diff --git a/src/app-utils/Makefile.am b/src/app-utils/Makefile.am
index 93fc6761e5..9c7e411c9c 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/app-utils/Makefile.am
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ gncinclude_HEADERS = \
   gnc-ui-common.h \
   gnc-ui-util.h \
   guile-util.h \
-  option-util.h \
-  i18n.h
+  option-util.h
 
 noinst_HEADERS = \
   gw-app-utils.h
@@ -102,23 +101,7 @@ noinst_DATA = .scm-links
 EXTRA_DIST = \
   ${gncmod_DATA} \
   ${gncscm_DATA} \
-  ${gwmod_DATA} \
-  i18n.h.in 
-
-## We borrow guile's convention and use @-...-@ as the substitution
-## brackets here, instead of the usual @...@.  This prevents autoconf
-## from substituting the values directly into the left-hand sides of
-## the sed substitutions.
-i18n.h: i18n.h.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
-	rm -f $@.tmp
-	sed < $< > $@.tmp \
-            -e 's:@-PACKAGE-@:${PACKAGE}:g' \
-            -e 's:@-LOCALE_DIR-@:${LOCALE_DIR}:g'
-	mv $@.tmp $@
-
-# This has to be in BUILT_SOURCES because other files depend on it,
-# but it's never a target itself.
-BUILT_SOURCES = i18n.h
+  ${gwmod_DATA}
 
 if GNUCASH_SEPARATE_BUILDDIR
 #For compiling
@@ -147,6 +130,6 @@ gw-app-utils.scm gw-app-utils.c gw-app-utils.h: \
 	  (primitive-load \"./gw-app-utils-spec.scm\") \
 	  (gw:generate-wrapset \"gw-app-utils\")"
 
-BUILT_SOURCES += gw-app-utils.scm gw-app-utils.c gw-app-utils.h
+BUILT_SOURCES = gw-app-utils.scm gw-app-utils.c gw-app-utils.h
 DISTCLEANFILES = ${SCM_FILE_LINKS} gnucash g-wrapped .scm-links \
                  gw-app-utils.html
diff --git a/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.c b/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.c
index 3ee63053f1..670b5821d2 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.c
+++ b/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#include "i18n.h"
 #include "gnc-gettext-util.h"
 
 /* ============================================================== */
@@ -36,16 +35,3 @@ gnc_gettext_helper(const char *string)
   return strdup(_(string));
 }
 
-/* ============================================================== */
-
-void
-gnc_setup_gettext(void)
-{
-#ifdef HAVE_GETTEXT
-  bindtextdomain (TEXT_DOMAIN, LOCALE_DIR);
-  textdomain (TEXT_DOMAIN);
-  bind_textdomain_codeset (TEXT_DOMAIN, "UTF-8");
-#endif
-}
-
-/* ============================================================== */
diff --git a/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.h b/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.h
index 97a7cc4077..0b5f7ff943 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.h
+++ b/src/app-utils/gnc-gettext-util.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #ifndef GNC_GETTEXT_UTIL_H
 #define GNC_GETTEXT_UTIL_H
 
-void gnc_setup_gettext(void);
 char * gnc_gettext_helper(const char * str);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/app-utils/gw-app-utils-spec.scm b/src/app-utils/gw-app-utils-spec.scm
index ae8ec8f6a0..41347c485d 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gw-app-utils-spec.scm
+++ b/src/app-utils/gw-app-utils-spec.scm
@@ -99,14 +99,6 @@
      (<gw:bool> monetary))
    "Parse the expression and return either a gnc numeric or #f.")
 
-  (gw:wrap-function
-   ws
-   'gnc:setup-gettext
-   '<gw:void>
-   "gnc_setup_gettext"
-   '()
-   "Runs bindtextdomain and textdomain.")
-
   (gw:wrap-function
    ws
    'gnc:gettext-helper
diff --git a/src/bin/Makefile.am b/src/bin/Makefile.am
index ee785f0179..53caa3df97 100644
--- a/src/bin/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/bin/Makefile.am
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 # Order is important here.
 SUBDIRS = . overrides test
 
-AM_CFLAGS = -I${top_builddir} ${GLIB_CFLAGS}
+AM_CFLAGS = -I${top_builddir} ${GLIB_CFLAGS} ${GNOME_CFLAGS} ${GTK_CFLAGS} \
+-I${top_builddir}/src/gnc-module
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = gnucash-bin
 gnucash_bin_SOURCES = gnucash-bin.c
-gnucash_bin_LDADD = ${GUILE_LIBS} ${GLIB_LIBS}
+gnucash_bin_LDADD = ${GUILE_LIBS} ${GLIB_LIBS} ${GNOME_LIBS} ${GTK_LIBS} \
+${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module/libgncmodule.la
 
 gnucash: gnucash.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
 	rm -f $@.tmp
@@ -21,6 +23,16 @@ gnucash: gnucash.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
 	mv $@.tmp $@
 	chmod u+x $@
 
+BUILT_SOURCES = i18n.h
+
+i18n.h: i18n.h.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
+	rm -f $@.tmp
+	sed < $< > $@.tmp \
+            -e 's:@-PACKAGE-@:${PACKAGE}:g' \
+            -e 's:@-LOCALE_DIR-@:${LOCALE_DIR}:g'
+	mv $@.tmp $@
+
+
 gnucash-valgrind: gnucash-valgrind.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
 	rm -f $@.tmp
 	sed < $< > $@.tmp \
@@ -60,7 +72,7 @@ bin_SCRIPTS = ${gnc_common_scripts} update-gnucash-gconf gnucash gnucash-valgrin
 # if you change gncoverridedir, make sure you change ./overrides/Makefile.am too.
 gncoverridesdir = ${GNC_LIBEXECDIR}/overrides
 
-EXTRA_DIST = generate-gnc-script update-gnucash-gconf.in
+EXTRA_DIST = generate-gnc-script update-gnucash-gconf.in i18n.h.in
 
 ## Gnucash scripts -- real code is in overrides, these just get you there.
 ${gnc_common_scripts}: generate-gnc-script ${top_builddir}/config.status
diff --git a/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c b/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
index 96c4ac6ef1..63ea8b0ba0 100644
--- a/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
+++ b/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <libguile.h>
+#include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include "glib.h"
+#include "gnc-module.h"
+#include "i18n.h"
 
 static void
 inner_main (void *closure, int argc, char **argv)
@@ -38,6 +41,16 @@ inner_main (void *closure, int argc, char **argv)
 
 int main(int argc, char ** argv)
 {
+
+#ifdef HAVE_GETTEXT
+    bindtextdomain (TEXT_DOMAIN, LOCALE_DIR);
+    textdomain (TEXT_DOMAIN);
+    bind_textdomain_codeset (TEXT_DOMAIN, "UTF-8");
+#endif
+
+    gtk_init (&argc, &argv);
+    gnc_module_system_init();
+
     scm_boot_guile(argc, argv, inner_main, 0);
     exit(0); /* never reached */
 }
diff --git a/src/app-utils/i18n.h.in b/src/bin/i18n.h.in
similarity index 100%
rename from src/app-utils/i18n.h.in
rename to src/bin/i18n.h.in
diff --git a/src/scm/main.scm b/src/scm/main.scm
index 33e52e0109..a3f749d102 100644
--- a/src/scm/main.scm
+++ b/src/scm/main.scm
@@ -365,12 +365,6 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
   (gnc:debug "starting up (1).")
   (gnc:setup-debugging)
 
-  ;; before doing ANYTHING, set the locale!
-  (false-if-exception (setlocale LC_ALL ""))
-
-  ;; initialize the gnucash module system 
-  (gnc:module-system-init)
-  
   ;; SUPER UGLY HACK -- this should go away when I come back for the
   ;; second cleanup pass...
   (let ((original-module (current-module))
@@ -379,20 +373,21 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
     (set-current-module bootstrap)
     
     (gnc:module-load "gnucash/app-utils" 0)
-    (gnc:setup-gettext)
     ;; Now we can load a bunch of files.
     (load-from-path "path.scm")
     (load-from-path "command-line.scm") ;; depends on app-utils (N_, etc.)...
     )
 
-  (gnc:initialize-config-vars)
+  (gnc:initialize-config-vars) ;; in command-line.scm
+  ;; handle unrecognized command line args
   (if (not (gnc:handle-command-line-args))
       (gnc:shutdown 1))
+  ;; handle --version
   (if (gnc:config-var-value-get gnc:*arg-show-version*)
       (begin
         (gnc:prefs-show-version)
         (gnc:shutdown 0)))
-
+  ;; handle --help
   (if (or (gnc:config-var-value-get gnc:*arg-show-usage*)
           (gnc:config-var-value-get gnc:*arg-show-help*))
       (begin
@@ -402,9 +397,6 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
 (define (gnc:startup-pass-2)
   (gnc:debug "starting up (2).")
 
-  ;; initialize the gnucash module system 
-  (gnc:module-system-init)
-  
   ;; SUPER UGLY HACK -- this should go away when I come back for the
   ;; second cleanup pass...
   (let ((original-module (current-module))
@@ -585,9 +577,12 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
   ;; Now the fun begins.
   (gnc:startup-pass-1)
   (gnc:print-unstable-message)
+
   (if (null? gnc:*batch-mode-things-to-do*)
       (begin
         (gnc:hook-add-dangler gnc:*ui-shutdown-hook* gnc:gui-finish)
+        ;; We init splash before gui-init, but gui-init will do the
+        ;; splash itself.
         (set! gnc:*command-line-remaining*
               (gnc:gui-init-splash gnc:*command-line-remaining*))))
   (gnc:startup-pass-2)
@@ -595,8 +590,10 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
   (if (null? gnc:*batch-mode-things-to-do*)
       ;; We're not in batch mode; we can go ahead and do the normal thing.
       (begin
+        ;; Why are we doing this again?
         (gnc:hook-add-dangler gnc:*ui-shutdown-hook* gnc:gui-finish)
-        (let* ((init-window-cons-rest (gnc:gui-init gnc:*command-line-remaining*))
+        (let* ((init-window-cons-rest
+                (gnc:gui-init gnc:*command-line-remaining*))
                (main-window (car init-window-cons-rest)))
           (set! gnc:*command-line-remaining* (cdr init-window-cons-rest))
           (if (and
@@ -611,9 +608,10 @@ string and 'directories' must be a list of strings."
                 (gnc:main-window-set-progressbar-window main-window)
                 (gnc:load-account-file)
                 ))
-          ;; no matter how or what we loaded, ensure the main-window title is valid...
+          ;; no matter how or what we loaded, ensure the main-window
+          ;; title is valid...
           (gnc:hook-run-danglers gnc:*ui-post-startup-hook*)
-          (gnc:start-ui-event-loop)
+          (gnc:start-ui-event-loop) ;; this won't return until we're exiting
           (gnc:hook-remove-dangler gnc:*ui-shutdown-hook* gnc:gui-finish)))
         
       ;; else: we're in batch mode.  Just do what the user said on the