--- a/libgui/src/main-window.cc	Fri Jun 21 10:10:54 2019 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/main-window.cc	Fri Jun 21 14:17:02 2019 -0500
@@ -2727,8 +2727,7 @@
       m_qsci_tr (new QTranslator ()), m_translators_installed (false),
       m_octave_qt_link (new octave_qt_link ()),
       m_interpreter (new octave_interpreter (m_app_context)),
-      m_main_thread (new QThread ()),
-      m_main_window (nullptr)
+      m_main_thread (new QThread ())
   {
     std::string show_gui_msgs =
       sys::env::getenv ("OCTAVE_SHOW_GUI_MESSAGES");
@@ -2789,32 +2788,10 @@
 
     connect (m_main_thread, SIGNAL (finished (void)),
              m_main_thread, SLOT (deleteLater (void)));
-
-    if (m_app_context.start_gui_p ())
-      create_main_window ();
-    else
-      {
-        // Get settings file.
-        resource_manager::reload_settings ();
-
-        // After settings.
-        config_translators ();
-
-        m_qt_app->setQuitOnLastWindowClosed (false);
-      }
-
-    // Defer initializing and executing the interpreter until after the main
-    // window and QApplication are running to prevent race conditions
-    QTimer::singleShot (0, m_interpreter, SLOT (execute (void)));
-
-    m_interpreter->moveToThread (m_main_thread);
-
-    m_main_thread->start ();
   }
 
   octave_qt_app::~octave_qt_app (void)
   {
-    delete m_main_window;
     delete m_interpreter;
     delete m_qt_app;
 
@@ -2835,14 +2812,15 @@
     m_translators_installed = true;
   }
 
-  void octave_qt_app::create_main_window (void)
+  void octave_qt_app::start_main_thread (void)
   {
-    m_main_window = new main_window (*this, m_octave_qt_link);
-
-    connect (m_interpreter, SIGNAL (octave_ready_signal (void)),
-             m_main_window, SLOT (handle_octave_ready (void)));
-
-    m_app_context.gui_running (true);
+    // Defer initializing and executing the interpreter until after the main
+    // window and QApplication are running to prevent race conditions
+    QTimer::singleShot (0, m_interpreter, SLOT (execute (void)));
+
+    m_interpreter->moveToThread (m_main_thread);
+
+    m_main_thread->start ();
   }
 
   int octave_qt_app::exec (void)
@@ -2857,20 +2835,7 @@
 
   void octave_qt_app::confirm_shutdown_octave (void)
   {
-    bool closenow = true;
-
-    if (m_main_window)
-      closenow = m_main_window->confirm_shutdown_octave ();
-
-    // Wait for link thread to go to sleep state.
-    m_octave_qt_link->lock ();
-
-    m_octave_qt_link->shutdown_confirmation (closenow);
-
-    m_octave_qt_link->unlock ();
-
-    // Awake the worker thread so that it continues shutting down (or not).
-    m_octave_qt_link->wake_all ();
+    confirm_shutdown_octave_internal (true);
   }
 
   void octave_qt_app::copy_image_to_clipboard (const QString& file,
@@ -3006,4 +2971,58 @@
                                              const QString&, const QString&,
                                              const QString&)));
   }
+
+  void octave_qt_app::confirm_shutdown_octave_internal (bool closenow)
+  {
+    // Wait for link thread to go to sleep state.
+    m_octave_qt_link->lock ();
+
+    m_octave_qt_link->shutdown_confirmation (closenow);
+
+    m_octave_qt_link->unlock ();
+
+    // Awake the worker thread so that it continues shutting down (or not).
+    m_octave_qt_link->wake_all ();
+  }
+
+  octave_qt_cli_app::octave_qt_cli_app (gui_application& app_context)
+    : octave_qt_app (app_context)
+  {
+    // Get settings file.
+    resource_manager::reload_settings ();
+
+    // After settings.
+    config_translators ();
+
+    m_qt_app->setQuitOnLastWindowClosed (false);
+
+    start_main_thread ();
+  }
+
+  octave_qt_gui_app::octave_qt_gui_app (gui_application& app_context)
+    : octave_qt_app (app_context),
+      m_main_window (new main_window (*this, m_octave_qt_link))
+  {
+    connect (m_interpreter, SIGNAL (octave_ready_signal (void)),
+             m_main_window, SLOT (handle_octave_ready (void)));
+
+    m_app_context.gui_running (true);
+
+    start_main_thread ();
+  }
+
+  octave_qt_gui_app::~octave_qt_gui_app (void)
+  {
+    delete m_main_window;
+  }
+
+  void octave_qt_gui_app::confirm_shutdown_octave (void)
+  {
+    bool closenow = true;
+
+    if (m_main_window)
+      closenow = m_main_window->confirm_shutdown_octave ();
+
+    confirm_shutdown_octave_internal (closenow);
+  }
 }

--- a/libgui/src/main-window.h	Fri Jun 21 10:10:54 2019 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/main-window.h	Fri Jun 21 14:17:02 2019 -0500
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@
 
     void config_translators (void);
 
-    void create_main_window (void);
+    void start_main_thread (void);
 
     int exec (void);
 
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@
 
     void handle_octave_finished (int);
 
-    void confirm_shutdown_octave (void);
+    virtual void confirm_shutdown_octave (void);
 
     void copy_image_to_clipboard (const QString& file, bool remove_file);
 
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@
                                    const QString& dirname,
                                    const QString& multimode);
 
-  private:
+  protected:
 
     gui_application& m_app_context;
 
@@ -553,9 +553,39 @@
 
     QThread *m_main_thread;
 
-    main_window *m_main_window;
+    void connect_uiwidget_links (void);
+
+    void confirm_shutdown_octave_internal (bool closenow);
+  };
+
+  class octave_qt_cli_app : public octave_qt_app
+  {
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+  public:
+
+    octave_qt_cli_app (gui_application& app_context);
+
+    ~octave_qt_cli_app (void) = default;
+  };
 
-    void connect_uiwidget_links (void);
+  class octave_qt_gui_app : public octave_qt_app
+  {
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+  public:
+
+    octave_qt_gui_app (gui_application& app_context);
+
+    ~octave_qt_gui_app (void);
+
+  public slots:
+
+    void confirm_shutdown_octave (void);
+
+  private:
+
+    main_window *m_main_window;
   };
 }
 

--- a/libgui/src/octave-gui.cc	Fri Jun 21 10:10:54 2019 -0500
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-gui.cc	Fri Jun 21 14:17:02 2019 -0500
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@
 
     // Create and show main window.
 
-    octave_qt_app oct_qt_app (*this);
-
-    return oct_qt_app.exec ();
+    if (start_gui_p ())
+      {
+        octave_qt_gui_app octave_app (*this);
+        return octave_app.exec ();
+      }
+    else
+      {
+        octave_qt_cli_app octave_app (*this);
+        return octave_app.exec ();
+      }
   }
 }