diff --git a/internal/manager/api_impl/api_impl.go b/internal/manager/api_impl/api_impl.go
index 651b6a27..8196b6bf 100644
--- a/internal/manager/api_impl/api_impl.go
+++ b/internal/manager/api_impl/api_impl.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ type JobCompiler interface {
 type LogStorage interface {
 	Write(logger zerolog.Logger, jobID, taskID string, logText string) error
 	RotateFile(logger zerolog.Logger, jobID, taskID string)
+	Tail(jobID, taskID string) (string, error)
 }
 
 type ConfigService interface {
diff --git a/internal/manager/api_impl/jobs.go b/internal/manager/api_impl/jobs.go
index e74eb766..6271c6ef 100644
--- a/internal/manager/api_impl/jobs.go
+++ b/internal/manager/api_impl/jobs.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"git.blender.org/flamenco/internal/manager/job_compilers"
 	"git.blender.org/flamenco/internal/manager/persistence"
 	"git.blender.org/flamenco/internal/manager/webupdates"
+	"git.blender.org/flamenco/internal/uuid"
 	"git.blender.org/flamenco/pkg/api"
 )
 
@@ -178,6 +179,35 @@ func (f *Flamenco) SetTaskStatus(e echo.Context, taskID string) error {
 	return e.NoContent(http.StatusNoContent)
 }
 
+func (f *Flamenco) FetchTaskLogTail(e echo.Context, taskID string) error {
+	logger := requestLogger(e)
+	ctx := e.Request().Context()
+
+	logger = logger.With().Str("task", taskID).Logger()
+	if !uuid.IsValid(taskID) {
+		logger.Warn().Msg("fetchTaskLogTail: bad task ID ")
+		return sendAPIError(e, http.StatusBadRequest, "bad task ID")
+	}
+
+	dbTask, err := f.persist.FetchTask(ctx, taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, persistence.ErrTaskNotFound) {
+			return sendAPIError(e, http.StatusNotFound, "no such task")
+		}
+		logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("error fetching task")
+		return sendAPIError(e, http.StatusInternalServerError, "error fetching task: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tail, err := f.logStorage.Tail(dbTask.Job.UUID, taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("unable to fetch task log tail")
+		return sendAPIError(e, http.StatusInternalServerError, "error fetching task log tail: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	logger.Debug().Msg("fetched task tail")
+	return e.String(http.StatusOK, tail)
+}
+
 func jobDBtoAPI(dbJob *persistence.Job) api.Job {
 	apiJob := api.Job{
 		SubmittedJob: api.SubmittedJob{
diff --git a/internal/manager/api_impl/mocks/api_impl_mock.gen.go b/internal/manager/api_impl/mocks/api_impl_mock.gen.go
index 3e7bf926..b9792088 100644
--- a/internal/manager/api_impl/mocks/api_impl_mock.gen.go
+++ b/internal/manager/api_impl/mocks/api_impl_mock.gen.go
@@ -378,6 +378,21 @@ func (mr *MockLogStorageMockRecorder) RotateFile(arg0, arg1, arg2 interface{}) *
 	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "RotateFile", reflect.TypeOf((*MockLogStorage)(nil).RotateFile), arg0, arg1, arg2)
 }
 
+// Tail mocks base method.
+func (m *MockLogStorage) Tail(arg0, arg1 string) (string, error) {
+	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	ret := m.ctrl.Call(m, "Tail", arg0, arg1)
+	ret0, _ := ret[0].(string)
+	ret1, _ := ret[1].(error)
+	return ret0, ret1
+}
+
+// Tail indicates an expected call of Tail.
+func (mr *MockLogStorageMockRecorder) Tail(arg0, arg1 interface{}) *gomock.Call {
+	mr.mock.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "Tail", reflect.TypeOf((*MockLogStorage)(nil).Tail), arg0, arg1)
+}
+
 // Write mocks base method.
 func (m *MockLogStorage) Write(arg0 zerolog.Logger, arg1, arg2, arg3 string) error {
 	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
diff --git a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
index fe672983..9a7966cb 100644
--- a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
+++ b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package task_logs
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -12,6 +14,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
+const (
+	// tailSize is the maximum number of bytes read by the Tail() function.
+	tailSize int64 = 2048
+)
+
 // Storage can write data to task logs, rotate logs, etc.
 type Storage struct {
 	BasePath string // Directory where task logs are stored.
@@ -105,3 +112,54 @@ func (s *Storage) filepath(jobID, taskID string) string {
 	filename := fmt.Sprintf("task-%v.txt", taskID)
 	return path.Join(dirpath, filename)
 }
+
+// Tail reads the final few lines of a task log.
+func (s *Storage) Tail(jobID, taskID string) (string, error) {
+	filepath := s.filepath(jobID, taskID)
+
+	file, err := os.Open(filepath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to open log file for reading: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	fileSize, err := file.Seek(0, os.SEEK_END)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to seek to end of log file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Number of bytes to read.
+	var (
+		buffer   []byte
+		numBytes int
+	)
+	if fileSize <= tailSize {
+		// The file is small, just read all of it.
+		_, err = file.Seek(0, os.SEEK_SET)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to seek to start of log file: %w", err)
+		}
+		buffer, err = io.ReadAll(file)
+	} else {
+		// Read the last 'tailSize' number of bytes.
+		_, err = file.Seek(-tailSize, os.SEEK_END)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to seek in log file: %w", err)
+		}
+		buffer = make([]byte, tailSize)
+		numBytes, err = file.Read(buffer)
+
+		// Try to remove contents up to the first newline, as it's very likely we just
+		// seeked into the middle of a line.
+		firstNewline := bytes.IndexByte(buffer, byte('\n'))
+		if 0 <= firstNewline && firstNewline < numBytes-1 {
+			buffer = buffer[firstNewline+1:]
+		} else {
+			// The file consists of a single line of text; don't strip the first line.
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error reading log file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return string(buffer), nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs_test.go b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs_test.go
index 8df591f4..12d181d4 100644
--- a/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/task_logs/task_logs_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package task_logs
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -75,3 +76,60 @@ func TestLogRotation(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = os.Stat(filename)
 	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
 }
+
+func TestLogTail(t *testing.T) {
+	s := tempStorage()
+	defer os.RemoveAll(s.BasePath)
+
+	jobID := "25c5a51c-e0dd-44f7-9f87-74f3d1fbbd8c"
+	taskID := "20ff9d06-53ec-4019-9e2e-1774f05f170a"
+
+	err := s.Write(zerolog.Nop(), jobID, taskID, "Just a single line")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	contents, err := s.Tail(jobID, taskID)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "Just a single line\n", string(contents))
+
+	// A short file shouldn't do any line stripping.
+	err = s.Write(zerolog.Nop(), jobID, taskID, "And another line!")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	contents, err = s.Tail(jobID, taskID)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "Just a single line\nAnd another line!\n", string(contents))
+
+	bigString := ""
+	for lineNum := 1; lineNum < 1000; lineNum++ {
+		bigString += fmt.Sprintf("This is line #%d\n", lineNum)
+	}
+	err = s.Write(zerolog.Nop(), jobID, taskID, bigString)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	contents, err = s.Tail(jobID, taskID)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t,
+		"This is line #887\nThis is line #888\nThis is line #889\nThis is line #890\nThis is line #891\n"+
+			"This is line #892\nThis is line #893\nThis is line #894\nThis is line #895\nThis is line #896\n"+
+			"This is line #897\nThis is line #898\nThis is line #899\nThis is line #900\nThis is line #901\n"+
+			"This is line #902\nThis is line #903\nThis is line #904\nThis is line #905\nThis is line #906\n"+
+			"This is line #907\nThis is line #908\nThis is line #909\nThis is line #910\nThis is line #911\n"+
+			"This is line #912\nThis is line #913\nThis is line #914\nThis is line #915\nThis is line #916\n"+
+			"This is line #917\nThis is line #918\nThis is line #919\nThis is line #920\nThis is line #921\n"+
+			"This is line #922\nThis is line #923\nThis is line #924\nThis is line #925\nThis is line #926\n"+
+			"This is line #927\nThis is line #928\nThis is line #929\nThis is line #930\nThis is line #931\n"+
+			"This is line #932\nThis is line #933\nThis is line #934\nThis is line #935\nThis is line #936\n"+
+			"This is line #937\nThis is line #938\nThis is line #939\nThis is line #940\nThis is line #941\n"+
+			"This is line #942\nThis is line #943\nThis is line #944\nThis is line #945\nThis is line #946\n"+
+			"This is line #947\nThis is line #948\nThis is line #949\nThis is line #950\nThis is line #951\n"+
+			"This is line #952\nThis is line #953\nThis is line #954\nThis is line #955\nThis is line #956\n"+
+			"This is line #957\nThis is line #958\nThis is line #959\nThis is line #960\nThis is line #961\n"+
+			"This is line #962\nThis is line #963\nThis is line #964\nThis is line #965\nThis is line #966\n"+
+			"This is line #967\nThis is line #968\nThis is line #969\nThis is line #970\nThis is line #971\n"+
+			"This is line #972\nThis is line #973\nThis is line #974\nThis is line #975\nThis is line #976\n"+
+			"This is line #977\nThis is line #978\nThis is line #979\nThis is line #980\nThis is line #981\n"+
+			"This is line #982\nThis is line #983\nThis is line #984\nThis is line #985\nThis is line #986\n"+
+			"This is line #987\nThis is line #988\nThis is line #989\nThis is line #990\nThis is line #991\n"+
+			"This is line #992\nThis is line #993\nThis is line #994\nThis is line #995\nThis is line #996\n"+
+			"This is line #997\nThis is line #998\nThis is line #999\n",
+		string(contents),
+	)
+}