diff --git a/lib/jitsi-defaults.properties b/lib/jitsi-defaults.properties
index ac2f01f19..c9987ed87 100644
--- a/lib/jitsi-defaults.properties
+++ b/lib/jitsi-defaults.properties
@@ -179,3 +179,16 @@ net.java.sip.communicator.plugin.pluginmanager.SYSTEM_BUNDLES=\
     gnu.java.zrtp4j,\
     SDES4J,\
     log4j
+
+#a colon-separated list of commands to be tried as browsers on linux
+net.java.sip.communicator.impl.browserlauncher.LINUX_BROWSERS=xdg-open\
+    :gnome-open\
+    :iceweasel\
+    :firefox\
+    :chromium-browser\
+    :google-chrome\
+    :opera\
+    :konqueror\
+    :epiphany\
+    :mozilla\
+    :netscape
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherActivator.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherActivator.java
index b3e2c946c..3dabdc802 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherActivator.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherActivator.java
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 import net.java.sip.communicator.service.browserlauncher.*;
 import net.java.sip.communicator.util.*;
+import org.jitsi.service.configuration.*;
+import org.osgi.framework.*;
 
 /**
  * Implements <tt>BundleActivator</tt> for the browserlauncher bundle.
@@ -19,6 +21,15 @@
 public class BrowserLauncherActivator
     extends SimpleServiceActivator<BrowserLauncherImpl>
 {
+    /**
+     * The <tt>BundleContext</tt>
+     */
+    private static BundleContext bundleContext = null;
+
+    /**
+     * The <tt>ServiceConfiguration</tt> to be used by this service.
+     */
+    private static ConfigurationService configService = null;
 
     /**
      * Creates new instance of <tt>BrowserLauncherActivator</tt>.
@@ -36,4 +47,39 @@ protected BrowserLauncherImpl createServiceImpl()
     {
         return new BrowserLauncherImpl();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     *
+     * Saves <tt>bundleContext</tt> locally.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public void start(BundleContext bundleContext)
+            throws Exception
+    {
+        BrowserLauncherActivator.bundleContext = bundleContext;
+
+        super.start(bundleContext);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the <tt>ConfigurationService</tt> obtained from the
+     * the <tt>BundleContext</tt>
+     *
+     * @return the <tt>ConfigurationService</tt> obtained from the
+     * the <tt>BundleContext</tt>
+     */
+    public static ConfigurationService getConfigurationService()
+    {
+        if (configService == null && bundleContext != null)
+        {
+            ServiceReference serviceReference = bundleContext
+                    .getServiceReference(ConfigurationService.class.getName());
+
+            configService = (ConfigurationService)bundleContext
+                    .getService(serviceReference);
+        }
+
+        return configService;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherImpl.java
index 0a0912de3..2f7df15f7 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/BrowserLauncherImpl.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import net.java.sip.communicator.service.browserlauncher.*;
 import net.java.sip.communicator.util.Logger;
 
+import org.jitsi.service.configuration.*;
 import org.jitsi.util.*;
 
 import com.apple.eio.*;
@@ -23,7 +24,12 @@
 public class BrowserLauncherImpl
     implements BrowserLauncherService
 {
-
+    /**
+     * The name of the property which holds the colon-separated list of browsers
+     * to try on linux.
+     */
+    private static String LINUX_BROWSERS_PROP_NAME
+            = "net.java.sip.communicator.impl.browserlauncher.LINUX_BROWSERS";
     /**
      * The <tt>Logger</tt> instance used by the <tt>BrowserLauncherImpl</tt>
      * class and its instances for logging output.
@@ -31,6 +37,11 @@ public class BrowserLauncherImpl
     private static final Logger logger
         = Logger.getLogger(BrowserLauncherImpl.class);
 
+    /**
+     * The name of the browser executable to use on linux
+     */
+    private static String linuxBrowser = null;
+
     /**
      * Opens the specified URL in an OS-specific associated browser.
      *
@@ -56,35 +67,56 @@ else if (OSUtils.IS_WINDOWS)
         }
         else
         {
-            String[] browsers
-                = new String[]
-                        {
-                            "google-chrome",
-                            "chromium-browser",
-                            "firefox",
-                            "iceweasel",
-                            "opera",
-                            "konqueror",
-                            "epiphany",
-                            "mozilla",
-                            "netscape",
-                            "gnome-open"
-                        };
-
-            Runtime runtime = Runtime.getRuntime();
-            String browser = null;
-
-            for (String b : browsers)
-                if (runtime.exec(new String[] { "which", b }).waitFor() == 0)
-                    browser = b;
+            String browser = getLinuxBrowser();
 
             if (browser == null)
-                throw new Exception("Could not find web browser");
+                logger.error("Could not find web browser");
             else
-                runtime.exec(new String[] { browser, url });
+                Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[]{browser, url});
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the name (or absolute path) to the executable to use as a browser
+     * on linux.
+     *
+     * @return the name (or absolute path) to the executable to use as a browser
+     * on linux.
+     *
+     * @throws Exception on failure from <tt>Runtime.exec()</tt>
+     */
+    private String getLinuxBrowser()
+            throws Exception
+    {
+        if (linuxBrowser == null)
+        {
+            ConfigurationService cfg
+                    = BrowserLauncherActivator.getConfigurationService();
+            if (cfg != null)
+            {
+                String browsers= cfg.getString(LINUX_BROWSERS_PROP_NAME);
+                if (browsers== null)
+                {
+                    logger.error("Required property not set: " +
+                            LINUX_BROWSERS_PROP_NAME);
+                    return null;
+                }
+
+                Runtime runtime = Runtime.getRuntime();
+                for (String b : browsers.split(":"))
+                {
+                    if (runtime.exec(new String[] { "which", b }).waitFor() == 0)
+                    {
+                        linuxBrowser = b;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return linuxBrowser;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Tries to open the specified URL in a browser. The attempt is asynchronously
      * executed and does not wait for possible errors related to the launching
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/browserlauncher.manifest.mf b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/browserlauncher.manifest.mf
index c093bcfc4..5a79b05b3 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/browserlauncher.manifest.mf
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/browserlauncher/browserlauncher.manifest.mf
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Bundle-Version: 0.0.1
 Bundle-SymbolicName: net.java.sip.communicator.browserlauncher
 Export-Package: net.java.sip.communicator.service.browserlauncher
 Import-Package: org.osgi.framework,
+ org.jitsi.service.configuration,
  org.jitsi.util,
  net.java.sip.communicator.util,
  net.java.sip.communicator.service.browserlauncher,