diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor b/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
index 42ce071171..93798fca78 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/cocoa/cocoa.factor
@@ -215,15 +215,13 @@ cocoa-startup-hook [
 
 M: cocoa-ui-backend (with-ui)
     "UI" assert.app [
-        [
-            init-clipboard
-            cocoa-startup-hook get call( -- )
-            start-ui
-            stop-io-thread
-            init-thread-timer
-            reset-thread-timer
-            NSApp -> run
-        ] with-ui-running
+        init-clipboard
+        cocoa-startup-hook get call( -- )
+        start-ui
+        stop-io-thread
+        init-thread-timer
+        reset-thread-timer
+        NSApp -> run
     ] with-cocoa ;
 
 cocoa-ui-backend ui-backend set-global
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/gtk/gtk.factor b/basis/ui/backend/gtk/gtk.factor
index 0db4697367..32cdca039f 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/gtk/gtk.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/gtk/gtk.factor
@@ -503,16 +503,14 @@ M:: gtk-ui-backend system-alert ( caption text -- )
     ] with-destructors ;
 
 M: gtk-ui-backend (with-ui)
+    f f gtk_init
+    f f gtk_gl_init
+    load-icon
+    init-clipboard
+    start-ui
     [
-        f f gtk_init
-        f f gtk_gl_init
-        load-icon
-        init-clipboard
-        start-ui
-        [
-            [ [ gtk_main ] with-timer ] with-event-loop
-        ] with-destructors
-    ] with-ui-running ;
+        [ [ gtk_main ] with-timer ] with-event-loop
+    ] with-destructors ;
 
 M: gtk-ui-backend stop-event-loop
     gtk_main_quit ;
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor b/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
index 436f26b745..dcae45f1d1 100755
--- a/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/windows/windows.factor
@@ -706,13 +706,11 @@ M: windows-ui-backend set-title ( string world -- )
 
 M: windows-ui-backend (with-ui)
     [
-        [
-            init-clipboard
-            init-win32-ui
-            start-ui
-            event-loop
-        ] [ cleanup-win32-ui ] [ ] cleanup
-    ] with-ui-running ;
+        init-clipboard
+        init-win32-ui
+        start-ui
+        event-loop
+    ] [ cleanup-win32-ui ] [ ] cleanup ;
 
 M: windows-ui-backend beep ( -- )
     0 MessageBeep drop ;
diff --git a/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor b/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
index 38a4cb5cd1..6b2210704e 100644
--- a/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/backend/x11/x11.factor
@@ -319,15 +319,13 @@ M: x11-handle flush-gl-context ( handle -- )
     dpy get swap window>> glXSwapBuffers ;
 
 M: x11-ui-backend (with-ui) ( quot -- )
-    [
-        f [
-            [
-                init-clipboard
-                start-ui
-                event-loop
-            ] with-xim
-        ] with-x
-    ] with-ui-running ;
+    f [
+        [
+            init-clipboard
+            start-ui
+            event-loop
+        ] with-xim
+    ] with-x ;
 
 M: x11-ui-backend beep ( -- )
     dpy get 100 XBell drop ;
diff --git a/basis/ui/ui-docs.factor b/basis/ui/ui-docs.factor
index 5d4220b6fa..75b9cc5dbc 100644
--- a/basis/ui/ui-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/ui-docs.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ math.rectangles namespaces quotations sequences strings ui.backend
 ui.gadgets ui.gadgets.books ui.gadgets.grids ui.gadgets.packs
 ui.gadgets.private ui.gadgets.tracks ui.gadgets.worlds ui.private ui.text
 vocabs.loader ;
-
 IN: ui
 
 HELP: close-window
@@ -91,7 +90,10 @@ HELP: raise-window
 
 HELP: with-ui
 { $values { "quot" { $quotation ( -- ) } } }
-{ $description "Calls the quotation, starting the UI if necessary. If starting the UI is necessary, this word does not return and the UI will start after the quotation returns." }
+{ $description
+  "Calls the quotation, starting the UI if necessary. If starting the UI is necessary, this word does not return and the UI will start after the quotation returns." $nl
+  "While the combinator is running, " { $link ui-running? } " can be used by user code to determine whether it is running in a UI context or not."
+}
 { $notes "This word should be used in the " { $link POSTPONE: MAIN: } " word of an application that uses the UI in order for the vocabulary to work when run from either the UI listener (" { $snippet "\"my-app\" run" } ") and the command line (" { $snippet "./factor -run=my-app" } ")." }
 { $examples "The " { $vocab-link "hello-ui" } " vocabulary implements a simple UI application which uses this word." } ;
 
diff --git a/basis/ui/ui.factor b/basis/ui/ui.factor
index a38f4f9b1c..d23416ca19 100644
--- a/basis/ui/ui.factor
+++ b/basis/ui/ui.factor
@@ -134,10 +134,6 @@ M: world ungraft*
 
 SYMBOL: ui-running
 
-: with-ui-running ( quot -- )
-    t ui-running set-global
-    [ f ui-running set-global ] [ ] cleanup ; inline
-
 PRIVATE>
 
 : find-windows ( quot: ( world -- ? ) -- seq )
@@ -225,7 +221,11 @@ M: object resize-window 2drop ;
     [ find-world [ dup pref-dim resize-window ] when* ] bi ;
 
 : with-ui ( quot: ( -- ) -- )
-    ui-running? [ call( -- ) ] [ '[ init-ui @ ] (with-ui) ] if ;
+    ui-running? [ call( -- ) ] [
+        t ui-running set-global '[
+            [ init-ui @ ] (with-ui)
+        ] [ f ui-running set-global ] [ ] cleanup
+    ] if ;
 
 HOOK: beep ui-backend ( -- )