diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
index 9b64009..2b8ad2d 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
@@ -802,19 +802,41 @@ class ConsoleWidget(QtGui.QWidget):
         cursor.movePosition(QtGui.QTextCursor.End)
         return cursor
 
+    def _get_input_buffer_cursor_column(self):
+        """ Returns the column of the cursor in the input buffer, excluding the
+            contribution by the prompt, or -1 if there is no such column.
+        """
+        prompt = self._get_input_buffer_cursor_prompt()
+        if prompt is None:
+            return -1
+        else:
+            cursor = self._control.textCursor()
+            return cursor.columnNumber() - len(prompt)
+
     def _get_input_buffer_cursor_line(self):
-        """ The text in the line of the input buffer in which the user's cursor
-            rests. Returns a string if there is such a line; otherwise, None.
+        """ Returns line of the input buffer that contains the cursor, or None
+            if there is no such line.
+        """
+        prompt = self._get_input_buffer_cursor_prompt()
+        if prompt is None:
+            return None
+        else:
+            cursor = self._control.textCursor()
+            text = self._get_block_plain_text(cursor.block())
+            return text[len(prompt):]
+
+    def _get_input_buffer_cursor_prompt(self):
+        """ Returns the (plain text) prompt for line of the input buffer that
+            contains the cursor, or None if there is no such line.
         """
         if self._executing:
             return None
         cursor = self._control.textCursor()
         if cursor.position() >= self._prompt_pos:
-            text = self._get_block_plain_text(cursor.block())
             if cursor.blockNumber() == self._get_prompt_cursor().blockNumber():
-                return text[len(self._prompt):]
+                return self._prompt
             else:
-                return text[len(self._continuation_prompt):]
+                return self._continuation_prompt
         else:
             return None
 
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
index 1521860..f177b15 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py
@@ -292,16 +292,11 @@ class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):
             return False
 
         # Send the completion request to the kernel
-        text = '.'.join(context)
-        
-        # FIXME - Evan: we need the position of the cursor in the current input
-        # buffer.  I tried this line below but the numbers I get are bogus. -
-        # Not sure what to do.  fperez.
-        cursor_pos = self._get_cursor().position()
-        
         self._complete_id = self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.complete(
-            text, self._get_input_buffer_cursor_line(), cursor_pos,
-            self.input_buffer)
+            '.'.join(context),                       # text 
+            self._get_input_buffer_cursor_line(),    # line 
+            self._get_input_buffer_cursor_column(),  # cursor_pos
+            self.input_buffer)                       # block 
         self._complete_pos = self._get_cursor().position()
         return True
 
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
index e6e5334..aa88055 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py
@@ -109,11 +109,9 @@ class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):
         """ Reimplemented for IPython-style traceback formatting.
         """
         content = msg['content']
-
-        traceback = '\n'.join(content['traceback'])
-
-        if 0:
-            # FIXME: for now, tracebacks come as plain text, so we can't use
+        traceback = '\n'.join(content['traceback']) + '\n'
+        if False:
+            # FIXME: For now, tracebacks come as plain text, so we can't use
             # the html renderer yet.  Once we refactor ultratb to produce
             # properly styled tracebacks, this branch should be the default
             traceback = traceback.replace(' ', ' ')
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
index 1a8033c..f4409aa 100755
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
@@ -61,11 +61,7 @@ def main():
             kernel_manager.start_kernel()
     kernel_manager.start_channels()
 
-    # FIXME: this is a hack, set colors to lightbg by default in qt terminal
-    # unconditionally, regardless of user settings in config files.
-    kernel_manager.xreq_channel.execute("%colors lightbg")
-
-    # Launch the application.
+    # Create the widget.
     app = QtGui.QApplication([])
     if args.pure:
         kind = 'rich' if args.rich else 'plain'
@@ -77,6 +73,12 @@ def main():
     widget.kernel_manager = kernel_manager
     widget.setWindowTitle('Python' if args.pure else 'IPython')
     widget.show()
+
+    # FIXME: This is a hack: set colors to lightbg by default in qt terminal
+    # unconditionally, regardless of user settings in config files.
+    widget.execute("%colors lightbg", hidden=True)
+
+    # Start the application main loop.
     app.exec_()
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
index 929f5f9..375e3fc 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class XReqSocketChannel(ZmqSocketChannel):
         return msg['header']['msg_id']
 
     def complete(self, text, line, cursor_pos, block=None):
-        """Tab complete text, line, block in the kernel's namespace.
+        """Tab complete text in the kernel's namespace.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -192,7 +192,10 @@ class XReqSocketChannel(ZmqSocketChannel):
         line : str
             The full line of text that is the surrounding context for the 
             text to complete.
-        block : str
+        cursor_pos : int
+            The position of the cursor in the line where the completion was
+            requested.
+        block : str, optional
             The full block of code in which the completion is being requested.
 
         Returns