diff --git a/collects/help/help.ss b/collects/help/help.ss
index 9f68355b..9efab3b0 100644
--- a/collects/help/help.ss
+++ b/collects/help/help.ss
@@ -45,23 +45,12 @@
     (wait-for-connection help-desk-port))
 
   (when launch-browser?
-	(with-handlers
-	  ([void 
-	    (lambda _
-	      (message-box 
-	       "Help Desk" 
-	       (format 
-		(string-append
-		 "Unable to start a browser. "
-		 "Manually start a browser and use the URL "
-		 "http://127.0.0.1:~a/servlets/home.ss.")
-		(hd-cookie->port hd-cookie))))])
-	  (help-desk-browser hd-cookie)
-	  ; allow browser startup time
-	  (sleep (add1 browser-timeout))
-          ; starting an external browser may have failed
-          ;  so we may have switched to the internal browser
-	  (set! internal-browser? (use-plt-browser?))))
+    (help-desk-browser hd-cookie)
+    ; allow browser startup time
+    (sleep (add1 browser-timeout))
+    ; starting an external browser may have failed
+    ;  so we may have switched to the internal browser
+    (set! internal-browser? (use-plt-browser?)))
 
   (cond
    [internal-browser? (void)]