diff --git a/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.cpp b/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.cpp
--- a/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.cpp
+++ b/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.cpp
@@ -323,6 +323,8 @@
   connect (this, SIGNAL (set_global_shortcuts_signal (bool)),
            parent->parent (), SLOT (set_global_shortcuts (bool)));
 
+  connect (this, SIGNAL (interrupt_signal (void)),
+           parent->parent (), SLOT (terminal_interrupt (void)));
 }
 
 TerminalView::~TerminalView()
@@ -2274,9 +2276,7 @@
   QString text = _screenWindow->selectedText(_preserveLineBreaks);
 
   if (text.isEmpty ())
-    {
-      ::raise (SIGINT);
-    }
+    emit interrupt_signal ();
   else
     QApplication::clipboard()->setText(text);
 }
diff --git a/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.h b/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.h
--- a/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.h
+++ b/libgui/qterminal/libqterminal/unix/TerminalView.h
@@ -447,6 +447,8 @@
 
 signals:
 
+    void interrupt_signal (void);
+
     /**
      * Emitted when the user presses a key whilst the terminal widget has focus.
      */
diff --git a/libgui/src/main-window.cc b/libgui/src/main-window.cc
--- a/libgui/src/main-window.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/main-window.cc
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@
     workspace_window (new workspace_view (this)),
     find_files_dlg (0),
     release_notes_window (0),
-    _octave_main_thread (0),
     _octave_qt_link (0),
     _clipboard (QApplication::clipboard ()),
     _cmd_queue (new QStringList ()),  // no command pending
@@ -114,7 +113,6 @@
       delete release_notes_window;
       release_notes_window = 0;
     }
-  delete _octave_main_thread;
   delete _octave_qt_link;
   delete _cmd_queue;
 }
@@ -990,9 +988,7 @@
 void
 main_window::construct_octave_qt_link (void)
 {
-  _octave_main_thread = new octave_main_thread ();
-
-  _octave_qt_link = new octave_qt_link (_octave_main_thread);
+  _octave_qt_link = new octave_qt_link ();
 
   connect (_octave_qt_link, SIGNAL (exit_signal (int)),
            this, SLOT (exit (int)));
@@ -1824,6 +1820,12 @@
 }
 
 void
+main_window::terminal_interrupt (void)
+{
+  _octave_qt_link->interrupt_interpreter ();
+}
+
+void
 main_window::handle_show_doc (const QString& file)
 {
   doc_browser_window->setVisible (true);
diff --git a/libgui/src/main-window.h b/libgui/src/main-window.h
--- a/libgui/src/main-window.h
+++ b/libgui/src/main-window.h
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@
   // setting global shortcuts
   void set_global_shortcuts (bool enable);
 
+  void terminal_interrupt (void);
+
   // handling the clipboard
   void clipboard_has_changed (QClipboard::Mode);
   void clear_clipboard ();
@@ -326,8 +328,6 @@
   // release notes window
   QWidget * release_notes_window;
 
-  octave_main_thread *_octave_main_thread;
-
   octave_qt_link *_octave_qt_link;
 
   QClipboard *_clipboard;
diff --git a/libgui/src/module.mk b/libgui/src/module.mk
--- a/libgui/src/module.mk
+++ b/libgui/src/module.mk
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
   src/moc-files-dock-widget.cc \
   src/moc-history-dock-widget.cc \
   src/moc-main-window.cc \
+  src/moc-octave-main-thread.cc \
   src/moc-octave-qt-link.cc \
   src/moc-settings-dialog.cc \
   src/moc-news-dock-widget.cc \
diff --git a/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.cc b/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.cc
--- a/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include <pthread.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
 #include "builtin-defun-decls.h"
 #include "octave.h"
 #include "ov-builtin.h"
@@ -36,8 +39,10 @@
 #include "octave-link.h"
 
 void
-octave_main_thread::run (void)
+octave_main_thread::execute_interpreter (void)
 {
+  interpreter_thread = pthread_self ();
+
   octave_initialize_interpreter (octave_cmdline_argc, octave_cmdline_argv,
                                  octave_embedded);
 
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@
 }
 
 void
-octave_main_thread::execute_interpreter (void)
+octave_main_thread::interrupt_interpreter (void)
 {
-  start ();
+  pthread_kill (interpreter_thread, SIGINT);
 }
diff --git a/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.h b/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.h
--- a/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.h
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-main-thread.h
@@ -24,26 +24,35 @@
 #ifndef OCTAVEMAINTHREAD_H
 #define OCTAVEMAINTHREAD_H
 
-#include <QThread>
+#include <QObject>
+
+#include <pthread.h>
 
 /**
   * \class octave_main
   * \brief This class represents a thread just running octave_main.
   * \author Jacob Dawid
   */
-class octave_main_thread : public QThread
+class octave_main_thread : public QObject
 {
+  Q_OBJECT
+
 public:
+
   // Create a new thread for running the octave interpreter.
-  octave_main_thread (void) : QThread () { }
+  octave_main_thread (void) : QObject (), interpreter_thread () { }
+
+  void interrupt_interpreter (void);
+
+public slots:
 
   // Start the thread and initialize and execute the octave
   // interpreter.
   void execute_interpreter (void);
 
-protected:
-  // Avoid exec.  Run the octave interpreter in the new thread.
-  void run (void);
+private:
+
+  pthread_t interpreter_thread;
 };
 
 #endif // OCTAVEMAINTHREAD_H
diff --git a/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.cc b/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.cc
--- a/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.cc
@@ -43,16 +43,33 @@
 
 #include "resource-manager.h"
 
-octave_qt_link::octave_qt_link (octave_main_thread *mt)
-  : octave_link (), main_thread (mt)
-{ }
+octave_qt_link::octave_qt_link (void)
+  : octave_link (), main_thread (new QThread ()),
+    octave_interpreter (new octave_main_thread ())
+{
+  connect (this, SIGNAL (execute_interpreter_signal (void)),
+           octave_interpreter, SLOT (execute_interpreter (void)));
+
+  connect (this, SIGNAL (interrupt_interpreter_signal (void)),
+           octave_interpreter, SLOT (interrupt_interpreter (void)));
+
+  octave_interpreter->moveToThread (main_thread);
+
+  main_thread->start ();
+}
 
 octave_qt_link::~octave_qt_link (void) { }
 
 void
 octave_qt_link::execute_interpreter (void)
 {
-  main_thread->execute_interpreter ();
+  emit execute_interpreter_signal ();
+}
+
+void
+octave_qt_link::interrupt_interpreter (void)
+{
+  octave_interpreter->interrupt_interpreter ();
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.h b/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.h
--- a/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.h
+++ b/libgui/src/octave-qt-link.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <QList>
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QString>
+#include <QThread>
 
 #include "octave-link.h"
 #include "octave-main-thread.h"
@@ -52,12 +53,14 @@
 
 public:
 
-  octave_qt_link (octave_main_thread *mt);
+  octave_qt_link (void);
 
   ~octave_qt_link (void);
 
   void execute_interpreter (void);
 
+  void interrupt_interpreter (void);
+
   bool do_exit (int status);
 
   bool do_edit_file (const std::string& file);
@@ -128,6 +131,7 @@
   void do_show_preferences (void);
 
   void do_show_doc (const std::string& file);
+
 private:
 
   // No copying!
@@ -140,10 +144,17 @@
   void do_delete_debugger_pointer (const std::string& file, int line);
 
   // Thread running octave_main.
-  octave_main_thread *main_thread;
+  QThread *main_thread;
+
+  // Octave interpreter (misnamed class)
+  octave_main_thread *octave_interpreter;
 
 signals:
 
+  void execute_interpreter_signal (void);
+
+  void interrupt_interpreter_signal (void);
+
   void exit_signal (int status);
 
   void edit_file_signal (const QString& file);