diff -u -ru gaim-0.72-orig/src/gtknotify.c gaim-0.72/src/gtknotify.c
--- gaim-0.72-orig/src/gtknotify.c	2003-11-01 16:53:10.000000000 -0500
+++ gaim-0.72/src/gtknotify.c	2003-11-01 16:57:17.000000000 -0500
@@ -377,6 +377,15 @@
 		gtk_widget_destroy(GTK_WIDGET(ui_handle));
 }
 
+gboolean 
+running_gnome(void)
+{
+	if( g_getenv ("GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID") && g_find_program_in_path("gnome-open") != NULL) {
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
 static void *
 gaim_gtk_notify_uri(const char *uri)
 {
@@ -386,8 +395,11 @@
 	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")) {
 		command = g_strdup_printf("netscape \"%s\"", uri);
 	} else if (!strcmp(web_browser, "opera")) {
 		if (gaim_prefs_get_bool("/gaim/gtk/browsers/new_window"))
diff -u -ru gaim-0.72-orig/src/gtkprefs.c gaim-0.72/src/gtkprefs.c
--- gaim-0.72-orig/src/gtkprefs.c	2003-11-01 16:53:10.000000000 -0500
+++ gaim-0.72/src/gtkprefs.c	2003-11-01 16:59:04.000000000 -0500
@@ -2263,7 +2263,10 @@
 	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++);