diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 78c8b5a2..3ca7935e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ find_package(Sanitizers)
 # List of Boost libraries to include
 set(boost_libs filesystem thread program_options)
 
+if (BUILD_GUI AND NOT BUILD_PYTHON)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "GUI requires Python to build")
+endif()
+
 if (BUILD_PYTHON)
     # TODO: sensible minimum Python version
     find_package(PythonInterp 3.5 REQUIRED)
diff --git a/gui/basewindow.cc b/gui/basewindow.cc
index b76527e1..04898410 100644
--- a/gui/basewindow.cc
+++ b/gui/basewindow.cc
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@
 #include "jsonparse.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "mainwindow.h"
-
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
 #include "pythontab.h"
-#endif
 
 static void initBasenameResource() { Q_INIT_RESOURCE(base); }
 
@@ -74,13 +71,10 @@ BaseMainWindow::BaseMainWindow(std::unique_ptr<Context> context, QWidget *parent
     connect(designview, SIGNAL(info(std::string)), this, SLOT(writeInfo(std::string)));
 
     tabWidget = new QTabWidget();
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-    PythonTab *pythontab = new PythonTab();
-    tabWidget->addTab(pythontab, "Console");
-    connect(this, SIGNAL(contextChanged(Context *)), pythontab, SLOT(newContext(Context *)));
-#endif
-    info = new InfoTab();
-    tabWidget->addTab(info, "Info");
+
+    console = new PythonTab();
+    tabWidget->addTab(console, "Console");
+    connect(this, SIGNAL(contextChanged(Context *)), console, SLOT(newContext(Context *)));
 
     centralTabWidget = new QTabWidget();
     FPGAViewWidget *fpgaView = new FPGAViewWidget();
@@ -94,7 +88,7 @@ BaseMainWindow::BaseMainWindow(std::unique_ptr<Context> context, QWidget *parent
 
 BaseMainWindow::~BaseMainWindow() {}
 
-void BaseMainWindow::writeInfo(std::string text) { info->info(text); }
+void BaseMainWindow::writeInfo(std::string text) { console->info(text); }
 
 void BaseMainWindow::createMenusAndBars()
 {
diff --git a/gui/basewindow.h b/gui/basewindow.h
index d2d0505d..ebbe66f0 100644
--- a/gui/basewindow.h
+++ b/gui/basewindow.h
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #ifndef BASEMAINWINDOW_H
 #define BASEMAINWINDOW_H
 
-#include "infotab.h"
 #include "nextpnr.h"
 
 #include <QMainWindow>
@@ -35,6 +34,8 @@ Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(std::string)
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
 
+class PythonTab;
+
 class BaseMainWindow : public QMainWindow
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ class BaseMainWindow : public QMainWindow
     std::unique_ptr<Context> ctx;
     QTabWidget *tabWidget;
     QTabWidget *centralTabWidget;
-    InfoTab *info;
+    PythonTab *console;
 
     QMenuBar *menuBar;
     QToolBar *mainToolBar;
diff --git a/gui/ice40/mainwindow.cc b/gui/ice40/mainwindow.cc
index bea5fce7..4ade1f1f 100644
--- a/gui/ice40/mainwindow.cc
+++ b/gui/ice40/mainwindow.cc
@@ -253,7 +253,6 @@ void MainWindow::new_proj()
 
 void MainWindow::load_json(std::string filename, std::string pcf)
 {
-    tabWidget->setCurrentWidget(info);
     preload_pcf = pcf;
     disableActions();
     Q_EMIT task->loadfile(filename);
@@ -261,8 +260,6 @@ void MainWindow::load_json(std::string filename, std::string pcf)
 
 void MainWindow::load_pcf(std::string filename)
 {
-    tabWidget->setCurrentWidget(info);
-
     disableActions();
     Q_EMIT task->loadpcf(filename);
 }
@@ -271,15 +268,12 @@ void MainWindow::newContext(Context *ctx)
 {
     std::string title = "nextpnr-ice40 - " + ctx->getChipName() + " ( " + chipArgs.package + " )";
     setWindowTitle(title.c_str());
-    info->clearBuffer();
 }
 
 void MainWindow::open_proj()
 {
     QString fileName = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this, QString("Open Project"), QString(), QString("*.proj"));
     if (!fileName.isEmpty()) {
-        tabWidget->setCurrentWidget(info);
-
         std::string fn = fileName.toStdString();
         disableActions();
     }
diff --git a/gui/line_editor.cc b/gui/line_editor.cc
index 3c7ebe94..425f2876 100644
--- a/gui/line_editor.cc
+++ b/gui/line_editor.cc
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-
 #include "line_editor.h"
 #include <QKeyEvent>
 #include <QToolTip>
@@ -131,5 +129,3 @@ void LineEditor::autocomplete()
 }
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
-
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
diff --git a/gui/line_editor.h b/gui/line_editor.h
index 5a57129b..a779072f 100644
--- a/gui/line_editor.h
+++ b/gui/line_editor.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 #ifndef LINE_EDITOR_H
 #define LINE_EDITOR_H
 
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-
 #include <QLineEdit>
 #include <QMenu>
 #include "ParseHelper.h"
@@ -59,6 +57,4 @@ class LineEditor : public QLineEdit
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
 
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
-
 #endif // LINE_EDITOR_H
diff --git a/gui/pyconsole.cc b/gui/pyconsole.cc
index 6da06b7e..0ee393ce 100644
--- a/gui/pyconsole.cc
+++ b/gui/pyconsole.cc
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-
 #include "pyconsole.h"
 #include "pyinterpreter.h"
 
@@ -68,6 +66,7 @@ void PythonConsole::displayString(QString text)
     setTextColor(NORMAL_COLOR);
     cursor.insertText(text);
     cursor.movePosition(QTextCursor::EndOfLine);
+    moveCursorToEnd();
 }
 
 void PythonConsole::moveCursorToEnd()
@@ -78,5 +77,3 @@ void PythonConsole::moveCursorToEnd()
 }
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
-
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
diff --git a/gui/pyconsole.h b/gui/pyconsole.h
index 60f10672..9dbd3b95 100644
--- a/gui/pyconsole.h
+++ b/gui/pyconsole.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 #ifndef PYCONSOLE_H
 #define PYCONSOLE_H
 
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-
 #include <QColor>
 #include <QMimeData>
 #include <QTextEdit>
@@ -53,6 +51,5 @@ class PythonConsole : public QTextEdit, public ParseListener
 };
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
 
 #endif // PYCONSOLE_H
diff --git a/gui/pythontab.cc b/gui/pythontab.cc
index 5c349d7c..e761128d 100644
--- a/gui/pythontab.cc
+++ b/gui/pythontab.cc
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
  *  OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  *
  */
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
 
 #include "pythontab.h"
 #include <QGridLayout>
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ PythonTab::~PythonTab()
 void PythonTab::editLineReturnPressed(QString text)
 {
     console->displayString(prompt + text + "\n");
-    console->moveCursorToEnd();
 
     parseHelper.process(text.toStdString());
 
@@ -114,6 +112,6 @@ void PythonTab::showContextMenu(const QPoint &pt) { contextMenu->exec(mapToGloba
 
 void PythonTab::clearBuffer() { console->clear(); }
 
-NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
+void PythonTab::info(std::string str) { console->displayString(str.c_str()); }
 
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
+NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
diff --git a/gui/pythontab.h b/gui/pythontab.h
index 3fd12981..134874b6 100644
--- a/gui/pythontab.h
+++ b/gui/pythontab.h
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 #ifndef PYTHONTAB_H
 #define PYTHONTAB_H
 
-#ifndef NO_PYTHON
-
 #include <QLineEdit>
 #include <QMenu>
 #include <QPlainTextEdit>
@@ -42,10 +40,11 @@ class PythonTab : public QWidget
 
   private Q_SLOTS:
     void showContextMenu(const QPoint &pt);
-    void clearBuffer();
     void editLineReturnPressed(QString text);
   public Q_SLOTS:
     void newContext(Context *ctx);
+    void info(std::string str);
+    void clearBuffer();
 
   private:
     PythonConsole *console;
@@ -60,6 +59,5 @@ class PythonTab : public QWidget
 };
 
 NEXTPNR_NAMESPACE_END
-#endif // NO_PYTHON
 
 #endif // PYTHONTAB_H