diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
index b1983a3..a9345ab 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):
     buffer_size = Int(500, config=True)
 
     # Whether to use a list widget or plain text output for tab completion.
-    gui_completion = Bool(True, config=True)
+    gui_completion = Bool(False, config=True)
 
     # The type of underlying text widget to use. Valid values are 'plain', which
     # specifies a QPlainTextEdit, and 'rich', which specifies a QTextEdit.
@@ -568,8 +568,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):
             if self.gui_completion:
                 self._completion_widget.show_items(cursor, items) 
             else:
-                text = self._format_as_columns(items)
-                self._append_plain_text_keeping_prompt(text)
+                self._page(self._format_as_columns(items))
 
     def _control_key_down(self, modifiers):
         """ Given a KeyboardModifiers flags object, return whether the Control
@@ -1160,9 +1159,7 @@ class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):
         """ Displays text using the pager if it exceeds the height of the
             visible area.
         """
-        if self.paging == 'none':
-            self._append_plain_text(text)
-        else:
+        if self.paging != 'none':
             line_height = QtGui.QFontMetrics(self.font).height()
             minlines = self._control.viewport().height() / line_height
             if re.match("(?:[^\n]*\n){%i}" % minlines, text):
@@ -1180,8 +1177,11 @@ class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):
                         self._page_control.setFocus()
                     else:
                         self.layout().setCurrentWidget(self._page_control)
-            else:
-                self._append_plain_text(text)
+                return
+        if self._executing:
+            self._append_plain_text(text)
+        else:
+            self._append_plain_text_keeping_prompt(text)
 
     def _prompt_started(self):
         """ Called immediately after a new prompt is displayed.
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
index 4229a77..5b9ccdc 100755
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/scripts/ipythonqt.py
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ def main():
                         help='set the paging style [default inside]')
     wgroup.add_argument('--rich', action='store_true',
                         help='enable rich text support')
-    wgroup.add_argument('--tab-simple', action='store_true',
-                        help='do tab completion ala a Unix terminal')
+    wgroup.add_argument('--gui-completion', action='store_true',
+                        help='use a GUI widget for tab completion')
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def main():
         widget = RichIPythonWidget(paging=args.paging)
     else:
         widget = IPythonWidget(paging=args.paging)
-    widget.gui_completion = not args.tab_simple
+    widget.gui_completion = args.gui_completion
     widget.kernel_manager = kernel_manager
     widget.setWindowTitle('Python' if args.pure else 'IPython')
     widget.show()