diff --git a/QtRocket.cpp b/QtRocket.cpp
index caef6ff..a2e7871 100644
--- a/QtRocket.cpp
+++ b/QtRocket.cpp
@@ -1,17 +1,81 @@
 #include "QtRocket.h"
+#include "gui/MainWindow.h"
 
+#include <QApplication>
+#include <QLocale>
+#include <QTranslator>
+
+#include <thread>
+
+
+// Initialize static member data
 QtRocket* QtRocket::instance = nullptr;
+std::mutex QtRocket::mtx;
+bool QtRocket::initialized = false;
+
+
+// The gui worker thread
+void guiWorker(int argc, char* argv[], int& ret)
+{
+   QApplication a(argc, argv);
+   a.setWindowIcon(QIcon(":/qtrocket.png"));
+
+   // Start translation component.
+   // TODO: Only support US English at the moment. Anyone want to help translate?
+   QTranslator translator;
+   const QStringList uiLanguages = QLocale::system().uiLanguages();
+   for (const QString &locale : uiLanguages)
+   {
+      const QString baseName = "qtrocket_" + QLocale(locale).name();
+      if (translator.load(":/i18n/" + baseName))
+      {
+         a.installTranslator(&translator);
+         break;
+      }
+   }
+
+   // Go!
+   MainWindow w(QtRocket::getInstance());
+   w.show();
+   ret = a.exec();
+
+}
 
 QtRocket* QtRocket::getInstance()
 {
-   if(!instance)
+   if(!initialized)
    {
-      instance = new QtRocket();
+      init();
    }
    return instance;
 }
 
+void QtRocket::init()
+{
+   std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lck(mtx);
+   if(!initialized)
+   {
+      instance = new QtRocket();
+      initialized = true;
+   }
+}
+
 QtRocket::QtRocket()
 {
    logger = utils::Logger::getInstance();
+   running = false;
+}
+
+int QtRocket::run(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+   // Really should only start this thread once
+   if(!running)
+   {
+      running = true;
+      int ret = 0;
+      std::thread guiThread(guiWorker, argc, argv, std::ref(ret));
+      guiThread.join();
+      return ret;
+   }
+   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/QtRocket.h b/QtRocket.h
index 33e5216..30c57e4 100644
--- a/QtRocket.h
+++ b/QtRocket.h
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 #ifndef QTROCKET_H
 #define QTROCKET_H
 
+#include <memory>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <atomic>
+
 #include "utils/Logger.h"
-#include "gui/MainWindow.h"
 
 /**
  * @brief The QtRocket class is the master controller for the QtRocket application.
@@ -13,15 +16,25 @@ class QtRocket
 {
 public:
    static QtRocket* getInstance();
+
+   utils::Logger* getLogger() { return logger; }
+
+   // This will return when the main window returns;
+   // If called multiple times, subsequent calls, will simply
+   // immediately return with value 0
+   int run(int argc, char* argv[]);
 private:
    QtRocket();
 
+   static void init();
+
+   std::atomic_bool running;
+   static bool initialized;
+   static std::mutex mtx;
    static QtRocket* instance;
 
    utils::Logger* logger;
 
-
-
 };
 
 #endif // QTROCKET_H
diff --git a/gui/MainWindow.cpp b/gui/MainWindow.cpp
index d7fecc7..9c0e1b3 100644
--- a/gui/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/gui/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <cmath>
 
-MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent)
-   : QMainWindow(parent)
-   , ui(new Ui::MainWindow)
+MainWindow::MainWindow(QtRocket* _qtRocket, QWidget *parent)
+   : QMainWindow(parent),
+   ui(new Ui::MainWindow),
+   qtRocket(_qtRocket)
 {
    ui->setupUi(this);
 }
diff --git a/gui/MainWindow.h b/gui/MainWindow.h
index 767356f..afd33a7 100644
--- a/gui/MainWindow.h
+++ b/gui/MainWindow.h
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-#ifndef QTROCKET_H
-#define QTROCKET_H
+#ifndef MAINWINDOW_H
+#define MAINWINDOW_H
 
 #include <QMainWindow>
 
+#include "QtRocket.h"
+
+
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 namespace Ui { class MainWindow; }
 QT_END_NAMESPACE
@@ -12,7 +15,7 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
    Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-   MainWindow(QWidget *parent = nullptr);
+   MainWindow(QtRocket* _qtRocket, QWidget *parent = nullptr);
    ~MainWindow();
 
 private slots:
@@ -24,5 +27,6 @@ private slots:
 
 private:
    Ui::MainWindow* ui;
+   QtRocket* qtRocket;
 };
-#endif // QTROCKET_H
+#endif // MAINWINDOW_H
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 3b3b466..7e3d40c 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,38 @@
+#include "QtRocket.h"
+#include "utils/Logger.h"
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+
+   // Instantiate logger
+   utils::Logger* logger = utils::Logger::getInstance();
+   logger->setLogLevel(utils::Logger::DEBUG);
+   // instantiate QtRocket
+   QtRocket* qtrocket = QtRocket::getInstance();
+
+   // Run QtRocket. This'll start the GUI thread and block until the user
+   // exits the program
+   int retVal = qtrocket->run(argc, argv);
+   logger->debug("Returning");
+   return retVal;
+}
+
+
+
+/*
+ * This was the old main when it directly started the QtGui. It worked. The new way of
+ * starting the gui through QtRocket->run() also seems to work, but I'm leaving this here for
+ * now in case there are unforeseen issues with starting the gui in a separate thread via
+ * QtRocket::run()
+ *
+
 #include "gui/MainWindow.h"
 
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QLocale>
 #include <QTranslator>
 
-#include <thread>
-
-void worker(int argc, char* argv[], int& ret)
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
    QApplication a(argc, argv);
    a.setWindowIcon(QIcon(":/qtrocket.png"));
@@ -28,37 +54,6 @@ void worker(int argc, char* argv[], int& ret)
    // Go!
    MainWindow w;
    w.show();
-   ret = a.exec();
-
-}
-
-int main(int argc, char *argv[])
-{
-   /*
-   QApplication a(argc, argv);
-   a.setWindowIcon(QIcon(":/qtrocket.png"));
-
-   // Start translation component.
-   // TODO: Only support US English at the moment. Anyone want to help translate?
-   QTranslator translator;
-   const QStringList uiLanguages = QLocale::system().uiLanguages();
-   for (const QString &locale : uiLanguages)
-   {
-      const QString baseName = "qtrocket_" + QLocale(locale).name();
-      if (translator.load(":/i18n/" + baseName))
-      {
-         a.installTranslator(&translator);
-         break;
-      }
-   }
-
-   // Go!
-   //MainWindow w;
-   //w.show();
-   //return a.exec();
-   */
-   int ret = 0;
-   std::thread guiThread(worker, argc, argv, std::ref(ret));
-   guiThread.join();
-   return ret;
+   return a.exec();
 }
+*/