--- a/libgui/src/history-dockwidget.cc
+++ b/libgui/src/history-dockwidget.cc
@@ -26,75 +26,21 @@
 
 #include <QVBoxLayout>
 
-#include "cmd-hist.h"
-
 #include "error.h"
 
+#include "cmd-hist.h"
+
 #include "history-dockwidget.h"
+#include "octave-link.h"
 
 history_dock_widget::history_dock_widget (QWidget * p)
-  : QDockWidget (p), octave_event_observer ()
+  : QDockWidget (p)
 {
   setObjectName ("HistoryDockWidget");
   construct ();
 }
 
 void
-history_dock_widget::handle_event (octave_event *e, bool accept)
-{
-  static bool scroll_window = false;
-
-  if (accept)
-    {
-      if (dynamic_cast <octave_update_history_event*> (e))
-        {
-          // Determine the client's (our) history length and the one of the server.
-          int clientHistoryLength = _history_model->rowCount ();
-          int serverHistoryLength = command_history::length ();
-
-          // If were behind the server, iterate through all new entries and add
-          // them to our history.
-          if (clientHistoryLength < serverHistoryLength)
-            {
-              int elts_to_add = serverHistoryLength - clientHistoryLength;
-
-              _history_model->insertRows (clientHistoryLength, elts_to_add);
-
-              for (int i = clientHistoryLength; i < serverHistoryLength; i++)
-                {
-                  std::string entry = command_history::get_entry (i);
-
-                  _history_model->setData (_history_model->index (i),
-                                           QString::fromStdString (entry));
-                }
-
-              // FIXME -- does this behavior make sense?  Calling
-              // _history_list_view->scrollToBottom () here doesn't seem to
-              // have any effect.  Instead, we need to request that action
-              // and wait until the next event occurs in which no items
-              // are added to the history list.
-
-              scroll_window = true;
-            }
-          else if (scroll_window)
-            {
-              scroll_window = false;
-
-              _history_list_view->scrollToBottom ();
-            }
-        }
-
-      // Post a new update event in a given time. This prevents flooding the
-      // event queue.
-      _update_history_model_timer.start ();
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      // octave_event::perform failed to handle event.
-    }
-}
-
-void
 history_dock_widget::construct ()
 {
   _history_model = new QStringListModel ();
@@ -161,7 +107,7 @@
 void
 history_dock_widget::request_history_model_update ()
 {
-  octave_link::post_event (new octave_update_history_event (*this));
+  octave_link::post_event (this, &history_dock_widget::update_history_callback);
 }
 
 void
@@ -176,3 +122,48 @@
   emit active_changed (false);
   QDockWidget::closeEvent (e);
 }
+
+void
+history_dock_widget::update_history_callback (void)
+{
+  static bool scroll_window = false;
+
+  // Determine the client's (our) history length and the one of the server.
+  int clientHistoryLength = _history_model->rowCount ();
+  int serverHistoryLength = command_history::length ();
+
+  // If were behind the server, iterate through all new entries and add
+  // them to our history.
+  if (clientHistoryLength < serverHistoryLength)
+    {
+      int elts_to_add = serverHistoryLength - clientHistoryLength;
+
+      _history_model->insertRows (clientHistoryLength, elts_to_add);
+
+      for (int i = clientHistoryLength; i < serverHistoryLength; i++)
+        {
+          std::string entry = command_history::get_entry (i);
+
+          _history_model->setData (_history_model->index (i),
+                                   QString::fromStdString (entry));
+        }
+
+      // FIXME -- does this behavior make sense?  Calling
+      // _history_list_view->scrollToBottom () here doesn't seem to
+      // have any effect.  Instead, we need to request that action
+      // and wait until the next event occurs in which no items
+      // are added to the history list.
+
+      scroll_window = true;
+    }
+  else if (scroll_window)
+    {
+      scroll_window = false;
+
+      _history_list_view->scrollToBottom ();
+    }
+
+  // Post a new update event in a given time. This prevents flooding the
+  // event queue.
+  _update_history_model_timer.start ();
+}