diff --git a/src/calibre/__init__.py b/src/calibre/__init__.py
index 61b8bd36f8..f324a7e46c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/__init__.py
@@ -473,7 +473,11 @@ def as_unicode(obj, enc=preferred_encoding):
                 obj = repr(obj)
     return force_unicode(obj, enc=enc)
 
-
+def http_url_slash_cleaner(url):
+    '''
+    Removes redundant /'s from url's.
+    '''
+    return re.sub(r'(?<!http:)/{2,}', '/', url)
 
 def human_readable(size):
     """ Convert a size in bytes into a human readable form """
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config.py
index 1e8efc9175..80db687314 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from calibre.gui2 import gprefs
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config_widget_ui import Ui_Form
 
 def save_settings(config_widget):
+    gprefs[config_widget.store.name + '_open_external'] = config_widget.open_external.isChecked()
     tags = unicode(config_widget.tags.text())
     gprefs[config_widget.store.name + '_tags'] = tags
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ class BasicStoreConfigWidget(QWidget, Ui_Form):
     def load_setings(self):
         settings = self.store.get_settings()
         
+        self.open_external.setChecked(settings.get(self.store.name + '_open_external'))
         self.tags.setText(settings.get(self.store.name + '_tags', ''))
 
 class BasicStoreConfig(object):
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ class BasicStoreConfig(object):
     def get_settings(self):
         settings = {}
         
+        settings[self.name + '_open_external'] = gprefs.get(self.name + '_open_external', False)
         settings[self.name + '_tags'] = gprefs.get(self.name + '_tags', self.name + ', store, download')
         
         return settings
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config_widget.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config_widget.ui
index d4cf0fac65..cadf7813d6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config_widget.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/basic_config_widget.ui
@@ -6,24 +6,31 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>501</width>
-    <height>46</height>
+    <width>460</width>
+    <height>69</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
    <string>Form</string>
   </property>
   <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
-   <item row="0" column="0">
+   <item row="1" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Added Tags:</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="0" column="1">
+   <item row="1" column="1">
     <widget class="QLineEdit" name="tags"/>
    </item>
+   <item row="0" column="0" colspan="2">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="open_external">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Open store in external web browswer</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <resources/>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/diesel_ebooks_plugin.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/diesel_ebooks_plugin.py
index 87d1f8afab..a213ffd5c4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/diesel_ebooks_plugin.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/diesel_ebooks_plugin.py
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ from contextlib import closing
 
 from lxml import html
 
-from calibre import browser
+from PyQt4.Qt import QUrl
+
+from calibre import browser, http_url_slash_cleaner
+from calibre.gui2 import open_url
 from calibre.gui2.store import StorePlugin
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config import BasicStoreConfig
 from calibre.gui2.store.search_result import SearchResult
@@ -20,14 +23,22 @@ class DieselEbooksStore(BasicStoreConfig, StorePlugin):
         
     def open(self, parent=None, detail_item=None, external=False):
         settings = self.get_settings()
-        aff_id = '2049'
+        url = 'http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/'
+
+        aff_id = '?aid=2049'
         # Use Kovid's affiliate id 30% of the time.
         if random.randint(1, 10) in (1, 2, 3):
-            aff_id = '2053'
-        d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, 'http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/?aid=%s' % aff_id, parent, detail_item)
-        d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
-        d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
-        d = d.exec_()
+            aff_id = '?aid=2053'
+
+        if external or settings.get(self.name + '_open_external', False):
+            if detail_item:
+                url = url + detail_item
+            open_url(QUrl(http_url_slash_cleaner(url + aff_id)))
+        else:
+            d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, url + aff_id, parent, detail_item)
+            d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
+            d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
+            d = d.exec_()
 
     def search(self, query, max_results=10, timeout=60):
         url = 'http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/index.php?page=seek&id[m]=&id[c]=scope%253Dinventory&id[q]=' + urllib2.quote(query)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/feedbooks_plugin.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/feedbooks_plugin.py
index e07920fc4d..ea27e0ca17 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/feedbooks_plugin.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/feedbooks_plugin.py
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ from contextlib import closing
 
 from lxml import html
 
-from calibre import browser
+from PyQt4.Qt import QUrl
+
+from calibre import browser, http_url_slash_cleaner
+from calibre.gui2 import open_url
 from calibre.gui2.store import StorePlugin
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config import BasicStoreConfig
 from calibre.gui2.store.search_result import SearchResult
@@ -19,10 +22,18 @@ class FeedbooksStore(BasicStoreConfig, StorePlugin):
     
     def open(self, parent=None, detail_item=None, external=False):
         settings = self.get_settings()
-        d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, 'http://m.feedbooks.com/', parent, detail_item)
-        d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
-        d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
-        d = d.exec_()
+        url = 'http://m.feedbooks.com/'
+        ext_url = 'http://feedbooks.com/'
+
+        if external or settings.get(self.name + '_open_external', False):
+            if detail_item:
+                ext_url = ext_url + detail_item
+            open_url(QUrl(http_url_slash_cleaner(ext_url)))
+        else:
+            d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, url, parent, detail_item)
+            d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
+            d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
+            d = d.exec_()
 
     def search(self, query, max_results=10, timeout=60):
         url = 'http://m.feedbooks.com/search?query=' + urllib2.quote(query)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/gutenberg_plugin.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/gutenberg_plugin.py
index c263d544ea..69df15c238 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/gutenberg_plugin.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/gutenberg_plugin.py
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ from contextlib import closing
 
 from lxml import html
 
-from calibre import browser
+from PyQt4.Qt import QUrl
+
+from calibre import browser, http_url_slash_cleaner
+from calibre.gui2 import open_url
 from calibre.gui2.store import StorePlugin
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config import BasicStoreConfig
 from calibre.gui2.store.search_result import SearchResult
@@ -19,10 +22,18 @@ class GutenbergStore(BasicStoreConfig, StorePlugin):
         
     def open(self, parent=None, detail_item=None, external=False):
         settings = self.get_settings()
-        d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, 'http://m.gutenberg.org/', parent, detail_item)
-        d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
-        d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
-        d = d.exec_()
+        url = 'http://m.gutenberg.org/'
+        ext_url = 'http://gutenberg.org/'
+
+        if external or settings.get(self.name + '_open_external', False):
+            if detail_item:
+                ext_url = ext_url + detail_item
+            open_url(QUrl(http_url_slash_cleaner(ext_url)))
+        else:
+            d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, url, parent, detail_item)
+            d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
+            d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
+            d = d.exec_()
 
     def search(self, query, max_results=10, timeout=60):
         # Gutenberg's website does not allow searching both author and title.
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/manybooks_plugin.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/manybooks_plugin.py
index 4ca7018d00..94c9a38863 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/manybooks_plugin.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/manybooks_plugin.py
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ from contextlib import closing
 
 from lxml import html
 
-from calibre import browser
+from PyQt4.Qt import QUrl
+
+from calibre import browser, http_url_slash_cleaner
+from calibre.gui2 import open_url
 from calibre.gui2.store import StorePlugin
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config import BasicStoreConfig
 from calibre.gui2.store.search_result import SearchResult
@@ -20,10 +23,17 @@ class ManyBooksStore(BasicStoreConfig, StorePlugin):
 
     def open(self, parent=None, detail_item=None, external=False):
         settings = self.get_settings()
-        d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, 'http://manybooks.net/', parent, detail_item)
-        d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
-        d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
-        d = d.exec_()
+        url = 'http://manybooks.net/'
+        
+        if external or settings.get(self.name + '_open_external', False):
+            if detail_item:
+                url = url + detail_item
+            open_url(QUrl(http_url_slash_cleaner(url)))
+        else:
+            d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, url, parent, detail_item)
+            d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
+            d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
+            d = d.exec_()
 
     def search(self, query, max_results=10, timeout=60):
         # ManyBooks website separates results for title and author.
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/smashwords_plugin.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/smashwords_plugin.py
index 3d27d39c04..5307cb0072 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/smashwords_plugin.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/smashwords_plugin.py
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ from contextlib import closing
 
 from lxml import html
 
-from calibre import browser
+from PyQt4.Qt import QUrl
+
+from calibre import browser, http_url_slash_cleaner
+from calibre.gui2 import open_url
 from calibre.gui2.store import StorePlugin
 from calibre.gui2.store.basic_config import BasicStoreConfig
 from calibre.gui2.store.search_result import SearchResult
@@ -21,14 +24,22 @@ class SmashwordsStore(BasicStoreConfig, StorePlugin):
 
     def open(self, parent=None, detail_item=None, external=False):
         settings = self.get_settings()
-        aff_id = 'usernone'
+        url = 'http://www.smashwords.com/'
+
+        aff_id = '?ref=usernone'
         # Use Kovid's affiliate id 30% of the time.
         if random.randint(1, 10) in (1, 2, 3):
-            aff_id = 'kovidgoyal'
-        d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, 'http://www.smashwords.com/?ref=%s' % aff_id, parent, detail_item)
-        d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
-        d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
-        d = d.exec_()
+            aff_id = '?ref=kovidgoyal'
+
+        if external or settings.get(self.name + '_open_external', False):
+            if detail_item:
+                url = url + detail_item
+            open_url(QUrl(http_url_slash_cleaner(url + aff_id)))
+        else:
+            d = WebStoreDialog(self.gui, url + aff_id, parent, detail_item)
+            d.setWindowTitle(self.name)
+            d.set_tags(settings.get(self.name + '_tags', ''))
+            d = d.exec_()
 
     def search(self, query, max_results=10, timeout=60):
         url = 'http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=' + urllib2.quote(query)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/store/web_store_dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/store/web_store_dialog.py
index 0c032e26e0..a651cf3085 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/store/web_store_dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/store/web_store_dialog.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import urllib
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QDialog, QUrl
 
+from calibre import http_url_slash_cleaner
 from calibre.gui2.store.web_store_dialog_ui import Ui_Dialog
 
 class WebStoreDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
@@ -51,5 +52,5 @@ class WebStoreDialog(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         # Reduce redundant /'s because some stores
         # (Feedbooks) and server frameworks (cherrypy)
         # choke on them. 
-        url = re.sub(r'(?<!http:)/{2,}', '/', url)
+        url = http_url_slash_cleaner(url)
         self.view.load(QUrl(url))