diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 23d065ea4f..ef5444ca24 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2002-08-01  John Levon  <levon@movementarian.org>
+
+	* lyxfunc.C: let user specify a non-existent file on open
+ 
 2002-07-26  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
 
 	* lyxfunc.C (dispatch):change LyXFind function call.
diff --git a/src/lyxfunc.C b/src/lyxfunc.C
index a3e99e030f..11bd016cd4 100644
--- a/src/lyxfunc.C
+++ b/src/lyxfunc.C
@@ -1887,16 +1887,26 @@ void LyXFunc::open(string const & fname)
 	// get absolute path of file and add ".lyx" to the filename if
 	// necessary
 	string const fullpath = FileSearch(string(), filename, "lyx");
-	if (fullpath.empty()) {
-		Alert::alert(_("Error"), _("Could not find file"), filename);
-		return;
+	if (!fullpath.empty()) {
+		filename = fullpath;
 	}
 
-	filename = fullpath;
-
-	// loads document
 	string const disp_fn(MakeDisplayPath(filename));
 
+	// if the file doesn't exist, let the user create one
+	FileInfo const f(filename, true);
+	if (!f.exist()) {
+		if (!Alert::askQuestion(_("No such file"), disp_fn, 
+			_("Start a new document with this filename ?"))) {
+			owner->message(_("Canceled"));
+			return;
+		}
+		// the user specifically chose this name. Believe them.
+		Buffer * buffer =  bufferlist.newFile(filename, "", true);
+		owner->view()->buffer(buffer);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	ostringstream str;
 	str << _("Opening document") << ' ' << disp_fn << "...";