")
+                        value = "<span style=\"color: blue;\">" + value + "</span>";
+                    else if (typeof value === "object" || typeof value === "function")
+                    {
+                        // for java packages value.toString() would crash so badly 
+                        // that we cannot even try/catch it
+                        if (/^\[JavaPackage.*\]$/.test(value)) 
+                            value = "[JavaPackage]";
+                        else
+                        {
+                            var str = value.toString();
+                            if (typeof str == "string")  // can be "undefined"
+                                value = str.replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/g, "&gt;");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    
+                    string += "<span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">" + i + "</span>: " + value + "\n";
+                }
+                else
+                    string += i + ": " + value + "\n";
             }
-            vimperator.log(string, level);
             return string;
         },
 
+        // logs a message to the javascript error console
+        // if msg is an object, it is beautified
+        log: function(msg, level)
+        {
+            //if (Options.getPref("verbose") >= level) // FIXME: hangs vimperator, probably timing issue --mst
+            if (typeof msg == "object")
+                msg = this.objectToString(msg, false);
+
+            console_service.logStringMessage('vimperator: ' + msg);
+        },
+
         // open one or more URLs
         //
         // @param urls: either a string or an array of urls