diff --git a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowPresenter.h b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowPresenter.h
index f5586a4a08856f13bba87f2b480ab548e7451278..7dfc97c2f8aec092287274ad8476b820c6426509 100644
--- a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowPresenter.h
+++ b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowPresenter.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ IMainWindowPresenter is the interface defining the functions that the main
 window presenter needs to implement. This interface is used by tab presenters to
 request information from other tabs.
 */
-class IMainWindowPresenter : public MainWindowSubscriber {
+class IMainWindowPresenter {
 public:
   virtual bool isProcessing() const = 0;
   virtual ~IMainWindowPresenter() = default;
diff --git a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowView.h b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowView.h
index b4b190a8dd3775064027524e2935b1780b758ed0..59c16a5fbae80617486c9179bc0e026be2e4a0ae 100644
--- a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowView.h
+++ b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/IMainWindowView.h
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ the help button.
 */
 class MainWindowSubscriber {
 public:
-  virtual void notifyHelpPressed(){};
-  virtual void notifyNewBatchRequested(){};
-  virtual void notifyCloseBatchRequested(int){};
+  virtual void notifyHelpPressed() = 0;
+  virtual void notifyNewBatchRequested() = 0;
+  virtual void notifyCloseBatchRequested(int) = 0;
   virtual ~MainWindowSubscriber() = default;
 };
 
diff --git a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowPresenter.h b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowPresenter.h
index 396d67582c3c05c92e2adf1b24818e81ce9f5e8a..5ad86af2c7285985358de6ff720fe4913342b35c 100644
--- a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowPresenter.h
+++ b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowPresenter.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "Common/DllConfig.h"
 #include "GUI/Batch/BatchPresenterFactory.h"
 #include "IMainWindowPresenter.h"
+#include "IMainWindowView.h"
 #include <memory>
 
 namespace MantidQt {
@@ -23,12 +24,17 @@ MainWindowPresenter is the concrete main window presenter implementing the
 functionality defined by the interface IMainWindowPresenter.
 */
 class MANTIDQT_ISISREFLECTOMETRY_DLL MainWindowPresenter
-    : public IMainWindowPresenter {
+    : public MainWindowSubscriber,
+      public IMainWindowPresenter {
 public:
   /// Constructor
   MainWindowPresenter(IMainWindowView *view,
                       BatchPresenterFactory batchPresenterFactory);
+
+  // IMainWindowPresenter overrides
   bool isProcessing() const override;
+
+  // MainWindowSubscriber overrides
   void notifyHelpPressed() override;
   void notifyNewBatchRequested() override;
   void notifyCloseBatchRequested(int batchIndex) override;
diff --git a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.cpp b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.cpp
index 432bd9988fe74b455b7d8cad375417f1b17bba60..391a5dacfab66ee5c8ad51f860e0fc177bbbaa1a 100644
--- a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.cpp
+++ b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.cpp
@@ -90,10 +90,11 @@ void MainWindowView::initLayout() {
       std::move(makeSaveSettingsPresenter));
 
   // Create the presenter
-  m_presenter = MainWindowPresenter(this, std::move(makeBatchPresenter));
+  m_presenter = std::make_unique<MainWindowPresenter>(
+      this, std::move(makeBatchPresenter));
 
-  m_presenter.get().notifyNewBatchRequested();
-  m_presenter.get().notifyNewBatchRequested();
+  m_notifyee->notifyNewBatchRequested();
+  m_notifyee->notifyNewBatchRequested();
 }
 
 void MainWindowView::onTabCloseRequested(int tabIndex) {
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ Handles attempt to close main window
 */
 void MainWindowView::closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
   // Close only if reduction has been paused
-  if (!m_presenter.get().isProcessing()) {
+  if (!m_presenter->isProcessing()) {
     event->accept();
   } else {
     event->ignore();
diff --git a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.h b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.h
index 0fe75e614831677fa1f9927a5ab89fe235085529..216e183c0238d3e6ce94922f017632f9d87eea1d 100644
--- a/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.h
+++ b/qt/scientific_interfaces/ISISReflectometry/GUI/MainWindow/MainWindowView.h
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ private:
   /// Interface definition with widgets for the main interface window
   Ui::MainWindowWidget m_ui;
   MainWindowSubscriber *m_notifyee;
-  /// The presenter handling this view
-  boost::optional<MainWindowPresenter> m_presenter;
+  /// The presenter handling this view. It is not normal in MVP for a view to
+  /// have ownership of its presenter, but due to the way interfaces get
+  /// instantiated this is currently necessary for MainWindowView. Direct use
+  /// of m_presenter should be avoided - use m_notifyee instead.
+  std::unique_ptr<MainWindowPresenter> m_presenter;
   std::vector<IBatchView *> m_batchViews;
 };
 } // namespace CustomInterfaces