diff --git a/forge.go b/forge.go
index 41cd242..3ec92a3 100644
--- a/forge.go
+++ b/forge.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"os"
 
-	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
@@ -28,16 +27,3 @@ func doForge() {
 	log.Info("found repo", me.repo.GetGoPath())
 	// build()
 }
-
-func doGui() {
-	me.myGui = gui.New()
-	if !argv.Auto {
-		me.myGui.InitEmbed(resources)
-	}
-	me.myGui.Default()
-
-	me.basicWindow.Show()
-	// go will sit here until the window exits
-	gui.Watchdog()
-	os.Exit(0)
-}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0b44c7d..9d9c016 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/fhelp"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -53,12 +54,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	// build()
 
-	me.myGui = gui.New()
-	if !argv.Auto {
-		me.myGui.InitEmbed(resources)
-	}
-	me.myGui.Default()
-
+	me.myGui = prep.Gui() // prepares the GUI package for go-args
 	me.basicWindow = makebasicWindow()
 
 	// figure out where we are working from
@@ -98,6 +94,8 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	// only load teh toolkit if you get this far
+	me.myGui.Start()      // loads the GUI toolkit
 	me.basicWindow.Show()
 	// go will sit here until the window exits
 	gui.Watchdog()
diff --git a/stateWindow.go b/stateWindow.go
index bc5616d..b04a5f3 100644
--- a/stateWindow.go
+++ b/stateWindow.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 // this is terribly old code. redo this all after widgets are switched to protobuf
 func makebasicWindow() *gadgets.BasicWindow {
 	log.Warn("init basicWindow state")
-	win := gadgets.NewBasicWindow(me.myGui, "Create .deb files for GO applications")
+	win := gadgets.RawBasicWindow("Create .deb files for GO applications")
 	win.Make()
 	win.Custom = func() {
 		log.Info("got to close")
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index c0b0c7d..9ff62bf 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
-	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
 )
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ type mainType struct {
 	hasWork     bool                 // true if using go.work file
 	forge       *forgepb.Forge       // the interface to the 'forge' protobuf information
 	repo        *gitpb.Repo          // this is the repo we are in
-	myGui       *gui.Node            // the gui toolkit handle
+	myGui       *prep.GuiPrep        // the gui toolkit handle
 	cBox        *controlBox          // the GUI box in the main window
 	basicWindow *gadgets.BasicWindow // this is a basic window. the user can open and close it
 }