diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index ee752ea943d4..5e8ad40c373d 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 ## Library additions
 
+- Added `browsers.osOpen` const alias for the operating system specific *"open"* command.
 
 
 ## Library changes
diff --git a/lib/pure/browsers.nim b/lib/pure/browsers.nim
index 3f2045c3b9fd..ee302f950f77 100644
--- a/lib/pure/browsers.nim
+++ b/lib/pure/browsers.nim
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ when defined(windows):
 else:
   import os, osproc
 
+const osOpenCmd* =
+  when defined(macos) or defined(windows): "open" else: "xdg-open" ## \
+  ## Alias for the operating system specific *"open"* command,
+  ## ``"open"`` on MacOS and Windows, ``"xdg-open"`` on Linux, BSD, etc.
+
 proc openDefaultBrowser*(url: string) =
   ## opens `url` with the user's default browser. This does not block.
   ##
@@ -29,14 +34,14 @@ proc openDefaultBrowser*(url: string) =
   ##
   ## This proc doesn't raise an exception on error, beware.
   when defined(windows):
-    var o = newWideCString("open")
+    var o = newWideCString(osOpenCmd)
     var u = newWideCString(url)
     discard shellExecuteW(0'i32, o, u, nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL)
   elif defined(macosx):
-    discard execShellCmd("open " & quoteShell(url))
+    discard execShellCmd(osOpenCmd & " " & quoteShell(url))
   else:
     var u = quoteShell(url)
-    if execShellCmd("xdg-open " & u) == 0: return
+    if execShellCmd(osOpenCmd & " " & u) == 0: return
     for b in getEnv("BROWSER").string.split(PathSep):
       try:
         # we use ``startProcess`` here because we don't want to block!