diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 4829245865..12f67ef884 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -12938,3 +12938,12 @@ Rom    8 Oct 2005
         
     clientgui/
         ViewProjects.cpp
+
+Rom    8 Oct 2005
+    - Display an informational dialog on Linux when the text/html mime type
+        doesn't point to a browser.  Inform the user that they may need to
+        install the 'mailcap' package or the 'mime' package so the manager
+        knows which browser to launch.
+        
+    clientgui/
+        hyperlink.cpp
diff --git a/clientgui/hyperlink.cpp b/clientgui/hyperlink.cpp
index 3cf5bcdde3..1b36e6a1d5 100644
--- a/clientgui/hyperlink.cpp
+++ b/clientgui/hyperlink.cpp
@@ -205,9 +205,19 @@ void wxHyperLink::ExecuteLink (const wxString &strLink) {
 #endif
             ::wxExecute(cmd);
         }
-
         delete ft;
     }
+#if defined(__WXGTK__) || defined(__WXMOTIF__)
+    else {
+        ::wxMessageBox(
+            _("BOINC could not determine what your default browser is.\n"
+              "Please verify that you have either the 'mailcap' package installed or\n"
+              "'mime' package installed"),
+            _("BOINC Manager"),
+            wxOK | wxICON_INFORMATION
+        );
+    }
+#endif
 }
 
 const char *BOINC_RCSID_d587835b7e="$Id$";