--- a/libgui/src/octave-qobject.cc	Thu Dec 03 12:28:59 2020 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-qobject.cc	Thu Dec 03 10:02:08 2020 -0500
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
   // we can handle forward Octave interpreter exceptions from the GUI
   // thread to the interpreter thread.
 
-  base_qobject::base_qobject (qt_application& app_context)
+  base_qobject::base_qobject (qt_application& app_context, bool gui_app)
     : QObject (), m_app_context (app_context),
       m_argc (m_app_context.sys_argc ()),
       m_argv (m_app_context.sys_argv ()),
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@
       m_qsci_tr (new QTranslator ()), m_translators_installed (false),
       m_qt_interpreter_events (new qt_interpreter_events (*this)),
       m_interpreter_qobj (new interpreter_qobject (*this)),
-      m_main_thread (new QThread ())
+      m_main_thread (new QThread ()), m_gui_app (gui_app),
+      m_main_window (nullptr)
   {
     std::string show_gui_msgs =
       sys::env::getenv ("OCTAVE_SHOW_GUI_MESSAGES");
@@ -225,6 +226,32 @@
     connect (qt_link (),
              SIGNAL (copy_image_to_clipboard_signal (const QString&, bool)),
              this, SLOT (copy_image_to_clipboard (const QString&, bool)));
+
+    if (gui_app)
+      {
+        m_main_window = new main_window (*this);
+
+        connect (m_interpreter_qobj, SIGNAL (ready (void)),
+                 m_main_window, SLOT (handle_octave_ready (void)));
+
+        connect (qt_link (),
+                 SIGNAL (focus_window_signal (const QString&)),
+                 m_main_window, SLOT (focus_window (const QString&)));
+
+        m_app_context.gui_running (true);
+      }
+    else
+      {
+        // Get settings file.
+        m_resource_manager.reload_settings ();
+
+        // After settings.
+        config_translators ();
+
+        m_qapplication->setQuitOnLastWindowClosed (false);
+      }
+
+    start_main_thread ();
   }
 
   base_qobject::~base_qobject (void)
@@ -233,6 +260,8 @@
     // deleteLater slot that is called when the m_main_thread issues a
     // finished signal.
 
+    delete m_main_window;
+
     delete m_interpreter_qobj;
     delete m_qsci_tr;
     delete m_gui_tr;
@@ -275,7 +304,11 @@
 
   bool base_qobject::confirm_shutdown (void)
   {
-    return true;
+    // Currently, we forward to main_window::confirm_shutdown instead of
+    // just displaying a dialog box here because the main_window also
+    // knows about and is responsible for notifying the editor.
+
+    return m_main_window ? m_main_window->confirm_shutdown () : true;
   }
 
   void base_qobject::handle_interpreter_execution_finished (int exit_status)
@@ -337,47 +370,4 @@
     if (remove_file)
       QFile::remove (file);
   }
-
-  cli_qobject::cli_qobject (qt_application& app_context)
-    : base_qobject (app_context)
-  {
-    // Get settings file.
-    m_resource_manager.reload_settings ();
-
-    // After settings.
-    config_translators ();
-
-    m_qapplication->setQuitOnLastWindowClosed (false);
-
-    start_main_thread ();
-  }
-
-  gui_qobject::gui_qobject (qt_application& app_context)
-    : base_qobject (app_context), m_main_window (new main_window (*this))
-  {
-    connect (m_interpreter_qobj, SIGNAL (ready (void)),
-             m_main_window, SLOT (handle_octave_ready (void)));
-
-    connect (qt_link (),
-             SIGNAL (focus_window_signal (const QString&)),
-             m_main_window, SLOT (focus_window (const QString&)));
-
-    m_app_context.gui_running (true);
-
-    start_main_thread ();
-  }
-
-  gui_qobject::~gui_qobject (void)
-  {
-    delete m_main_window;
-  }
-
-  bool gui_qobject::confirm_shutdown (void)
-  {
-    // Currently, we forward to main_window::confirm_shutdown instead of
-    // just displaying a dialog box here because the main_window also
-    // knows about and is responsible for notifying the editor.
-
-    return m_main_window ? m_main_window->confirm_shutdown () : true;
-  }
 }

--- a/libgui/src/octave-qobject.h	Thu Dec 03 12:28:59 2020 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-qobject.h	Thu Dec 03 10:02:08 2020 -0500
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 
   public:
 
-    base_qobject (qt_application& app_context);
+    base_qobject (qt_application& app_context, bool gui_app = false);
 
     ~base_qobject (void);
 
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@
 
     QThread *main_thread (void) { return m_main_thread; }
 
+    // Declared virtual so that a derived class may redefine this
+    // method.
+
     virtual bool confirm_shutdown (void);
 
   signals:
@@ -178,38 +181,8 @@
     interpreter_qobject *m_interpreter_qobj;
 
     QThread *m_main_thread;
-  };
 
-  //! This object provides a command-line interface to Octave that may
-  //! use Qt graphics.
-
-  class cli_qobject : public base_qobject
-  {
-    Q_OBJECT
-
-  public:
-
-    cli_qobject (qt_application& app_context);
-
-    ~cli_qobject (void) = default;
-  };
-
-  //! This object provides a full GUI interface to Octave that is
-  //! implemented Qt.
-
-  class gui_qobject : public base_qobject
-  {
-    Q_OBJECT
-
-  public:
-
-    gui_qobject (qt_application& app_context);
-
-    ~gui_qobject (void);
-
-    bool confirm_shutdown (void);
-
-  private:
+    bool m_gui_app;
 
     main_window *m_main_window;
   };

--- a/libgui/src/qt-application.cc	Thu Dec 03 12:28:59 2020 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/qt-application.cc	Thu Dec 03 10:02:08 2020 -0500
@@ -62,15 +62,8 @@
 
     // Create and show main window.
 
-    if (start_gui_p ())
-      {
-        gui_qobject gui_interface (*this);
-        return gui_interface.exec ();
-      }
-    else
-      {
-        cli_qobject cli_interface (*this);
-        return cli_interface.exec ();
-      }
+    base_qobject qt_interface (*this, start_gui_p ());
+
+    return qt_interface.exec ();
   }
 }