diff --git a/IPython/Shell.py b/IPython/Shell.py
index 2dd9dac..1f084ba 100644
--- a/IPython/Shell.py
+++ b/IPython/Shell.py
@@ -773,17 +773,17 @@ class IPShellGTK(IPThread):
                  debug=1,shell_class=MTInteractiveShell):
 
         import gtk
-        # Check for set_interactive, coming up in new pygtk.
-        # Disable it so that this code works, but notify 
-        # the user that he has a better option as well.
-        # XXX TODO better support when set_interactive is released
-        try:
-            gtk.set_interactive(False)
-            print "Your PyGtk has set_interactive(), so you can use the"
-            print "more stable single-threaded Gtk mode."
-            print "See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ipython/+bug/270856"
-        except AttributeError:
-            pass
+        ## # Check for set_interactive, coming up in new pygtk.
+        ## # Disable it so that this code works, but notify 
+        ## # the user that he has a better option as well.
+        ## # XXX TODO better support when set_interactive is released
+        ## try:
+        ##     gtk.set_interactive(False)
+        ##     print "Your PyGtk has set_interactive(), so you can use the"
+        ##     print "more stable single-threaded Gtk mode."
+        ##     print "See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ipython/+bug/270856"
+        ## except AttributeError:
+        ##     pass
         
         self.gtk = gtk
         self.gtk_mainloop = hijack_gtk()
@@ -1149,6 +1149,15 @@ class IPShellMatplotlibQt4(IPShellQt4):
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Factory functions to actually start the proper thread-aware shell
 
+def check_gtk(mode):
+    import gtk
+    if hasattr(gtk,'set_interactive'):
+        gtk.set_interactive(False)
+        return 'tkthread'
+    else:
+        return mode
+
+
 def _select_shell(argv):
     """Select a shell from the given argv vector.
 
@@ -1218,6 +1227,9 @@ def _select_shell(argv):
             else:
                 # Any other backend, use plain Tk
                 th_mode = 'tkthread'
+
+            # New versions of pygtk don't need the brittle threaded support.
+            th_mode = check_gtk(th_mode)
                 
         return mpl_shell[th_mode]
     else:
@@ -1226,6 +1238,9 @@ def _select_shell(argv):
             th_mode = special_opts.pop()
         except KeyError:
             th_mode = 'tkthread'
+
+        # New versions of pygtk don't need the brittle threaded support.
+        th_mode = check_gtk(th_mode)
         return th_shell[th_mode]
 
 
diff --git a/docs/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py b/docs/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
index 81e7f92..374834f 100644
--- a/docs/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
+++ b/docs/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ prompts ``Yade [1]:`` and ``-> [1]:``::
    prompt_in2="     .\D..",
    prompt_out=" ->  [\#]:"
  )
+ id.reconfig_shell()
 
  import ipython_console_highlighting as ich
  ich.IPythonConsoleLexer.input_prompt=
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ class EmbeddedSphinxShell(object):
             argv, self.user_ns, self.user_glocal_ns, embedded=True,
             #shell_class=IPython.Shell.InteractiveShell,
             shell_class=MatplotlibShell,
-            rc_override = dict(colors = 'NoColor'), **rc_override)
+            rc_override = dict(colors = 'NoColor', **rc_override))
 
         self.input = ''
         self.output = ''
@@ -402,6 +403,13 @@ class EmbeddedSphinxShell(object):
 # ipython_directive itself.
 shell = EmbeddedSphinxShell()
 
+def reconfig_shell():
+    """Called after setting module-level variables to re-instantiate
+    with the set values (since shell is instantiated first at import-time
+    when module variables have default values)"""
+    global shell
+    shell = EmbeddedSphinxShell()
+
 
 def ipython_directive(name, arguments, options, content, lineno,
                       content_offset, block_text, state, state_machine,