diff --git a/application/main.cpp b/application/main.cpp
index 514be32..5dd6767 100644
--- a/application/main.cpp
+++ b/application/main.cpp
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         cout << "Unable to parse arguments. " << ex.what() << "\nSee --help for available commands." << endl;
     }
     // set meta info for application
-    SET_QT_APPLICATION_INFO;
     if(qtConfigArgs.areQtGuiArgsPresent()) {
-        return QtGui::runWidgetsGui(argc, argv);
+        return QtGui::runWidgetsGui(argc, argv, qtConfigArgs);
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/gui/initiate.cpp b/gui/initiate.cpp
index e39e7e5..73facd8 100644
--- a/gui/initiate.cpp
+++ b/gui/initiate.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "settings.h"
 #include "mainwindow.h"
 
+#include <qtutilities/resources/qtconfigarguments.h>
 #include <qtutilities/resources/resources.h>
 
 #if defined(GUI_QTWIDGETS)
@@ -11,24 +12,28 @@
 #endif
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace ApplicationUtilities;
 
 namespace QtGui {
 
-int runWidgetsGui(int argc, char *argv[])
+int runWidgetsGui(int argc, char *argv[], const QtConfigArguments &qtConfigArgs)
 {
 #ifdef GUI_QTWIDGETS
-        QApplication a(argc, argv);
-        QtUtilitiesResources::init();
-        Theme::setup();
-        QtGui::restoreSettings();
-        QtGui::MainWindow w;
-        w.show();
-        int r = a.exec();
-        QtGui::saveSettings();
-        return r;
+    SET_QT_APPLICATION_INFO;
+    QApplication a(argc, argv);
+    // load resources needed by classes of qtutilities
+    QtUtilitiesResources::init();
+    // apply settings specified via command line args
+    qtConfigArgs.applySettings();
+    QtGui::restoreSettings();
+    QtGui::MainWindow w;
+    w.show();
+    int r = a.exec();
+    QtGui::saveSettings();
+    return r;
 #else
-        cout << "Application has not been build with Qt widgets GUI support." << endl;
-        return 0;
+    cout << "Application has not been build with Qt widgets GUI support." << endl;
+    return 0;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/gui/initiate.h b/gui/initiate.h
index fedee3e..bcf8dbc 100644
--- a/gui/initiate.h
+++ b/gui/initiate.h
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 #ifndef QTGUI_INIT_H
 #define QTGUI_INIT_H
 
+namespace ApplicationUtilities {
+class QtConfigArguments;
+}
+
 namespace QtGui {
 
-int runWidgetsGui(int argc, char *argv[]);
+int runWidgetsGui(int argc, char *argv[], const ApplicationUtilities::QtConfigArguments &qtConfigArgs);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/network/optiondata.h b/network/optiondata.h
index 7d97dd3..f416357 100644
--- a/network/optiondata.h
+++ b/network/optiondata.h
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <limits>
 
-QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
-class QIODevice;
-QT_END_NAMESPACE
+QT_FORWARD_DECLARE_CLASS(QIODevice)
 
 namespace Network {
 
@@ -42,6 +40,8 @@ public:
     PermissionStatus ignoreSslErrorsPermission() const;
 
 private:
+    void chuckOutputDevice();
+
     QString m_name;
     QUrl m_url;
     size_t m_redirectsTo;
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ private:
     PermissionStatus m_appendPermission;
     PermissionStatus m_redirectPermission;
     PermissionStatus m_ignoreSslErrorsPermission;
-    void chuckOutputDevice();
 };
 
 /*!