diff --git a/qcodes/plots/base.py b/qcodes/plots/base.py
index 2c7dcc824dc..48d2b27728f 100644
--- a/qcodes/plots/base.py
+++ b/qcodes/plots/base.py
@@ -2,8 +2,27 @@
 Live plotting in Jupyter notebooks
 '''
 from IPython.display import display
+import threading
+import time
+import logging
 
 from qcodes.widgets.widgets import HiddenUpdateWidget
+from qcodes.utils.helpers import in_ipynb
+
+
+class QCodesTimer(threading.Thread):
+    def __init__(self, fn, interval=1, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        self.fn = fn
+        self.interval = interval
+
+    def run(self):
+        while 1:
+            logging.debug('QCodesTimer: start sleep')
+            time.sleep(self.interval)
+            # do something
+            logging.debug('QCodesTimer: run!')
+            self.fn()
 
 
 class BasePlot:
@@ -27,8 +46,13 @@ def __init__(self, interval=1, data_keys='xyz'):
 
         self.interval = interval
         if interval:
-            self.update_widget = HiddenUpdateWidget(self.update, interval)
-            display(self.update_widget)
+            if in_ipynb():
+                self.update_widget = HiddenUpdateWidget(self.update, interval)
+                display(self.update_widget)
+            else:
+                logging.info('create QCodesTimer: interval %.1f ' % interval)
+                self.update_widget = QCodesTimer(self.update, interval)
+                self.update_widget.start()
 
     def clear(self):
         '''
diff --git a/qcodes/utils/helpers.py b/qcodes/utils/helpers.py
index ec98d01b4bc..e2d54c98202 100644
--- a/qcodes/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/qcodes/utils/helpers.py
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 import math
 import sys
 import io
+import os
 import numpy as np
 import json
+from IPython import get_ipython
 
 _tprint_times = {}
 
@@ -25,20 +27,45 @@ def default(self, obj):
         else:
             return super(NumpyJSONEncoder, self).default(obj)
 
+
 def tprint(string, dt=1, tag='default'):
-    """ Print progress of a loop every dt seconds """
+    """Print progress of a loop every dt seconds."""
     ptime = _tprint_times.get(tag, 0)
     if (time.time() - ptime) > dt:
         print(string)
         _tprint_times[tag] = time.time()
 
 
+def is_interactive():
+    """Return True if we are running in any interactive environment."""
+    import __main__ as main
+    return not hasattr(main, '__file__')
+
+
+def in_spyder():
+    """Return True if we are running in the Spyder environment."""
+    return bool(any('SPYDER' in name for name in os.environ))
+
+
+def in_ipynb():
+    """Return True if we are running in an IPython / Jupyter notebook."""
+    try:
+        cfg = get_ipython().config
+        if cfg['IPKernelApp']['parent_appname'] == 'ipython-notebook':
+            return True
+        else:
+            return False
+    except NameError:
+        return False
+
+
 def in_notebook():
-    '''
-    Returns True if the code is running with a ipython or jypyter
+    """
+    Return True if we are running in ipython or jypyter.
+
     This could mean we are connected to a notebook, but this is not guaranteed.
     see: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15411967
-    '''
+    """
     return 'ipy' in repr(sys.stdout)