diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index fdb6b76dac..8929a4c4cc 100755
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ script:
 #  Install FreeCAD and run unit tests.  Test failures will fail the build
 ##
   - sudo make -j2 install
-  - ${INSTALLED_APP_PATH} --run-test 0
+  - ${INSTALLED_APP_PATH} --console --run-test 0
   - ${INSTALLED_APP_PATH} --log-file /tmp/FreeCAD_installed.log &
   - sleep 10 && pkill FreeCAD
   - cat /tmp/FreeCAD_installed.log
diff --git a/src/App/Application.cpp b/src/App/Application.cpp
index 3f37233e6c..81b16ae1f0 100644
--- a/src/App/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/App/Application.cpp
@@ -2034,6 +2034,7 @@ void Application::ParseOptions(int ac, char ** av)
     }
 
     if (vm.count("console")) {
+        mConfig["Console"] = "1";
         mConfig["RunMode"] = "Cmd";
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Main/MainGui.cpp b/src/Main/MainGui.cpp
index 37b7f24b97..aeabd66c71 100644
--- a/src/Main/MainGui.cpp
+++ b/src/Main/MainGui.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
         // Init phase ===========================================================
         // sets the default run mode for FC, starts with gui if not overridden in InitConfig...
         App::Application::Config()["RunMode"] = "Gui";
+        App::Application::Config()["Console"] = "0";
 
         // Inits the Application 
 #if defined (FC_OS_WIN32)
@@ -242,6 +243,9 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
     std::streambuf* oldcerr = std::cerr.rdbuf(&stdcerr);
 
     try {
+        // if console option is set then run in cmd mode
+        if (App::Application::Config()["Console"] == "1")
+            App::Application::runApplication();
         if (App::Application::Config()["RunMode"] == "Gui" ||
             App::Application::Config()["RunMode"] == "Internal")
             Gui::Application::runApplication();