diff --git a/rtgui/extprog.cc b/rtgui/extprog.cc
index e4cf63733..9ec87c548 100644
--- a/rtgui/extprog.cc
+++ b/rtgui/extprog.cc
@@ -318,22 +318,26 @@ bool ExtProgStore::openInPhotoshop (const Glib::ustring& fileName)
     return spawnCommandAsync (cmdLine);
 }
 
-bool ExtProgStore::openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName)
+bool ExtProgStore::openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName, const Glib::ustring* command)
 {
+    if (!command) {
+        command = &(options.customEditorProg);
+    }
+
 #if defined WIN32
 
-    const auto cmdLine = Glib::ustring("\"") + options.customEditorProg + Glib::ustring("\"");
+    const auto cmdLine = Glib::ustring("\"") + *command + Glib::ustring("\"");
     auto success = ShellExecute( NULL, "open", cmdLine.c_str(), ('"' + fileName + '"').c_str(), NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL );
     return (uintptr_t)success > 32;
 
 #elif defined __APPLE__
 
-    const auto cmdLine = options.customEditorProg + Glib::ustring(" \"") + fileName + Glib::ustring("\"");
+    const auto cmdLine = *command + Glib::ustring(" \"") + fileName + Glib::ustring("\"");
     return spawnCommandAsync (cmdLine);
 
 #else
 
-    const auto cmdLine = options.customEditorProg + Glib::ustring(" ") + Glib::shell_quote(fileName);
+    const auto cmdLine = *command + Glib::ustring(" ") + Glib::shell_quote(fileName);
     return spawnCommandAsync (cmdLine);
 
 #endif
@@ -342,13 +346,30 @@ bool ExtProgStore::openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName)
 
 bool ExtProgStore::openInExternalEditor(const Glib::ustring &fileName, const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::AppInfo> &editorInfo)
 {
+    bool success = false;
+
     try {
-        return editorInfo->launch(Gio::File::create_for_path(fileName));
+        success = editorInfo->launch(Gio::File::create_for_path(fileName));
     } catch (const Glib::Error &e) {
         std::cerr
             << "Error launching external editor.\n"
             << "Error code #" << e.code() << ": " << e.what()
             << std::endl;
-        return false;
+        success = false;
     }
+
+    if (success) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    if (rtengine::settings->verbose) {
+        std::cout << "Unable to launch external editor with Gio. Trying custom launcher." << std::endl;
+    }
+    Glib::ustring command = editorInfo->get_commandline();
+#if defined WIN32
+    if (command.length() > 2 && command[0] == '"' && command[command.length() - 1] == '"') {
+        command = command.substr(1, command.length() - 2);
+    }
+#endif
+    return openInCustomEditor(fileName, &command);
 }
diff --git a/rtgui/extprog.h b/rtgui/extprog.h
index cdcf14e48..6547896ef 100644
--- a/rtgui/extprog.h
+++ b/rtgui/extprog.h
@@ -69,7 +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 openInCustomEditor (const Glib::ustring& fileName, const Glib::ustring* command = nullptr);
     static bool openInExternalEditor(const Glib::ustring &fileName, const Glib::RefPtr<Gio::AppInfo> &editorInfo);
 };
 
diff --git a/rtgui/rtwindow.h b/rtgui/rtwindow.h
index f62430190..985cd3893 100755
--- a/rtgui/rtwindow.h
+++ b/rtgui/rtwindow.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 class BatchQueueEntry;
 class BatchQueuePanel;
 class EditorPanel;
-class ExternalEditor;
+struct ExternalEditor;
 class FilePanel;
 class PLDBridge;
 class RTWindow final :