diff --git a/src/Format.cpp b/src/Format.cpp
index 74a19eaf23..7e82f9a3b0 100644
--- a/src/Format.cpp
+++ b/src/Format.cpp
@@ -258,29 +258,28 @@ void Formats::setEditor(string const & name, string const & command)
 		it->setEditor(command);
 }
 
-bool Formats::viewURL(string const &url){
+
+bool Formats::viewURL(docstring const & url) {
 	Format const * format = getFormat("html");
+	if (!format)
+		return false;
+
 	string command = libScriptSearch(format->viewer());
 
 	if (!contains(command, token_from_format))
 		command += ' ' + token_from_format;
-	command = subst(command, token_from_format, quoteName(url));
+	command = subst(command, token_from_format, quoteName(to_utf8(url)));
 
 	LYXERR(Debug::FILES, "Executing command: " << command);
-	//buffer.message(_("Executing command: ") + from_utf8(command));
 
 	Systemcall one;
-	int const res = one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
+	one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
 
-	if (res) {
-		Alert::error(_("Cannot view URL"),
-			     bformat(_("An error occurred whilst running %1$s"),
-			       makeDisplayPath(command, 50)));
-		return false;
-	}
+	// we can't report any sort of error, since we aren't waiting
 	return true;
 }
 
+
 bool Formats::view(Buffer const & buffer, FileName const & filename,
 		   string const & format_name) const
 {
@@ -340,14 +339,9 @@ bool Formats::view(Buffer const & buffer, FileName const & filename,
 	buffer.message(_("Executing command: ") + from_utf8(command));
 
 	Systemcall one;
-	int const res = one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
+	one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
 
-	if (res) {
-		Alert::error(_("Cannot view file"),
-			     bformat(_("An error occurred whilst running %1$s"),
-			       makeDisplayPath(command, 50)));
-		return false;
-	}
+	// we can't report any sort of error, since we aren't waiting
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -412,14 +406,9 @@ bool Formats::edit(Buffer const & buffer, FileName const & filename,
 	buffer.message(_("Executing command: ") + from_utf8(command));
 
 	Systemcall one;
-	int const res = one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
+	one.startscript(Systemcall::DontWait, command);
 
-	if (res) {
-		Alert::error(_("Cannot edit file"),
-			     bformat(_("An error occurred whilst running %1$s"),
-			       makeDisplayPath(command, 50)));
-		return false;
-	}
+	// we can't report any sort of error, since we aren't waiting
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Format.h b/src/Format.h
index aa5907fec0..3737f4c452 100644
--- a/src/Format.h
+++ b/src/Format.h
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ public:
 	void setViewer(std::string const & name, std::string const & command);
 	///
 	void setEditor(std::string const & name, std::string const & command);
-	/// Currently used by hyperlink insets
-	bool viewURL(std::string const &url);
+	/// Currently used by hyperlink insets and GuiCitation
+	bool viewURL(docstring const & url);
 	/// View the given file. Buffer used for DVI's paper orientation.
 	bool view(Buffer const & buffer, support::FileName const & filename,
 		  std::string const & format_name) const;
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetHyperlink.cpp b/src/insets/InsetHyperlink.cpp
index eec468ba8d..29ce2ddca7 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetHyperlink.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetHyperlink.cpp
@@ -101,11 +101,11 @@ bool InsetHyperlink::getStatus(Cursor & cur, FuncRequest const & cmd,
 void InsetHyperlink::viewTarget() const
 {
 	if (getParam("type").empty()) 
-		formats.viewURL(to_ascii(getParam("target")));
+		formats.viewURL(getParam("target"));
 
 	else if (getParam("type") == "file:") {
 		FileName url = makeAbsPath(to_utf8(getParam("target")), buffer().filePath());
-		string format = formats.getFormatFromFile(url);
+		string const format = formats.getFormatFromFile(url);
 		formats.view(buffer(), url, format);
 	}
 }