diff --git a/libs/pbd/epa.cc b/libs/pbd/epa.cc
index 3d3f7477d7..2d5ec29506 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/epa.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/epa.cc
@@ -115,7 +115,29 @@ EnvironmentalProtectionAgency::save ()
 void
 EnvironmentalProtectionAgency::restore () const
 {
+		clear ();
+
         for (map<string,string>::const_iterator i = e.begin(); i != e.end(); ++i) {
                 setenv (i->first.c_str(), i->second.c_str(), 1);
         }
-}                         
+} 
+
+void
+EnvironmentalProtectionAgency::clear () const
+{
+        char** the_environ = environ;
+
+        for (size_t i = 0; the_environ[i]; ++i) {
+			
+                string estring = the_environ[i];
+                string::size_type equal = estring.find_first_of ('=');
+			
+                if (equal == string::npos) {
+                        /* say what? an environ value without = ? */
+                        continue;
+                }
+			
+                string before = estring.substr (0, equal);
+                unsetenv(before.c_str());
+        }
+}                        
diff --git a/libs/pbd/openuri.cc b/libs/pbd/openuri.cc
index 403aff07c7..22e9bee715 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/openuri.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/openuri.cc
@@ -10,20 +10,27 @@
 bool
 PBD::open_uri (const char* uri)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE_GTK_OPEN_URI
-	GError* err;
-	return gtk_open_uri (0, uri, GDK_CURRENT_TIME, &err);
-#else
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 	extern bool cocoa_open_url (const char*);
 	return cocoa_open_url (uri);
 #else
+	EnvironmentalProtectionAgency* global_epa = EnvironmentalProtectionAgency::get_global_epa ();
+	boost::scoped_ptr<EnvironmentalProtectionAgency> current_epa;
+
+	/* revert all environment settings back to whatever they were when ardour started
+	 */
+
+	if (global_epa) {
+		current_epa.reset (new EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(true)); /* will restore settings when we leave scope */
+		global_epa->restore ();
+	}
+
 	std::string command = "xdg-open ";
 	command += uri;
-        Glib::spawn_command_line_async (command);
+	command += " &";
+	system (command.c_str());
 
 	return true;
 #endif
-#endif
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/epa.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/epa.h
index ffcd78504a..477d7f9678 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/epa.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/epa.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class EnvironmentalProtectionAgency {
         static void set_global_epa (EnvironmentalProtectionAgency* epa) { _global_epa = epa; }
         
   private:
+        void clear () const;
+		
         bool _armed;
         std::string _envname;
         std::map<std::string,std::string> e;