diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index d5948b56..d7bfd0bf 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ char initial_netlist_name[PATH_MAX]={0};
 char bus_char[3] = {0, 0, 0};
 int yyparse_error = 0;
 char *xschem_executable=NULL;
-Tcl_Interp *interp;
+Tcl_Interp *interp = NULL;
 double *character[256]; /* array or per-char coordinates of xschem internal vector font */
 int do_netlist=0;  /* set by process_options if user wants netllist from cmdline */
 int do_simulation=0;
diff --git a/src/hilight.c b/src/hilight.c
index 968d3de1..ef73a657 100644
--- a/src/hilight.c
+++ b/src/hilight.c
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@ void create_plot_cmd(void)
     }
     fprintf(fd, "*ngspice plot file\n.control\n");
   }
-  if(viewer == GAW) tcleval("if { ![info exists gaw_fd] } { setup_tcp_gaw }\n");
+  if(viewer == GAW) tcleval("setup_tcp_gaw");
+  if(tclresult()[0] == '0')  return;
   idx = 1;
   first = 1;
   for(i=0;i<HASHSIZE;i++) /* set ngspice colors */
@@ -915,7 +916,8 @@ static void send_net_to_gaw(int simtype, const char *node)
     sprintf(color_str, "%02x%02x%02x", xctx->xcolor_array[c].red>>8, xctx->xcolor_array[c].green>>8,
                                        xctx->xcolor_array[c].blue>>8);
     expanded_tok = expandlabel(tok, &tok_mult);
-    tcleval("if { ![info exists gaw_fd] } { setup_tcp_gaw }\n");
+    tcleval("setup_tcp_gaw");
+    if(tclresult()[0] == '0') return;
     for(k=1; k<=tok_mult; k++) {
       my_strdup(246, &t, find_nth(expanded_tok, ',', k));
       my_strdup2(254, &p, xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch]+1);
@@ -1018,7 +1020,8 @@ static void send_current_to_gaw(int simtype, const char *node)
   sprintf(color_str, "%02x%02x%02x", xctx->xcolor_array[c].red>>8, xctx->xcolor_array[c].green>>8,
                                      xctx->xcolor_array[c].blue>>8);
   expanded_tok = expandlabel(tok, &tok_mult);
-  tcleval("if { ![info exists gaw_fd] } { setup_tcp_gaw }\n");
+  tcleval("setup_tcp_gaw");
+  if(tclresult()[0] == '0') return;
   for(k=1; k<=tok_mult; k++) {
     my_strdup(1179, &t, find_nth(expanded_tok, ',', k));
     my_strdup2(1180, &p, xctx->sch_path[xctx->currsch]+1);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index edb5cabf..8024d57e 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   if(debug_var>=1 && !has_x)
     fprintf(errfp, "main(): no DISPLAY set, assuming no X available\n");
 
-/* detach from console (fork a child and close std file descriptors) */
 
+#if 0
+/* detach from console (fork a child and close std file descriptors) */
   if(detach) {
 #ifdef __unix__
     pid_t pid = fork();
@@ -109,9 +110,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 #endif
   }
+#endif
 
-  if(has_x) Tk_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
-  else     Tcl_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
+  /* if detach is 1 no interactive command shell is created ...
+   * using detach if no windowing exists (has_x == 0) is non sense so do nothing
+   */
+  if(detach && has_x) {
+    Tcl_FindExecutable(argv[0]); /* tcl stores executable name for its internal usage */
+    interp = Tcl_CreateInterp(); /* create the tcl interpreter */
+    Tcl_AppInit(interp); /* execute our init function */
+    Tk_MainLoop(); /* ok, now all done go into the event loop */
+  } else { /* ... else start tcl or tk main loop and enter interactive mode (tcl shell) */
+    if(has_x) Tk_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
+    else     Tcl_Main(1, argv, Tcl_AppInit);
+  }
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/psprint.c b/src/psprint.c
index aa72070f..64b23a88 100644
--- a/src/psprint.c
+++ b/src/psprint.c
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ int ps_draw(int what)
 
  if(what & 1) { /* prolog */
    if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
-   if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+   if(has_x && !xctx->plotfile[0]) {
      tclvareval("tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile {",
        get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".pdf} -initialdir {", lastdir, "}", NULL);
      r = tclresult();
diff --git a/src/svgdraw.c b/src/svgdraw.c
index ea35e370..2f9903ea 100644
--- a/src/svgdraw.c
+++ b/src/svgdraw.c
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ void svg_draw(void)
   struct hilight_hashentry *entry;
   
   if(!lastdir[0]) my_strncpy(lastdir, pwd_dir, S(lastdir));
-  if(!xctx->plotfile[0]) {
+  if(has_x && !xctx->plotfile[0]) {
     tclvareval("tk_getSaveFile -title {Select destination file} -initialfile {",
       get_cell(xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], 0) , ".svg} -initialdir {", lastdir, "}", NULL);
     r = tclresult();
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index d7623e2a..a8251a1d 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
 
  /* set error and exit handlers */
  XSetErrorHandler(err);
- interp=inter;
+ if(!interp) interp=inter;
  Tcl_Init(interp);
  if(has_x) {
    Tk_Init(interp);
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index bb403d99..cd32994a 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -987,6 +987,7 @@ proc gaw_echoline {} {
 proc setup_tcp_gaw {} {
   global gaw_fd gaw_tcp_address netlist_dir has_x
  
+  if { [info exists gaw_fd] } { return 1; } 
   simuldir
   set s [file tail [file rootname [xschem get schname 0]]]
 
@@ -1000,11 +1001,12 @@ proc setup_tcp_gaw {} {
          "If you recently closed gaw the port may be in a TIME_WAIT state for a minute or so ." \
          "Close gaw, Wait a minute or two, then send waves to gaw again."]
     }
-    return
+    return 0
   }
   chan configure $gaw_fd -blocking 1 -buffering line -encoding binary -translation binary
   fileevent $gaw_fd readable gaw_echoline
   puts $gaw_fd "table_set $s.raw"
+  return 1
 }
 
 proc gaw_cmd {cmd} {