diff --git a/rtgui/extprog.cc b/rtgui/extprog.cc
index 57d57ecd8..939ead608 100644
--- a/rtgui/extprog.cc
+++ b/rtgui/extprog.cc
@@ -339,3 +339,8 @@ bool ExtProgStore::openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName)
 #endif
 
 }
+
+bool ExtProgStore::openInExternalEditor(const Glib::ustring &fileName, const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::AppInfo> &editorInfo)
+{
+    return editorInfo->launch(Gio::File::create_for_path(fileName));
+}
diff --git a/rtgui/extprog.h b/rtgui/extprog.h
index c5e00bb1b..86dbc1674 100644
--- a/rtgui/extprog.h
+++ b/rtgui/extprog.h
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@
 
 #include "threadutils.h"
 
+namespace Gio
+{
+    class AppInfo;
+}
+
 struct ExtProgAction
 {
     Glib::ustring filePathEXE;
@@ -64,6 +69,7 @@ public:
     static bool openInGimp (const Glib::ustring& fileName);
     static bool openInPhotoshop (const Glib::ustring& fileName);
     static bool openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName);
+    static bool openInExternalEditor(const Glib::ustring &fileName, const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::AppInfo> &editorInfo);
 };
 
 #define extProgStore ExtProgStore::getInstance()