diff --git a/tailon/commands.py b/tailon/commands.py
index 460e0ee..e25ac65 100644
--- a/tailon/commands.py
+++ b/tailon/commands.py
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ def tail(self, n, fn, stdout, stderr, **kw):
         log.debug('running tail %s, pid: %s', cmd, proc.proc.pid)
         return proc
 
+    def grep_tail(self, n, stdout, stderr, **kw):
+        cmd = [self.toolpaths.cmd_tail, '-n', str(n)]
+        proc = process.Subprocess(cmd, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, bufsize=1, **kw)
+        log.debug('running tail %s, pid: %s', cmd, proc.proc.pid)
+        return proc
+
     def zcat(self, fn, stdout, stderr, **kw):
         cmd = [self.toolpaths.cmd_zcat, '-f', '-r']
         cmd.extend(fn)
@@ -103,19 +109,22 @@ def tail_sed(self, n, fn, script, stdout, stderr):
         sed = self.sed(script, None, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM, stdin=tail.stdout)
         tail.stdout.close()
         return tail, sed
+
     def all_awk(self, fn, script, stdout, stderr):
         zcat = self.zcat(fn, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=STREAM)
         awk = self.awk(script, None, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM, stdin=zcat.stdout)
         return zcat, awk
 
-    def all_grep(self, fn, regex, stdout, stderr):
+    def all_grep(self, grep_lines, fn, regex, stdout, stderr):
         if self.toolpaths.cmd_sift:
-            grep = self.sift(regex, fn, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM)
-            return grep
+            grep = self.sift(regex, fn, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=STREAM)
+            tail = self.grep_tail(grep_lines, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM, stdin=grep.stdout)
+            return grep, tail
         else:
             zcat = self.zcat(fn, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=STREAM)
-            grep = self.grep(regex, None, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM, stdin=zcat.stdout)
-            return zcat, grep
+            grep = self.grep(regex, None, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=STREAM, stdin=zcat.stdout)
+            tail = self.grep_tail(grep_lines, stdout=STREAM, stderr=STREAM, stdin=grep.stdout)
+            return zcat, grep, tail
 
     def all_sed(self, fn, script, stdout, stderr):
         zcat = self.zcat(fn, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=STREAM)
diff --git a/tailon/main.py b/tailon/main.py
index 175a3ed..a8c0363 100644
--- a/tailon/main.py
+++ b/tailon/main.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ def parseconfig(cfg):
         'users':           raw_config.get('users', {}),
         'wrap-lines':      raw_config.get('wrap-lines', True),
         'tail-lines':      raw_config.get('tail-lines', 10),
+        'grep-lines':      raw_config.get('grep-lines', 3000),
         'live-view':       raw_config.get('live-view', False),
         'download-url':    raw_config.get('download-url', None),
     }
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ def parseopts(args=None):
       relative-root: /tailon  # web app root path (default: '')
       commands: [tail, grep]  # allowed commands
       tail-lines: 10          # number of lines to tail initially
+      grep-lines: 3000       # number max of lines to grep
       wrap-lines: true        # initial line-wrapping state
       live-view: False        # view files live (tail) or just search in files
 
@@ -184,6 +186,8 @@ def parseopts(args=None):
 
     arg('-t', '--tail-lines', default=10, type=int, metavar='num',
         help='number of lines to tail initially')
+    arg('-g', '--grep-lines', default=3000, type=int, metavar='num',
+        help='number max of lines to grep')
 
     arg('-m', '--commands', nargs='*', metavar='cmd',
         choices=commands.ToolPaths.command_names, default=['tail', 'grep', 'awk'],
@@ -216,6 +220,7 @@ def setup(opts):
         'relative-root': opts.__dict__.get('relative_root', ''),
         'debug': opts.__dict__.get('debug', False),
         'tail-lines': opts.__dict__.get('tail_lines', 10),
+        'grep-lines': opts.__dict__.get('grep_lines', 3000),
         'wrap-lines': opts.__dict__.get('wrap-lines', True),
         'live-view': opts.__dict__.get('live-view', False),
         'download-url': opts.__dict__.get('download-url', False),
diff --git a/tailon/server.py b/tailon/server.py
index ebc2e69..2c0ba83 100644
--- a/tailon/server.py
+++ b/tailon/server.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         self.cmd_control = self.application.cmd_control
         self.toolpaths = self.application.toolpaths
         self.initial_tail_lines = self.config['tail-lines']
+        self.initial_grep_lines = self.config['grep-lines']
 
         self.last_stdout_line = []
         self.last_stderr_line = []
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ def on_message(self, message):
         log.debug('received message: %r', command)
         log.debug(command.keys())
 
-        if not set(command.keys()) <= {'command', 'live-view', 'path', 'tail-lines', 'script'}:
+        if not set(command.keys()) <= {'command', 'live-view', 'path', 'tail-lines', 'grep-lines', 'script'}:
             return
 
         if command['command'] not in allowed_commands:
@@ -213,13 +214,14 @@ def on_message(self, message):
 
         elif 'grep' == command['command']:
             n = command.get('tail-lines', self.initial_tail_lines)
+            grep_lines = command.get('grep-lines', self.initial_grep_lines)
             regex = command.get('script', '.*')
             log.debug('n = %s, path = %s, regex = %s' %(n, path, regex))
 
             if not command['live-view'] and self.toolpaths.cmd_sift:
-                proc_grep = self.cmd_control.all_grep(path, regex, STREAM, STREAM)
+                proc_pregrep, proc_grep = self.cmd_control.all_grep(grep_lines, path, regex, STREAM, STREAM)
             elif not command['live-view'] and not self.toolpaths.cmd_sift:
-                proc_zcat, proc_grep = self.cmd_control.all_grep(path, regex, STREAM, STREAM)
+                proc_zcat, proc_pregrep, proc_grep = self.cmd_control.all_grep(grep_lines, path, regex, STREAM, STREAM)
             elif command['live-view']:
                 proc_tail, proc_grep = self.cmd_control.tail_grep(n, live_path, regex, STREAM, STREAM)
             self.processes['grep'] = proc_grep