diff --git a/cake/console/libs/console_error_handler.php b/cake/console/libs/console_error_handler.php
index 5dda75a3c..fc8414767 100644
--- a/cake/console/libs/console_error_handler.php
+++ b/cake/console/libs/console_error_handler.php
@@ -35,17 +35,19 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandler extends ErrorHandler {
  * @var filehandle
  * @access public
  */
-	public $stderr;
+	public static $stderr;
 
 /**
- * Class constructor.
+ * Get the stderr object for the console error handling.
  *
  * @param Exception $error Exception to handle.
  * @param array $messages Error messages
  */
-	function __construct($error) {
-		$this->stderr = new ConsoleOutput('php://stderr');
-		parent::__construct($error);
+	public static function getStderr() {
+		if (empty(self::$stderr)) {
+			self::$stderr = new ConsoleOutput('php://stderr');
+		}
+		return self::$stderr;
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -54,57 +56,37 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandler extends ErrorHandler {
  * @return void
  */
 	public static function handleException($exception) {
-		$error = new ConsoleErrorHandler($exception);
-		$error->render();
+		$stderr = self::getStderr();
+		$stderr->write(sprintf(
+			__("<error>Error:</error> %s\n%s"), 
+			$exception->getMessage(), 
+			$exception->getTraceAsString()
+		));
 	}
 
 /**
- * Do nothing, no controllers are needed in the console.
+ * Handle errors in the console environment.
  *
  * @return void
  */
-	protected function _getController($exception) {
-		return null;
+	public static function handleError($code, $description, $file = null, $line = null, $context = null) {
+		$errorConfig = Configure::read('Error');
+		if (isset($errorConfig['level']) && ($code & ~$errorConfig['level'])) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$stderr = self::getStderr();
+		list($name, $log) = self::_mapErrorCode($code);
+		$stderr->write(sprintf(
+			__("<error>%s Error:</error> %s in [%s, line %s]\n"), $name, $description, $file, $line
+		));
 	}
 
 /**
- * Overwrite how _cakeError behaves for console.  There is no reason
- * to prepare urls as they are not relevant for this.
+ * undocumented function
  *
- * @param $error Exception Exception being handled.
  * @return void
  */
-	protected function _cakeError($error) {
-		$this->_outputMessage();
-	}
-
-/**
- * Override error404 method
- *
- * @param Exception $error Exception
- * @return void
- */
-	public function error400($error) {
-		$this->_outputMessage();
-	}
-
-/**
- * Override error500 method
- *
- * @param Exception $error Exception
- * @return void
- */
-	public function error500($error) {
-		$this->_outputMessage();
-	}
-
-/**
- * Outputs the exception to STDERR.
- *
- * @param string $template The name of the template to render.
- * @return void
- */
-	public function _outputMessage($template = null) {
+	public function render() {
 		$this->stderr->write(sprintf(
 			__("<error>Error:</error> %s\n%s"), 
 			$this->error->getMessage(), 
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_error_handler.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_error_handler.test.php
index 81c3b5aae..0b0719a14 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_error_handler.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/console/libs/console_error_handler.test.php
@@ -27,14 +27,36 @@ require_once CONSOLE_LIBS . 'console_error_handler.php';
 class ConsoleErrorHandlerTest extends CakeTestCase {
 
 /**
- * Factory method for error handlers with stderr() mocked out.
+ * setup, create mocks
  *
  * @return Mock object
  */
-	function getErrorHandler($exception) {
-		$error = new ConsoleErrorHandler($exception);
-		$error->stderr = $this->getMock('ConsoleOutput', array(), array(), '', false);
-		return $error;
+	function setUp() {
+		parent::setUp();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr = $this->getMock('ConsoleOutput', array(), array(), '', false);
+	}
+
+/**
+ * teardown
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function tearDown() {
+		parent::tearDown();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr = null;
+	}
+
+/**
+ * test that the console error handler can deal with CakeExceptions.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	function testHandleError() {
+		$content = '<error>Notice Error:</error> This is a notice error in [/some/file, line 275]';
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
+			->with($content);
+
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::handleError(E_NOTICE, 'This is a notice error', '/some/file', 275);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -44,12 +66,10 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandlerTest extends CakeTestCase {
  */
 	function testCakeErrors() {
 		$exception = new MissingActionException('Missing action');
-		$error = $this->getErrorHandler($exception);
-
-		$error->stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
 			->with($this->stringContains('Missing action'));
 
-		$error->render();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::handleException($exception);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -59,12 +79,11 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandlerTest extends CakeTestCase {
  */
 	function testNonCakeExceptions() {
 		$exception = new InvalidArgumentException('Too many parameters.');
-		$error = $this->getErrorHandler($exception);
 
-		$error->stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
 			->with($this->stringContains('Too many parameters.'));
 		
-		$error->render();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::handleException($exception);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -74,12 +93,11 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandlerTest extends CakeTestCase {
  */
 	function testError404Exception() {
 		$exception = new NotFoundException('dont use me in cli.');
-		$error = $this->getErrorHandler($exception);
-
-		$error->stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
+		
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
 			->with($this->stringContains('dont use me in cli.'));
 
-		$error->render();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::handleException($exception);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -89,23 +107,11 @@ class ConsoleErrorHandlerTest extends CakeTestCase {
  */
 	function testError500Exception() {
 		$exception = new InternalErrorException('dont use me in cli.');
-		$error = $this->getErrorHandler($exception);
 
-		$error->stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::$stderr->expects($this->once())->method('write')
 			->with($this->stringContains('dont use me in cli.'));
 
-		$error->render();
+		ConsoleErrorHandler::handleException($exception);
 	}
 
-/**
- * test that ConsoleErrorHandler has a stderr file handle.
- *
- * @return void
- */
-	function testStdErrFilehandle() {
-		$exception = new InternalErrorException('dont use me in cli.');
-		$error = new ConsoleErrorHandler($exception);
-
-		$this->assertType('ConsoleOutput', $error->stderr, 'No handle.');
-	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file