diff --git a/py/apigen/apigen.py b/py/apigen/apigen.py
index a92386a86..27a1b1264 100644
--- a/py/apigen/apigen.py
+++ b/py/apigen/apigen.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def get_documentable_items(pkgdir):
     rootmod = __import__(pkgdir.basename)
     return 'py', pkg_to_dict(rootmod)
 
-def build(pkgdir, dsa):
+def build(pkgdir, dsa, capture):
     l = linker.Linker()
     proj = project.Project()
 
@@ -32,16 +32,25 @@ def build(pkgdir, dsa):
     apb = htmlgen.ApiPageBuilder(targetdir, l, dsa, pkgdir, namespace_tree)
     spb = htmlgen.SourcePageBuilder(targetdir, l, pkgdir)
 
+    capture.writeorgerr('preparing namespace pages\n')
     ns_data = apb.prepare_namespace_pages()
+    capture.writeorgerr('preparing class pages\n')
     class_names = dsa.get_class_names()
     class_data = apb.prepare_class_pages(class_names)
+    capture.writeorgerr('preparing function pages\n')
     function_names = dsa.get_function_names()
     func_data = apb.prepare_function_pages(function_names)
+    capture.writeorgerr('preparing source pages\n')
     source_data = spb.prepare_pages(pkgdir)
 
+    capture.writeorgerr('building namespace pages\n')
     apb.build_namespace_pages(ns_data, proj)
+    capture.writeorgerr('building class pages\n')
     apb.build_class_pages(class_data, proj)
-    #apb.build_method_pages(method_data, proj)
+    apb.build_method_pages(method_data, proj)
+    capture.writeorgerr('building function pages\n')
     apb.build_function_pages(func_data, proj)
+    capture.writeorgerr('building source pages\n')
     spb.build_pages(source_data, proj, pkgdir)
+    capture.writeorgerr('done building documentation\n')
 
diff --git a/py/io/capture.py b/py/io/capture.py
index 695da63fc..c79f0fc5a 100644
--- a/py/io/capture.py
+++ b/py/io/capture.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 
-import os, sys
+import os
+import sys
+import thread
 import py
 
 class FDCapture: 
     """ Capture IO to/from a given os-level filedescriptor. """
+    
     def __init__(self, targetfd, tmpfile=None): 
         self.targetfd = targetfd
         if tmpfile is None: 
@@ -14,16 +17,22 @@ class FDCapture:
         self._patched = []
 
     def setasfile(self, name, module=sys): 
+        """ patch <module>.<name> to self.tmpfile
+        """
         key = (module, name)
         self._patched.append((key, getattr(module, name)))
         setattr(module, name, self.tmpfile) 
 
     def unsetfiles(self): 
+        """ unpatch all patched items
+        """
         while self._patched: 
             (module, name), value = self._patched.pop()
             setattr(module, name, value) 
 
     def done(self): 
+        """ unpatch and clean up, returns the self.tmpfile (file object)
+        """
         os.dup2(self._savefd, self.targetfd) 
         self.unsetfiles() 
         os.close(self._savefd) 
@@ -31,11 +40,23 @@ class FDCapture:
         return self.tmpfile 
 
     def maketmpfile(self): 
+        """ create a temporary file
+        """
         f = os.tmpfile()
         newf = py.io.dupfile(f) 
         f.close()
         return newf 
 
+    def writeorg(self, str):
+        """ write a string to the original file descriptor
+        """
+        tempfp = os.tmpfile()
+        try:
+            os.dup2(self._savefd, tempfp.fileno())
+            tempfp.write(str)
+        finally:
+            tempfp.close()
+
 class OutErrCapture: 
     """ capture Stdout and Stderr both on filedescriptor 
         and sys.stdout/stderr level. 
@@ -51,6 +72,11 @@ class OutErrCapture:
                 self.err.setasfile('stderr')
 
     def reset(self): 
+        """ reset sys.stdout and sys.stderr
+
+            returns a tuple of file objects (out, err) for the captured
+            data
+        """
         out = err = ""
         if hasattr(self, 'out'): 
             outfile = self.out.done() 
@@ -60,6 +86,20 @@ class OutErrCapture:
             err = errfile.read()
         return out, err 
 
+    def writeorgout(self, str):
+        """ write something to the original stdout
+        """
+        if not hasattr(self, 'out'):
+            raise IOError('stdout not patched')
+        self.out.writeorg(str)
+
+    def writeorgerr(self, str):
+        """ write something to the original stderr
+        """
+        if not hasattr(self, 'err'):
+            raise IOError('stderr not patched')
+        self.err.writeorg(str)
+
 def callcapture(func, *args, **kwargs): 
     """ call the given function with args/kwargs
         and return a (res, out, err) tuple where
diff --git a/py/io/test/test_capture.py b/py/io/test/test_capture.py
index fb524543b..686267af7 100644
--- a/py/io/test/test_capture.py
+++ b/py/io/test/test_capture.py
@@ -30,6 +30,33 @@ class TestFDCapture:
         f = cap.done()
         assert x == "3"
 
+    def test_writeorg(self):
+        tmppath = py.test.ensuretemp('test_writeorg').ensure('stderr',
+                                                             file=True)
+        tmpfp = tmppath.open('w+b')
+        try:
+            cap = py.io.FDCapture(tmpfp.fileno())
+            print >>tmpfp, 'foo'
+            cap.writeorg('bar\n')
+        finally:
+            tmpfp.close()
+        f = cap.done()
+        scap = f.read()
+        assert scap == 'foo\n'
+        stmp = tmppath.read()
+        assert stmp == "bar\n"
+
+    def test_writeorg_wrongtype(self):
+        tmppath = py.test.ensuretemp('test_writeorg').ensure('stdout',
+                                                             file=True)
+        tmpfp = tmppath.open('r')
+        try:
+            cap = py.io.FDCapture(tmpfp.fileno())
+            py.test.raises(IOError, "cap.writeorg('bar\\n')")
+        finally:
+            tmpfp.close()
+        f = cap.done()
+
 class TestCapturing: 
     def getcapture(self): 
         return py.io.OutErrCapture()
diff --git a/py/test/rsession/rsession.py b/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
index e373a9b7b..e71818303 100644
--- a/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
+++ b/py/test/rsession/rsession.py
@@ -263,7 +263,8 @@ class LSession(AbstractSession):
             try:
                 pkgdir = self.getpkgdir(self.config.args[0])
                 apigen.build(pkgdir,
-                             DocStorageAccessor(self.docstorage))
+                             DocStorageAccessor(self.docstorage),
+                             capture)
             finally:
                 capture.reset()