diff --git a/includes/community.class.php b/includes/community.class.php
index d805315c..e206359e 100644
--- a/includes/community.class.php
+++ b/includes/community.class.php
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ class CommunityContent
             }
             else
             {
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'CommunityClass::getCommentPreviews - comment '.$c['id'].' belongs to nonexistant subject');
+                Util::logError('Comment '.$c['id'].' belongs to nonexistant subject.', E_USER_NOTICE);
                 unset($comments[$idx]);
             }
         }
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ class CommunityContent
             {
                 if (empty($p['name']))
                 {
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF | U_GROUP_SCREENSHOT, 'AdminPage::handleScreenshots() - Screenshot linked to nonexistant type/typeId combination '.$p['type'].'/'.$p['typeId']);
+                    Util::logError('Screenshot linked to nonexistant type/typeId combination: '.$p['type'].'/'.$p['typeId'], E_USER_NOTICE);
                     unset($p);
                 }
                 else
diff --git a/includes/kernel.php b/includes/kernel.php
index 5fb87fff..8efaa41b 100644
--- a/includes/kernel.php
+++ b/includes/kernel.php
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ foreach ($sets as $k => $v)
     // this should not have been possible
     if (!strlen($v['value']) && !($v['flags'] & CON_FLAG_TYPE_STRING) && !$php)
     {
-        Util::addNote(U_GROUP_ADMIN | U_GROUP_DEV, 'Kernel: Aowow config value CFG_'.strtoupper($k).' is empty - config will not be used!');
+        Util::logError('Aowow config value CFG_'.strtoupper($k).' is empty - config will not be used!', E_USER_ERROR);
         continue;
     }
 
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ foreach ($sets as $k => $v)
         $val = preg_replace('/[^\p{L}0-9~\s_\-\'\/\.:,]/ui', '', $v['value']);
     else if ($php)
     {
-        Util::addNote(U_GROUP_ADMIN | U_GROUP_DEV, 'Kernel: PHP config value '.strtolower($k).' has no type set - config will not be used!');
+        Util::logError('PHP config value '.strtolower($k).' has no type set - config will not be used!', E_USER_ERROR);
         continue;
     }
     else // if (!$php)
     {
-        Util::addNote(U_GROUP_ADMIN | U_GROUP_DEV, 'Kernel: Aowow config value CFG_'.strtoupper($k).' has no type set - value forced to 0!');
+        Util::logError('Aowow config value CFG_'.strtoupper($k).' has no type set - value forced to 0!', E_USER_ERROR);
         $val = 0;
     }
 
@@ -105,9 +105,10 @@ foreach ($sets as $k => $v)
 
 // handle occuring errors
 error_reporting(!empty($AoWoWconf['aowow']) && CFG_DEBUG ? (E_ALL & ~(E_DEPRECATED | E_USER_DEPRECATED | E_STRICT)) : 0);
-$errHandled = false;
-set_error_handler(function($errNo, $errStr, $errFile, $errLine) use (&$errHandled) {
+set_error_handler(function($errNo, $errStr, $errFile, $errLine) {
     $errName = 'unknown error';                             // errors not in this list can not be handled by set_error_handler (as per documentation) or are ignored
+    $uGroup  = U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE;
+
     if ($errNo == E_WARNING)                                // 0x0002
         $errName = 'E_WARNING';
     else if ($errNo == E_PARSE)                             // 0x0004
@@ -120,26 +121,18 @@ set_error_handler(function($errNo, $errStr, $errFile, $errLine) use (&$errHandle
         $errName = 'E_USER_WARNING';
     else if ($errNo == E_USER_NOTICE)                       // 0x0400
         $errName = 'E_USER_NOTICE';
+        $uGroup  = U_GROUP_STAFF;
     else if ($errNo == E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR)                 // 0x1000
         $errName = 'E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR';
 
-    if (User::isInGroup(U_GROUP_STAFF))
-    {
-        if (!$errHandled)
-        {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'one or more php related error occured, while generating this page.');
-            $errHandled = true;
-        }
-
-        Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, $errName.' - '.$errStr.' @ '.$errFile. ':'.$errLine);
-    }
+    Util::addNote($uGroup, $errName.' - '.$errStr.' @ '.$errFile. ':'.$errLine);
 
     if (DB::isConnectable(DB_AOWOW))
         DB::Aowow()->query('INSERT INTO ?_errors (`date`, `version`, `phpError`, `file`, `line`, `query`, `userGroups`, `message`) VALUES (UNIX_TIMESTAMP(), ?d, ?d, ?, ?d, ?, ?d, ?) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `date` = UNIX_TIMESTAMP()',
             AOWOW_REVISION, $errNo, $errFile, $errLine, CLI ? 'CLI' : $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'], User::$groups, $errStr
         );
 
-    return !((User::isInGroup(U_GROUP_STAFF) && defined('CFG_DEBUG') && CFG_DEBUG) || CLI);
+    return true;
 }, E_ALL & ~(E_DEPRECATED | E_USER_DEPRECATED | E_STRICT));
 
 
@@ -158,7 +151,7 @@ if (!CLI)
 
     // Setup Session
     if (CFG_SESSION_CACHE_DIR && Util::checkOrCreateDirectory(CFG_SESSION_CACHE_DIR))
-        session_save_path(getcwd().'/'.CFG_SESSION_CACHE_DIR);
+        session_save_path(CFG_SESSION_CACHE_DIR);
 
     session_set_cookie_params(15 * YEAR, '/', '', $secure, true);
     session_cache_limiter('private');
diff --git a/includes/loot.class.php b/includes/loot.class.php
index 51ead30e..8cd0d500 100644
--- a/includes/loot.class.php
+++ b/includes/loot.class.php
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class Loot
             }
             else                                            // shouldn't have happened
             {
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'Loot::getByContainerRecursive: unhandled case in calculating chance for item '.$entry['Item'].'!');
+                Util::logError('Unhandled case in calculating chance for item '.$entry['Item'].'!');
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class Loot
                 $sum = 0;
             else if ($sum >= 100.01)
             {
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'Loot::getByContainerRecursive: entry '.$lootId.' / group '.$k.' has a total chance of '.number_format($sum, 2).'%. Some items cannot drop!');
+                Util::logError('Loot entry '.$lootId.' / group '.$k.' has a total chance of '.number_format($sum, 2).'%. Some items cannot drop!');
                 $sum = 100;
             }
 
@@ -378,13 +378,13 @@ class Loot
             {
                 // check for possible database inconsistencies
                 if (!$ref['chance'] && !$ref['isGrouped'])
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'Loot by Item: ungrouped Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' has 0% chance assigned!');
+                    Util::logError('Loot by Item: Ungrouped Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' has 0% chance assigned!');
 
                 if ($ref['isGrouped'] && $ref['sumChance'] > 100)
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'Loot by Item: group with Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' has '.number_format($ref['sumChance'], 2).'% total chance! Some items cannot drop!');
+                    Util::logError('Loot by Item: Group with Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' has '.number_format($ref['sumChance'], 2).'% total chance! Some items cannot drop!');
 
                 if ($ref['isGrouped'] && $ref['sumChance'] >= 100 && !$ref['chance'])
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'Loot by Item: Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' with adaptive chance cannot drop. Group already at 100%!');
+                    Util::logError('Loot by Item: Item/Ref '.$ref['item'].' with adaptive chance cannot drop. Group already at 100%!');
 
                 $chance = abs($ref['chance'] ?: (100 - $ref['sumChance']) / $ref['nZeroItems']) / 100;
 
diff --git a/includes/utilities.php b/includes/utilities.php
index ac0d24a0..3c7ea8cc 100644
--- a/includes/utilities.php
+++ b/includes/utilities.php
@@ -698,19 +698,23 @@ class Util
     public static $wowheadLink              = '';
     private static $notes                   = [];
 
-    // creates an announcement; use if minor issues arise
+    public static function logError($errStr, $mode = E_USER_WARNING)
+    {
+        // handled by set_error_handler
+        trigger_error($errStr, $mode);
+    }
+
     public static function addNote($uGroupMask, $str)
     {
-        // todo (med): log all those errors to DB
         self::$notes[] = [$uGroupMask, $str];
     }
 
-    public static function getNotes($restricted = true)
+    public static function getNotes()
     {
         $notes = [];
 
         foreach (self::$notes as $data)
-            if (!$restricted || !$data[0] || User::isInGroup($data[0]))
+            if (!$data[0] || User::isInGroup($data[0]))
                 $notes[] = $data[1];
 
         return $notes;
@@ -1718,9 +1722,9 @@ class Util
         $path = preg_replace('|/+|', '/', $path);
 
         if (!is_dir($path) && !@mkdir($path, self::FILE_ACCESS, true))
-            self::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'could not create directory: '.$path);
+            self::logError('Could not create directory: '.$path, E_USER_ERROR);
         else if (!is_writable($path) && !@chmod($path, self::FILE_ACCESS))
-            self::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'cannot write into directory: '.$path);
+            self::logError('Cannot write into directory: '.$path, E_USER_ERROR);
         else
             return true;
 
diff --git a/localization/lang.class.php b/localization/lang.class.php
index 1fb2ba66..7226cca1 100644
--- a/localization/lang.class.php
+++ b/localization/lang.class.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Lang
     {
         if (!isset(self::$$prop))
         {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Lang::__callStatic() - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop);
+            Util::logError('Lang - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop);
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Lang
         {
             if (!isset($var[$key]))
             {
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Lang::__callStatic() - undefined key "'.$key.'" in property Lang::$'.$prop.'[\''.implode('\'][\'', $args).'\']');
+                Util::logError('Lang - undefined key "'.$key.'" in property Lang::$'.$prop.'[\''.implode('\'][\'', $args).'\']');
                 return null;
             }
 
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@ class Lang
 
         if (!isset(self::$$prop))
         {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Lang::sort() - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop);
+            Util::logError('Lang::sort - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop);
             return null;
         }
 
         $var = &self::$$prop;
         if (!isset($var[$group]))
         {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Lang::sort() - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop.'[\''.$group.'\']');
+            Util::logError('Lang::sort - tried to use undefined property Lang::$'.$prop.'[\''.$group.'\']');
             return null;
         }
 
diff --git a/pages/event.php b/pages/event.php
index 9d0aec73..1ca8a2d7 100644
--- a/pages/event.php
+++ b/pages/event.php
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class EventPage extends GenericPage
                 if ($v > 0)
                     $list[] = $v;
                 else if ($v === null)
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'game_event_prerequisite: this event has itself as prerequisite');
+                    Util::logError('game_event_prerequisite: this event has itself as prerequisite');
             });
 
             if ($list)
diff --git a/pages/genericPage.class.php b/pages/genericPage.class.php
index 31821a48..add97605 100644
--- a/pages/genericPage.class.php
+++ b/pages/genericPage.class.php
@@ -323,6 +323,8 @@ class GenericPage
         // display occured notices
         if ($_ = Util::getNotes())
         {
+            array_unshift($_, 'One or more errors occured, while generating this page.');
+
             $this->announcements[0] = array(
                 'parent' => 'announcement-0',
                 'id'     => 0,
diff --git a/pages/item.php b/pages/item.php
index c440c2c6..64c8ed7b 100644
--- a/pages/item.php
+++ b/pages/item.php
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class ItemPage extends genericPage
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Referenced PageTextId #'.$next.' is not in DB');
+                    Util::logError('Referenced PageTextId #'.$next.' is not in DB');
                     break;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/pages/npc.php b/pages/npc.php
index 6ca91efe..84547d53 100644
--- a/pages/npc.php
+++ b/pages/npc.php
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ class NpcPage extends GenericPage
                 }
             }
             else
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'NPC '.$this->typeId.' is flagged as trainer, but doesn\'t have any spells set');
+                Util::logError('NPC '.$this->typeId.' is flagged as trainer, but doesn\'t have any spells set');
         }
 
         // tab: sells
diff --git a/pages/object.php b/pages/object.php
index 5666f7df..62bfd490 100644
--- a/pages/object.php
+++ b/pages/object.php
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class ObjectPage extends GenericPage
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    Util::addNote(U_GROUP_STAFF, 'Referenced PageTextId #'.$next.' is not in DB');
+                    Util::logError('Referenced PageTextId #'.$next.' is not in DB');
                     break;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/pages/screenshot.php b/pages/screenshot.php
index 57632c7f..98cbb788 100644
--- a/pages/screenshot.php
+++ b/pages/screenshot.php
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class ScreenshotPage extends GenericPage
 
         if ($this->minSize <= 0)
         {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::__construct() - config error: dimensions for uploaded screenshots egual or less than zero. Value forced to 200');
+            Util::logError('config error: dimensions for uploaded screenshots equal or less than zero. Value forced to 200');
             $this->minSize = 200;
         }
 
@@ -276,26 +276,26 @@ class ScreenshotPage extends GenericPage
         switch ($_FILES['screenshotfile']['error'])
         {
             case 1:
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - the file exceeds the maximum size of '.ini_get('upload_max_filesize'));
+                Util::logError('validateScreenshot - the file exceeds the maximum size of '.ini_get('upload_max_filesize'));
             return Lang::screenshot('error', 'selectSS');
             case 3:
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - upload was interrupted');
+                Util::logError('validateScreenshot - upload was interrupted');
             return Lang::screenshot('error', 'selectSS');
             case 4:
-                 Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - no file was received');
+                 Util::logError('validateScreenshot() - no file was received');
             return Lang::screenshot('error', 'selectSS');
             case 6:
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - temporary upload directory is not set');
+                Util::logError('validateScreenshot - temporary upload directory is not set');
                 return Lang::main('intError');
             case 7:
-                Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - could not write temporary file to disk');
+                Util::logError('validateScreenshot - could not write temporary file to disk');
                 return Lang::main('intError');
         }
 
         // points to invalid file (hack attempt)
         if (!is_uploaded_file($_FILES['screenshotfile']['tmp_name']))
         {
-            Util::addNote(U_GROUP_EMPLOYEE, 'ScreenshotPage::validateScreenshot() - uploaded file not in upload directory');
+            Util::logError('validateScreenshot - uploaded file not in upload directory');
             return Lang::main('intError');
         }