diff --git a/internal/ioutil/ioutil.go b/internal/ioutil/ioutil.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75167cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ioutil/ioutil.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package ioutil
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+// HeadWriter keeps the first 'Limit' bytes in memory.
+type HeadWriter struct {
+	Buf   []byte
+	Limit int
+}
+
+var _ io.Writer = &HeadWriter{}
+
+func (w *HeadWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	if len(w.Buf) >= w.Limit {
+		return len(p), nil
+	}
+	w.Buf = append(w.Buf, p...)
+	if len(w.Buf) > w.Limit {
+		w.Buf = w.Buf[:w.Limit]
+	}
+	return len(p), nil
+}
+
+func (w *HeadWriter) Bytes() []byte {
+	return w.Buf
+}
+
+// tailWriter keeps the last 'Limit' bytes in memory.
+type TailWriter struct {
+	Buf   []byte
+	Limit int
+}
+
+var _ io.Writer = &TailWriter{}
+
+func (w *TailWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	w.Buf = append(w.Buf, p...)
+	if len(w.Buf) > w.Limit {
+		w.Buf = w.Buf[len(w.Buf)-w.Limit:]
+	}
+	return len(p), nil
+}
+
+func (w *TailWriter) Bytes() []byte {
+	return w.Buf
+}
+
+type OutputCapturer struct {
+	HeadWriter
+	TailWriter
+	Limit      int
+	totalBytes int
+}
+
+var _ io.Writer = &OutputCapturer{}
+
+func NewOutputCapturer(limit int) *OutputCapturer {
+	return &OutputCapturer{
+		HeadWriter: HeadWriter{Limit: limit},
+		TailWriter: TailWriter{Limit: limit},
+		Limit:      limit,
+	}
+}
+
+func (w *OutputCapturer) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
+	w.HeadWriter.Write(p)
+	w.TailWriter.Write(p)
+	w.totalBytes += len(p)
+	return len(p), nil
+}
+
+func (w *OutputCapturer) String() string {
+	head := w.HeadWriter.Bytes()
+	tail := w.TailWriter.Bytes()
+	if w.totalBytes <= w.Limit {
+		return string(head)
+	}
+
+	head = head[:w.Limit/2]
+	tail = tail[len(tail)-w.Limit/2:]
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s...[%v bytes dropped]...%s", string(head), w.totalBytes-len(head)-len(tail), string(tail))
+}
diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/task.go b/internal/orchestrator/task.go
index 96441cf..f4de386 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/task.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/task.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ func (t *TaskWithOperation) runWithOpAndContext(ctx context.Context, do func(ctx
 
 		err := do(ctx, t.op)
 
-		if bytes := buf.Bytes(); len(bytes) > 0 {
-			ref, e := t.orch.logStore.Write(bytes)
+		if str := capture.String(); len(str) > 0 {
+			ref, e := t.orch.logStore.Write([]byte(str))
 			if e != nil {
 				errors.Join(err, fmt.Errorf("failed to write log to logstore: %w", e))
 			}