diff --git a/gui/Gui/Attackwindow.py b/gui/Gui/Attackwindow.py
index d6ec28d..ec1ce5a 100644
--- a/gui/Gui/Attackwindow.py
+++ b/gui/Gui/Attackwindow.py
@@ -5,19 +5,17 @@
 """ Import externals """
 import wx
 import time
-# Python Imaging library?
-usePIL = True
-try:
-    import Image
-except ImportError:
-    usePIL = False 
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 """ Import scyther-gui components """
 import Icon
+import Preference
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+if Preference.usePIL():
+    import Image
+#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class AttackDisplay(wx.ScrolledWindow):
     def __init__(self, daddy, parent, attack):
@@ -117,8 +115,6 @@ class AttackDisplay(wx.ScrolledWindow):
 
 class AttackWindow(wx.Frame):
     def __init__(self,cl):
-        global usePIL
-
         super(AttackWindow, self).__init__(None, size=(400,800))
         self.SetBackgroundColour('Default')
         self.claim = cl
@@ -126,7 +122,7 @@ class AttackWindow(wx.Frame):
         # TODO maybe fitting defaults should come from Preferences.
         # Now, it is default yes if it looks nice (i.e. we are using
         # PIL)
-        if usePIL:
+        if Preference.usePIL():
             self.fit = True
         else:
             self.fit = False
diff --git a/gui/Gui/Preference.py b/gui/Gui/Preference.py
index 7a07611..993b360 100644
--- a/gui/Gui/Preference.py
+++ b/gui/Gui/Preference.py
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ from time import localtime,strftime
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 """ Globals """
+# Do we have the Python Imaging library?
+havePIL = True
+try:
+    import Image
+except ImportError:
+    havePIL = False 
 
 """ Locations of preferences. The last one is supposedly writable. """
 prefname = "scythergui-config"
@@ -41,6 +47,21 @@ preflocs = []
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+def usePIL():
+    """
+    Determine whether or not we should use the PIL library
+    """
+    global havePIL
+
+    # Only if we have it, and it is windows.
+    if havePIL:
+        if sys.platform.startswith("lin"):
+            return True
+
+    return False
+
+#---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 class Preferences(dict):
 
     def parse(self,line):
diff --git a/gui/Gui/Scytherthread.py b/gui/Gui/Scytherthread.py
index 608141d..225d072 100644
--- a/gui/Gui/Scytherthread.py
+++ b/gui/Gui/Scytherthread.py
@@ -10,13 +10,6 @@ import re
 import threading
 import StringIO
 
-# Python Imaging library?
-usePIL = True
-try:
-    import Image
-except ImportError:
-    usePIL = False 
-
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 """ Import scyther components """
@@ -31,7 +24,8 @@ import Attackwindow
 import Icon
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
+if Preference.usePIL():
+    import Image
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class ScytherThread(threading.Thread):
@@ -117,9 +111,7 @@ class AttackThread(threading.Thread):
 
     def makeImage(self,attack):
         """ create image for this particular attack """
-        global usePIL
-
-        if usePIL:
+        if Preference.usePIL():
             # If we have the PIL library, we can do postscript! great
             # stuff.
             type = "ps"