diff --git a/electrum b/electrum
index 1fff873b..1fa19e3b 100755
--- a/electrum
+++ b/electrum
@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ if is_bundle or is_local or is_android:
     imp.load_module('electrum_gui', *imp.find_module('gui'))
 
 
-from electrum import util
 from electrum import SimpleConfig, Network, Wallet, WalletStorage
-from electrum.util import print_msg, print_error, print_stderr, json_encode, json_decode, set_verbosity, InvalidPassword
+from electrum.util import print_msg, print_stderr, json_encode, json_decode
+from electrum.util import set_verbosity, InvalidPassword
 from electrum.plugins import Plugins
 from electrum.commands import get_parser, known_commands, Commands, config_variables
-from electrum.daemon import Daemon, get_daemon
+from electrum.daemon import Daemon
 
 
 # get password routine
@@ -91,15 +91,6 @@ def prompt_password(prompt, confirm=True):
 
 
 
-def init_gui(config, daemon, plugins):
-    gui_name = config.get('gui', 'qt')
-    if gui_name in ['lite', 'classic']:
-        gui_name = 'qt'
-    gui = __import__('electrum_gui.' + gui_name, fromlist=['electrum_gui'])
-    gui = gui.ElectrumGui(config, daemon, plugins)
-    return gui
-
-
 def run_non_RPC(config):
     cmdname = config.get('cmd')
 
@@ -321,59 +312,20 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         run_non_RPC(config)
         sys.exit(0)
 
-    # check if a daemon is running
-    server = get_daemon(config)
-
     if cmdname == 'gui':
-        if server is not None:
-            result = server.gui(config_options)
-        else:
-            daemon = Daemon(config)
-            daemon.start()
-            gui = init_gui(config, daemon, plugins)
-            daemon.gui = gui
-            gui.main()
-            sys.exit(0)
-
+        result = Daemon.gui_command(config, config_options, plugins)
     elif cmdname == 'daemon':
-        if server is not None:
-            result = server.daemon(config_options)
-        else:
-            subcommand = config.get('subcommand')
-            if subcommand in ['status', 'stop']:
-                print_msg("Daemon not running")
-                sys.exit(1)
-            elif subcommand == 'start':
-                p = os.fork()
-                if p == 0:
-                    daemon = Daemon(config)
-                    if config.get('websocket_server'):
-                        from electrum import websockets
-                        websockets.WebSocketServer(config, daemon.network).start()
-                    if config.get('requests_dir'):
-                        util.check_www_dir(config.get('requests_dir'))
-                    daemon.start()
-                    daemon.join()
-                    sys.exit(0)
-                else:
-                    print_stderr("starting daemon (PID %d)"%p)
-                    sys.exit(0)
-            else:
-                print_msg("syntax: electrum daemon <start|status|stop>")
-                sys.exit(1)
-
+        result = Daemon.daemon_command(config, config_options)
     else:
         # command line
         init_cmdline(config_options)
-        if server is not None:
-            result = server.run_cmdline(config_options)
-        else:
+        run_offline, result = Daemon.cmdline_command(config, config_options)
+        if run_offline:
             cmd = known_commands[cmdname]
             if cmd.requires_network:
-                print_msg("Network daemon is not running. Try 'electrum daemon start'")
+                print_msg("Daemon not running; try 'electrum daemon start'")
                 sys.exit(1)
-            else:
-                result = run_offline_command(config, config_options)
+            result = run_offline_command(config, config_options)
 
     # print result
     if type(result) in [str, unicode]:
diff --git a/lib/daemon.py b/lib/daemon.py
index c9ab5033..2f07a8f6 100644
--- a/lib/daemon.py
+++ b/lib/daemon.py
@@ -16,13 +16,16 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-import ast, os
+import ast
+import os
+import sys
 
 import jsonrpclib
 from jsonrpclib.SimpleJSONRPCServer import SimpleJSONRPCServer, SimpleJSONRPCRequestHandler
 
 from network import Network
-from util import json_decode, DaemonThread
+from util import check_www_dir, json_decode, DaemonThread
+from util import print_msg, print_error, print_stderr
 from wallet import WalletStorage, Wallet
 from wizard import WizardBase
 from commands import known_commands, Commands
@@ -177,3 +180,59 @@ class Daemon(DaemonThread):
         for k, wallet in self.wallets.items():
             wallet.stop_threads()
         DaemonThread.stop(self)
+
+    def init_gui(self, config, plugins):
+        gui_name = config.get('gui', 'qt')
+        if gui_name in ['lite', 'classic']:
+            gui_name = 'qt'
+        gui = __import__('electrum_gui.' + gui_name, fromlist=['electrum_gui'])
+        self.gui = gui.ElectrumGui(config, self, plugins)
+        self.gui.main()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def gui_command(config, config_options, plugins):
+        server = get_daemon(config)
+        if server is not None:
+            return server.gui(config_options)
+
+        daemon = Daemon(config)
+        daemon.start()
+        daemon.init_gui(config, plugins)
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def cmdline_command(config, config_options):
+        server = get_daemon(config)
+        if server is not None:
+            return False, server.run_cmdline(config_options)
+
+        return True, None
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def daemon_command(config, config_options):
+        server = get_daemon(config)
+        if server is not None:
+            return server.daemon(config_options)
+
+        subcommand = config.get('subcommand')
+        if subcommand in ['status', 'stop']:
+            print_msg("Daemon not running")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        elif subcommand == 'start':
+            pid = os.fork()
+            if pid == 0:
+                daemon = Daemon(config)
+                if config.get('websocket_server'):
+                    from electrum import websockets
+                    websockets.WebSocketServer(config, daemon.network).start()
+                if config.get('requests_dir'):
+                    check_www_dir(config.get('requests_dir'))
+                daemon.start()
+                daemon.join()
+                sys.exit(0)
+            else:
+                print_stderr("starting daemon (PID %d)" % pid)
+                sys.exit(0)
+        else:
+            print_msg("syntax: electrum daemon <start|status|stop>")
+            sys.exit(1)