diff --git a/collects/net/sendurl.ss b/collects/net/sendurl.ss
index a378d90f28..1e4c812576 100644
--- a/collects/net/sendurl.ss
+++ b/collects/net/sendurl.ss
@@ -18,9 +18,23 @@
                        [current-error-port null-output]
                        [current-output-port null-output])
           (cond
-            [(eq? (system-type) 'macos)
-             ;; actually, I think GURL means something slightly different...
-             (send-event "MACS" "GURL" "GURL" str)]
+	    [(eq? (system-type) 'macos)
+	     (let loop ([l '("NAVG" "MSIE")])
+	       (if (null? l)
+		   (error 'send-url "couldn't start Internet Explorer or Netscape")
+		   (with-handlers ([not-break-exn? (lambda (x) (loop (cdr l)))])
+		     (subprocess #f #f #f "by-id" (car l))
+		     (let loop ([retries 2]) ;; <<< Yuck <<<
+		       (if (zero? retries)
+			   (error "enough already") ; caught above
+			   (with-handlers ([not-break-exn? (lambda (x)
+							     (loop (sub1 retries)))])
+			     (let ([t (thread (lambda ()
+						(send-event (car l) "GURL" "GURL" str)))])
+			       (object-wait-multiple 1 t) ;; <<< Yuck (timeout) <<<
+			       (when (thread-running? t)
+				 (kill-thread t)
+				 (error "timeout")))))))))]
             [(or (eq? (system-type) 'macosx)
                  (equal? "ppc-macosxonx" (system-library-subpath)))
              (system (format "osascript -e 'open location \"~a\"'" str))]