diff --git a/modules/gui/src/gosty.cc b/modules/gui/src/gosty.cc
index 19b91bcbefaf97db51463672e15343a19477f446..cb1ed73843039048077f703cf36820dcf32cdc47 100644
--- a/modules/gui/src/gosty.cc
+++ b/modules/gui/src/gosty.cc
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ int init_python_interpreter()
   }  
   setup_python_search_path(root, py);
   py.RunCommand("from ost import *");
+  py.RunCommand("gui_mode=True");
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/scripts/init_cl.py b/scripts/init_cl.py
index 5c080e95d13a7675f8889202782f9379a5d045d7..09b38ed9785b1075acbdc5dbfe8de8e1d14d21f3 100644
--- a/scripts/init_cl.py
+++ b/scripts/init_cl.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import sys, os, platform
 import optparse
 
-interactive=False
-
 def show_help(option, opt, value, parser):
   parser.print_help()
   sys.exit(-1)
@@ -49,7 +47,11 @@ def _InitRuleBasedBuilder():
 _InitRuleBasedBuilder()
 import os.path
 HistoryFile=os.path.expanduser('~/.ost_history')
+
+# this is a silly name...
 InGUIMode=False
+# ... lets be more pythonic
+gui_mode=False
 
 sys.ps1='ost> '
 sys.ps2='..... '