diff --git a/server/src/builder.rs b/server/src/builder.rs
index 839d30d..ad27ffa 100644
--- a/server/src/builder.rs
+++ b/server/src/builder.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use chrono::Utc;
-use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, BufReader};
+use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, BufReader};
 use tokio::process::Command;
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
@@ -136,28 +136,47 @@ async fn run_build(state: &AppState, deploy_id: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let stdout = child.stdout.take().expect("piped stdout");
     let stderr = child.stderr.take().expect("piped stderr");
 
-    // Stream stdout and stderr concurrently into the deploy log.
+    // Read stdout/stderr in 4 KB chunks so we stream incrementally AND capture
+    // any partial last line that has no trailing newline (which lines() drops).
     let db1 = state.db.clone();
     let id1 = deploy_id.to_string();
     let stdout_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
-        let mut lines = BufReader::new(stdout).lines();
-        while let Ok(Some(line)) = lines.next_line().await {
-            let _ = append_log(&db1, &id1, &format!("{}\n", line)).await;
+        let mut reader = BufReader::new(stdout);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 4096];
+        loop {
+            match reader.read(&mut buf).await {
+                Ok(0) | Err(_) => break,
+                Ok(n) => {
+                    let chunk = String::from_utf8_lossy(&buf[..n]).into_owned();
+                    let _ = append_log(&db1, &id1, &chunk).await;
+                }
+            }
         }
     });
 
     let db2 = state.db.clone();
     let id2 = deploy_id.to_string();
     let stderr_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
-        let mut lines = BufReader::new(stderr).lines();
-        while let Ok(Some(line)) = lines.next_line().await {
-            let _ = append_log(&db2, &id2, &format!("{}\n", line)).await;
+        let mut reader = BufReader::new(stderr);
+        let mut buf = vec![0u8; 4096];
+        loop {
+            match reader.read(&mut buf).await {
+                Ok(0) | Err(_) => break,
+                Ok(n) => {
+                    let chunk = String::from_utf8_lossy(&buf[..n]).into_owned();
+                    let _ = append_log(&db2, &id2, &chunk).await;
+                }
+            }
         }
     });
 
     let exit_status = child.wait().await?;
     let _ = tokio::join!(stdout_task, stderr_task);
 
+    // Always record the exit code — the one line that survives even silent failures.
+    let code = exit_status.code().map(|c| c.to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| "signal".into());
+    append_log(&state.db, deploy_id, &format!("\n[hiy] exit code: {}\n", code)).await?;
+
     let final_status = if exit_status.success() { "success" } else { "failed" };
     let finished = Utc::now().to_rfc3339();