--- a/examples/code/embedded.cc	Tue Apr 20 09:53:31 2021 -0700
+++ b/examples/code/embedded.cc	Tue Apr 20 16:54:51 2021 -0400
@@ -76,8 +76,5 @@
       std::cerr << "error encountered in Octave evaluator!" << std::endl;
     }
 
-  // Shutdown the interpreter which cleanly releases all memory.
-  interpreter.shutdown ();
-
   return 0;
 }

--- a/libinterp/corefcn/interpreter.cc	Tue Apr 20 09:53:31 2021 -0700
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/interpreter.cc	Tue Apr 20 16:54:51 2021 -0400
@@ -651,6 +651,8 @@
 
   interpreter::~interpreter (void)
   {
+    shutdown ();
+
     delete m_gh_manager;
   }
 
@@ -1026,6 +1028,13 @@
 
   void interpreter::shutdown (void)
   {
+    // Attempt to prevent more than one call to shutdown.
+
+    if (! m_initialized)
+      return;
+
+    m_initialized = false;
+
     OCTAVE_SAFE_CALL (feval, ("close", ovl ("all"), 0));
 
     // If we are attached to a GUI, process pending events and

--- a/libinterp/octave.cc	Tue Apr 20 09:53:31 2021 -0700
+++ b/libinterp/octave.cc	Tue Apr 20 16:54:51 2021 -0400
@@ -445,8 +445,6 @@
 
     int status = interp.execute ();
 
-    interp.shutdown ();
-
     return status;
   }
 }