diff --git a/TeXmacs/progs/prog/glue-symbols.scm b/TeXmacs/progs/prog/glue-symbols.scm
index 8a85ecf919..0549b288aa 100644
--- a/TeXmacs/progs/prog/glue-symbols.scm
+++ b/TeXmacs/progs/prog/glue-symbols.scm
@@ -580,6 +580,7 @@
 "system-1"
 "system-2"
 "system-url->string"
+"open-url"
 "url-grep"
 "url-search-upwards"
 "picture-cache-reset"
diff --git a/TeXmacs/progs/texmacs/texmacs/tm-files.scm b/TeXmacs/progs/texmacs/texmacs/tm-files.scm
index 291c77e060..a46aad8dfc 100644
--- a/TeXmacs/progs/texmacs/texmacs/tm-files.scm
+++ b/TeXmacs/progs/texmacs/texmacs/tm-files.scm
@@ -418,22 +418,10 @@
       (file-of-format? u "postscript")
       (file-of-format? u "generic")))
 
-(tm-define (default-open)
-  (cond ((os-macos?) "open")
-        ((or (os-mingw?) (os-win32?)) "start")
-        (else "xdg-open")))
-
 (tm-define (load-external u)
   (when (not (url-rooted? u))
     (set! u (url-relative (current-buffer) u)))
-  (cond ((not (url-rooted-web? u))
-         (system-1 (default-open) u))
-        ((or (os-mingw?) (os-win32?))
-         (system (string-append (default-open) " " 
-                                (string-replace (url->system u) "&" "^&"))))
-        (else
-         (system (string-append (default-open) " "
-                                (raw-quote (url->system u)))))))
+  (open-url u))
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;; Loading buffers
diff --git a/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.cpp b/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.cpp
index 8b7a71d257..e1eb78bd45 100644
--- a/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QString>
 #include <QSysInfo>
+#include <QDesktopServices>
+#include <QUrl>
 
 
 string qt_get_current_cpu_arch () {
@@ -27,3 +29,8 @@ string qt_get_current_cpu_arch () {
 string qt_get_pretty_os_name () {
   return from_qstring (QSysInfo::prettyProductName ());
 }
+
+void qt_open_url (url u) {
+  QString link = to_qstring (as_string (u));
+  QDesktopServices::openUrl (QUrl (link));
+}
diff --git a/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.hpp b/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.hpp
index 56e0569a15..951de90b27 100644
--- a/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.hpp
+++ b/src/Plugins/Qt/qt_sys_utils.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define QT_SYS_UTILS_H
 
 #include "string.hpp"
+#include "url.hpp"
 
 
 string qt_get_current_cpu_arch ();
@@ -28,5 +29,6 @@ int qt_system (string);
 int qt_system (string, string&);
 int qt_system (string, string&, string&);
 
-#endif // defined QT_SYS_UTILS_H
+void qt_open_url (url u);
 
+#endif // defined QT_SYS_UTILS_H
diff --git a/src/Scheme/L3/glue_misc.lua b/src/Scheme/L3/glue_misc.lua
index 14a1053fe6..f19d8afdb0 100644
--- a/src/Scheme/L3/glue_misc.lua
+++ b/src/Scheme/L3/glue_misc.lua
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ function main()
                 cpp_name = "default_look_and_feel",
                 ret_type = "string"
             },
+            {
+                scm_name = "open-url",
+                cpp_name = "open_url",
+                ret_type = "void",
+                arg_list = {
+                    "url"
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 end
diff --git a/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.cpp b/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.cpp
index 6bd627562e..20e226f6a5 100644
--- a/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.cpp
@@ -154,3 +154,9 @@ default_look_and_feel () {
   static const char* ret= default_look_and_feel_impl ();
   return ret;
 }
+
+void open_url (url u) {
+#ifdef QTTEXMACS
+  qt_open_url (u);
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.hpp b/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.hpp
index 60ea1fff52..dcf3e1618e 100644
--- a/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.hpp
+++ b/src/System/Misc/tm_sys_utils.hpp
@@ -36,4 +36,6 @@ void set_printing_cmd (string cmd);
 
 const char* default_look_and_feel ();
 
+void open_url (url u);
+
 #endif