diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8ac86f726..16e0c6430 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ set(SUBSURFACE_CORE_LIB_SRCS
 	checkcloudconnection.cpp
 	windowtitleupdate.cpp
 	divelogexportlogic.cpp
+	qt-init.cpp
 	${SUBSURFACE_PRINTING_SRCS}
 	${PLATFORM_SRC}
 )
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index d46e72984..b05b8022a 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "qthelper.h"
 
 #include <QStringList>
+#include <QApplication>
 #include <git2.h>
 
 QTranslator *qtTranslator, *ssrfTranslator;
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int i;
 	bool no_filenames = true;
 
-	init_qt(&argc, &argv);
+	QApplication *application = new QApplication(argc, argv);
 	QStringList files;
 	QStringList importedFiles;
 	QStringList arguments = QCoreApplication::arguments();
diff --git a/qt-gui.cpp b/qt-gui.cpp
index 445602b11..713fd53cd 100644
--- a/qt-gui.cpp
+++ b/qt-gui.cpp
@@ -11,54 +11,14 @@
 #include <QLibraryInfo>
 #include <QTextCodec>
 
-static QApplication *application = NULL;
+#include "qt-gui.h"
+
 static MainWindow *window = NULL;
 
-void init_qt(int *argcp, char ***argvp)
+void init_ui()
 {
-	application = new QApplication(*argcp, *argvp);
-}
+	init_qt_late();
 
-void init_ui(void)
-{
-	// tell Qt to use system proxies
-	// note: on Linux, "system" == "environment variables"
-	QNetworkProxyFactory::setUseSystemConfiguration(true);
-
-	// for Win32 and Qt5 we try to set the locale codec to UTF-8.
-	// this makes QFile::encodeName() work.
-#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
-	QTextCodec::setCodecForLocale(QTextCodec::codecForMib(106));
-#endif
-
-	QCoreApplication::setOrganizationName("Subsurface");
-	QCoreApplication::setOrganizationDomain("subsurface.hohndel.org");
-	QCoreApplication::setApplicationName("Subsurface");
-	// find plugins installed in the application directory (without this SVGs don't work on Windows)
-	QCoreApplication::addLibraryPath(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath());
-	QLocale loc;
-	QString uiLang = uiLanguage(&loc);
-	QLocale::setDefault(loc);
-
-	// we don't have translations for English - if we don't check for this
-	// Qt will proceed to load the second language in preference order - not what we want
-	// on Linux this tends to be en-US, but on the Mac it's just en
-	if (!uiLang.startsWith("en") || uiLang.startsWith("en-GB")) {
-		qtTranslator = new QTranslator;
-		if (qtTranslator->load(loc, "qt", "_", QLibraryInfo::location(QLibraryInfo::TranslationsPath))) {
-			application->installTranslator(qtTranslator);
-		} else {
-			qDebug() << "can't find Qt localization for locale" << uiLang << "searching in" << QLibraryInfo::location(QLibraryInfo::TranslationsPath);
-		}
-		ssrfTranslator = new QTranslator;
-		if (ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_") ||
-		    ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_", getSubsurfaceDataPath("translations")) ||
-		    ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_", getSubsurfaceDataPath("../translations"))) {
-			application->installTranslator(ssrfTranslator);
-		} else {
-			qDebug() << "can't find Subsurface localization for locale" << uiLang;
-		}
-	}
 	window = new MainWindow();
 	if (existing_filename && existing_filename[0] != '\0')
 		window->setTitle(MWTF_FILENAME);
@@ -66,16 +26,16 @@ void init_ui(void)
 		window->setTitle(MWTF_DEFAULT);
 }
 
-void run_ui(void)
+void run_ui()
 {
 	window->show();
-	application->exec();
+	qApp->exec();
 }
 
-void exit_ui(void)
+void exit_ui()
 {
 	delete window;
-	delete application;
+	delete qApp;
 	free((void *)existing_filename);
 	free((void *)default_dive_computer_vendor);
 	free((void *)default_dive_computer_product);
@@ -84,7 +44,7 @@ void exit_ui(void)
 
 double get_screen_dpi()
 {
-	QDesktopWidget *mydesk = application->desktop();
+	QDesktopWidget *mydesk = qApp->desktop();
 	return mydesk->physicalDpiX();
 }
 
diff --git a/qt-gui.h b/qt-gui.h
index c3d48afad..7761eb462 100644
--- a/qt-gui.h
+++ b/qt-gui.h
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 #ifndef QT_GUI_H
 #define QT_GUI_H
 
-void init_qt(int *argcp, char ***argvp);
-void init_ui(void);
+#include <QApplication>
 
-void run_ui(void);
-void exit_ui(void);
+void init_qt_late();
+void init_ui();
+
+void run_ui();
+void exit_ui();
 
 #endif // QT_GUI_H
diff --git a/qt-init.cpp b/qt-init.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b52dfd970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qt-init.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <QNetworkProxy>
+#include <QLibraryInfo>
+#include <QTextCodec>
+#include "helpers.h"
+
+void init_qt_late()
+{
+	QApplication *application = qApp;
+	// tell Qt to use system proxies
+	// note: on Linux, "system" == "environment variables"
+	QNetworkProxyFactory::setUseSystemConfiguration(true);
+
+	// for Win32 and Qt5 we try to set the locale codec to UTF-8.
+	// this makes QFile::encodeName() work.
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+	QTextCodec::setCodecForLocale(QTextCodec::codecForMib(106));
+#endif
+
+	QCoreApplication::setOrganizationName("Subsurface");
+	QCoreApplication::setOrganizationDomain("subsurface.hohndel.org");
+	QCoreApplication::setApplicationName("Subsurface");
+	// find plugins installed in the application directory (without this SVGs don't work on Windows)
+	QCoreApplication::addLibraryPath(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath());
+	QLocale loc;
+	QString uiLang = uiLanguage(&loc);
+	QLocale::setDefault(loc);
+
+	// we don't have translations for English - if we don't check for this
+	// Qt will proceed to load the second language in preference order - not what we want
+	// on Linux this tends to be en-US, but on the Mac it's just en
+	if (!uiLang.startsWith("en") || uiLang.startsWith("en-GB")) {
+		qtTranslator = new QTranslator;
+		if (qtTranslator->load(loc, "qt", "_", QLibraryInfo::location(QLibraryInfo::TranslationsPath))) {
+			application->installTranslator(qtTranslator);
+		} else {
+			qDebug() << "can't find Qt localization for locale" << uiLang << "searching in" << QLibraryInfo::location(QLibraryInfo::TranslationsPath);
+		}
+		ssrfTranslator = new QTranslator;
+		if (ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_") ||
+		    ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_", getSubsurfaceDataPath("translations")) ||
+		    ssrfTranslator->load(loc, "subsurface", "_", getSubsurfaceDataPath("../translations"))) {
+			application->installTranslator(ssrfTranslator);
+		} else {
+			qDebug() << "can't find Subsurface localization for locale" << uiLang;
+		}
+	}
+}