diff --git a/src/lay/laySaltGrain.cc b/src/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
index d39664ad5..d1a93d396 100644
--- a/src/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
+++ b/src/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QBuffer>
 #include <QResource>
+#include <QUrl>
 
 namespace lay
 {
@@ -109,6 +110,38 @@ SaltGrain::set_doc_url (const std::string &u)
   m_doc_url = u;
 }
 
+std::string
+SaltGrain::eff_doc_url () const
+{
+  if (m_doc_url.empty ()) {
+    return std::string ();
+  }
+
+  QUrl url (tl::to_qstring (m_doc_url));
+  if (! url.scheme ().isEmpty ()) {
+    return m_doc_url;
+  }
+
+  if (! path ().empty ()) {
+
+    //  if the URL is a relative URL, make it absolute relative to the grain's installation directory
+    QFileInfo fi (url.toLocalFile ());
+    if (! fi.isAbsolute ()) {
+      url = QUrl::fromLocalFile (QDir (tl::to_qstring (path ())).absoluteFilePath (fi.filePath ()));
+    }
+    url.setScheme (tl::to_qstring ("file"));
+    return tl::to_string (url.toString ());
+
+  } else {
+
+    //  base the documentation URL on the download URL
+    QUrl eff_url = QUrl (tl::to_qstring (m_url));
+    eff_url.setPath (eff_url.path () + QString::fromUtf8 ("/") + url.path ());
+    return tl::to_string (eff_url.toString ());
+
+  }
+}
+
 void
 SaltGrain::set_author (const std::string &a)
 {
diff --git a/src/lay/laySaltGrain.h b/src/lay/laySaltGrain.h
index 9f92763db..a8c7bff8c 100644
--- a/src/lay/laySaltGrain.h
+++ b/src/lay/laySaltGrain.h
@@ -145,6 +145,14 @@ public:
    */
   void set_doc_url (const std::string &u);
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets the effective documentation URL
+   *
+   *  The effective documentation URL is formed from the installation path
+   *  and the documentation URL if the latter is a relative one.
+   */
+  std::string eff_doc_url () const;
+
   /**
    *  @brief Gets the version of the grain
    *
diff --git a/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.cc b/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.cc
index 660eed4d1..59ea4f260 100644
--- a/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.cc
+++ b/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <QPainter>
 #include <QDir>
 #include <QFileInfo>
+#include <QDesktopServices>
 
 namespace lay
 {
@@ -37,7 +38,9 @@ namespace lay
 SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget (QWidget *w)
   : QTextBrowser (w), mp_grain (0)
 {
-  //  .. nothing yet ..
+  setOpenLinks (false);
+  setOpenExternalLinks (false);
+  connect (this, SIGNAL (anchorClicked (const QUrl &)), this, SLOT (open_link (const QUrl &)));
 }
 
 void SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::set_grain (SaltGrain *g)
@@ -46,6 +49,12 @@ void SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::set_grain (SaltGrain *g)
   setHtml (details_text ());
 }
 
+void
+SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::open_link (const QUrl &url)
+{
+  QDesktopServices::openUrl (url);
+}
+
 QVariant
 SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::loadResource (int type, const QUrl &url)
 {
@@ -237,7 +246,7 @@ SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget::details_text ()
 
   stream << "<p>";
   if (! g->doc_url ().empty ()) {
-    stream << "<b>" << QObject::tr ("Documentation link") << ":</b> <a href=\"" << tl::to_qstring (g->doc_url ()) << "\">" << tl::to_qstring (tl::escaped_to_html (g->doc_url ())) << "</a>";
+    stream << "<b>" << QObject::tr ("Documentation link") << ":</b> <a href=\"" << tl::to_qstring (g->eff_doc_url ()) << "\">" << tl::to_qstring (tl::escaped_to_html (g->eff_doc_url ())) << "</a>";
   } else {
     stream << "<i><font color='gray'>";
     stream << QObject::tr ("This package does not have a documentation link. "
diff --git a/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.h b/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.h
index bb25a0e48..6ba47f144 100644
--- a/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.h
+++ b/src/lay/laySaltGrainDetailsTextWidget.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class SaltGrain;
 class SaltGrainDetailsTextWidget
   : public QTextBrowser
 {
+Q_OBJECT
+
 public:
   /**
    *  @brief Constructor
@@ -50,6 +52,9 @@ public:
 protected:
   virtual QVariant loadResource (int type, const QUrl &url);
 
+private slots:
+  void open_link (const QUrl &url);
+
 private:
   lay::SaltGrain *mp_grain;
 
diff --git a/src/lay/laySaltGrainPropertiesDialog.cc b/src/lay/laySaltGrainPropertiesDialog.cc
index f1786a553..bfc24ab6f 100644
--- a/src/lay/laySaltGrainPropertiesDialog.cc
+++ b/src/lay/laySaltGrainPropertiesDialog.cc
@@ -327,7 +327,8 @@ void
 SaltGrainPropertiesDialog::url_changed (const QString &url)
 {
   //  inserts the URL into the label
-  open_label->setText (m_open_label.arg (url));
+  m_grain.set_doc_url (tl::to_string (url));
+  open_label->setText (m_open_label.arg (tl::to_qstring (m_grain.eff_doc_url ())));
   open_label->setEnabled (! url.isEmpty ());
 }