diff -u -ru gaim-0.69-orig/src/browser.c gaim-0.69/src/browser.c
--- gaim-0.69-orig/src/browser.c	2003-09-16 00:57:36.000000000 -0400
+++ gaim-0.69/src/browser.c	2003-09-26 01:44:48.000000000 -0400
@@ -514,6 +514,15 @@
 }
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 
+gboolean running_gnome(void)
+{
+	if( g_getenv ("GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID") && g_find_program_in_path("gnome-open") != NULL) {
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+
 void *
 gaim_gtk_notify_uri(const char *uri)
 {
@@ -523,8 +532,11 @@
 	const char *web_browser;
 
 	web_browser = gaim_prefs_get_string("/gaim/gtk/browsers/browser");
-
-	if (!strcmp(web_browser, "netscape")) {
+	/* if they are running gnome, use the gnome web browser */
+	if(running_gnome() == TRUE) {
+		command = g_strdup_printf("gnome-open \"%s\"", uri);
+	}
+	else if (!strcmp(web_browser, "netscape")) {
 		char *args = NULL;
 
 		if (gaim_prefs_get_bool("/gaim/gtk/browsers/new_window"))
diff -u -ru gaim-0.69-orig/src/gtkprefs.c gaim-0.69/src/gtkprefs.c
--- gaim-0.69-orig/src/gtkprefs.c	2003-09-23 22:33:51.000000000 -0400
+++ gaim-0.69/src/gtkprefs.c	2003-09-26 01:47:26.000000000 -0400
@@ -2262,7 +2262,10 @@
 	prefs_notebook_add_page(_("Proxy"), NULL, proxy_page(), &p, NULL, notebook_page++);
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	/* We use the registered default browser in windows */
-	prefs_notebook_add_page(_("Browser"), NULL, browser_page(), &p, NULL, notebook_page++);
+	/* if the user is running gnome 2.x, hide the browsers tab */
+	if(running_gnome() == FALSE) {
+		prefs_notebook_add_page(_("Browser"), NULL, browser_page(), &p, NULL, notebook_page++);
+	}
 #endif
 	prefs_notebook_add_page(_("Logging"), NULL, logging_page(), &p, NULL, notebook_page++);
 	prefs_notebook_add_page(_("Sounds"), NULL, sound_page(), &p, NULL, notebook_page++);
diff -u -ru gaim-0.69-orig/src/ui.h gaim-0.69/src/ui.h
--- gaim-0.69-orig/src/ui.h	2003-09-01 23:41:08.000000000 -0400
+++ gaim-0.69/src/ui.h	2003-09-26 01:47:48.000000000 -0400
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@
 extern void do_im_back(GtkWidget *w, GtkWidget *x);
 
 /* Functions in browser.c */
+extern gboolean running_gnome(void);
 void *gaim_gtk_notify_uri(const char *uri);
 
 /* Functions in dialogs.c */