diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/__init__.py b/linkcheck/logger/__init__.py
index 478b621c..097a02f9 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/__init__.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/__init__.py
@@ -76,11 +76,11 @@ class Logger (object):
         Initialize self.fd file descriptor from args.
         """
         if args.get('fileoutput'):
-            fname = args['filename']
-            path = os.path.dirname(fname)
+            filename = args['filename']
+            path = os.path.dirname(filename)
             if path and not os.path.isdir(path):
                 os.makedirs(path)
-            self.fd = file(args['filename'], "w")
+            self.fd = file(filename, "wb")
             self.close_fd = True
         elif args.has_key('fd'):
             self.fd = args['fd']
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@ class Logger (object):
             self.fd = sys.stdout
             self.close_fd = False
 
+    def close_fileoutput (self):
+        """
+        Flush and close the file output denoted by self.fd.
+        """
+        self.flush()
+        if self.close_fd:
+            self.fd.close()
+        self.fd = None
+
     def encode (self, s):
         """
         Encode string with configured output encoding. Wrong encoded
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/blacklist.py b/linkcheck/logger/blacklist.py
index 599546f9..704c242c 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/blacklist.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/blacklist.py
@@ -37,18 +37,12 @@ class BlacklistLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
         Intialize with old blacklist data (if found, else not).
         """
         super(BlacklistLogger, self).__init__(**args)
+        self.init_fileoutput(args)
         self.blacklist = {}
         if args.get('fileoutput'):
-            self.fileoutput = True
             filename = args['filename']
             if os.path.exists(filename):
-                self.read_blacklist(file(filename, "r"))
-            self.fd = file(filename, "w")
-        elif args.has_key('fd'):
-            self.fd = args['fd']
-        else:
-            self.fileoutput = False
-            self.fd = sys.stdout
+                self.read_blacklist(filename)
 
     def comment (self, s, **args):
         """
@@ -77,10 +71,11 @@ class BlacklistLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
         """
         self.write_blacklist()
 
-    def read_blacklist (self, fd):
+    def read_blacklist (self, filename):
         """
         Read a previously stored blacklist from file fd.
         """
+        fd = file(filename)
         for line in fd:
             line = line.rstrip()
             if line.startswith('#') or not line:
@@ -97,7 +92,6 @@ class BlacklistLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
         for key, value in self.blacklist.items():
             self.fd.write("%d %s" % (value, key))
             self.fd.write(os.linesep)
-        if self.fileoutput:
-            self.fd.close()
+        self.close_fileoutput()
         # restore umask
         os.umask(oldmask)
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/csvlog.py b/linkcheck/logger/csvlog.py
index ee7ab0e4..446fdf4e 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/csvlog.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/csvlog.py
@@ -128,7 +128,4 @@ class CSVLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.comment(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)") % \
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-            self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/dot.py b/linkcheck/logger/dot.py
index b23e0989..ef83152e 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/dot.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/dot.py
@@ -120,10 +120,7 @@ class DOTLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.comment(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)")%\
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
 
 
 def dotquote (s):
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/gml.py b/linkcheck/logger/gml.py
index 8da2fa1e..3f84611c 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/gml.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/gml.py
@@ -124,7 +124,4 @@ class GMLLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.comment(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)")%\
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/html.py b/linkcheck/logger/html.py
index c3594afc..2e55f657 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/html.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/html.py
@@ -307,7 +307,4 @@ class HtmlLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
              (u'<a href="mailto:'+linkcheck.configuration.Email+u'">'+
              linkcheck.configuration.Email+u"</a>."))
             self.writeln(u"</small></body></html>")
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/sql.py b/linkcheck/logger/sql.py
index 467a4066..83df49e1 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/sql.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/sql.py
@@ -148,7 +148,4 @@ class SQLLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.comment(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)") % \
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/text.py b/linkcheck/logger/text.py
index d8badcc1..1cf76475 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/text.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/text.py
@@ -254,7 +254,4 @@ class TextLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.writeln(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)") % \
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()
diff --git a/linkcheck/logger/xmllog.py b/linkcheck/logger/xmllog.py
index 7edce3ef..04f44e95 100644
--- a/linkcheck/logger/xmllog.py
+++ b/linkcheck/logger/xmllog.py
@@ -171,7 +171,4 @@ class XMLLogger (linkcheck.logger.Logger):
             self.comment(_("Stopped checking at %s (%s)") % \
                          (linkcheck.strformat.strtime(self.stoptime),
                           linkcheck.strformat.strduration(duration)))
-        self.flush()
-        if self.close_fd:
-            self.fd.close()
-        self.fd = None
+        self.close_fileoutput()