diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/linux_file_dialogs.py b/src/calibre/gui2/linux_file_dialogs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0615a697e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/linux_file_dialogs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2017, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
+
+import functools
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from threading import Thread
+
+from PyQt5.Qt import QEventLoop
+
+from calibre.constants import filesystem_encoding, preferred_encoding
+from calibre.utils.config import dynamic
+
+
+def dialog_name(name, title):
+    return name or 'dialog_' + title
+
+
+def get_winid(widget=None):
+    if widget is not None:
+        return widget.effectiveWinId()
+
+
+def detect_desktop_environment():
+    de = os.environ.get('XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP')
+    if de:
+        return de.decode('utf-8', 'replace').upper()
+    if os.environ.get('KDE_FULL_SESSION') == 'true':
+        return 'KDE'
+    if os.environ.get('GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID'):
+        return 'GNOME'
+    ds = os.environ.get('DESKTOP_SESSION')
+    if ds and ds.upper() in {b'GNOME', b'XFCE'}:
+        return ds.decode('utf-8').upper()
+
+
+def is_executable_present(name):
+    PATH = os.environ.get('PATH') or b''
+    for path in PATH.split(os.pathsep):
+        if os.access(os.path.join(path, name), os.X_OK):
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
+def process_path(x):
+    if isinstance(x, bytes):
+        x = x.decode(filesystem_encoding)
+    return os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(x))
+
+
+def ensure_dir(path, default='~'):
+    while path and path != '/' and not os.path.isdir(path):
+        path = os.path.dirname(path)
+    if path == '/':
+        path = os.path.expanduser(default)
+    return path or os.path.expanduser(default)
+
+
+def get_initial_dir(name, title, default_dir, no_save_dir):
+    if no_save_dir:
+        return ensure_dir(process_path(default_dir))
+    key = dialog_name(name, title)
+    saved = dynamic.get(key)
+    if not isinstance(saved, basestring):
+        saved = None
+    if saved and os.path.isdir(saved):
+        return ensure_dir(process_path(saved))
+    return ensure_dir(process_path(default_dir))
+
+
+def save_initial_dir(name, title, ans, no_save_dir, is_file=False):
+    if ans and not no_save_dir:
+        if is_file:
+            ans = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(ans))
+        key = dialog_name(name, title)
+        dynamic.set(key, ans)
+
+
+def encode_arg(title):
+    if isinstance(title, unicode):
+        try:
+            title = title.encode(preferred_encoding)
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            title = title.encode('utf-8')
+    return title
+
+
+def kde_cmd(window, title, *rest):
+    ans = ['kdialog', '--desktopfile', 'calibre-gui', '--title', encode_arg(title)]
+    winid = get_winid(window)
+    if winid is not None:
+        ans += ['--attach', str(int(winid))]
+    return ans + list(rest)
+
+
+def run_kde(cmd):
+    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    raw = p.communicate()[0]
+    ret = p.wait()
+    if ret == 1:
+        return  # canceled
+    if ret != 0:
+        raise ValueError('KDE file dialog aborted with return code: {}'.format(ret))
+    try:
+        ans = raw.decode(filesystem_encoding)
+    except UnicodeDecodeError:
+        ans = raw.decode('utf-8')
+    ans = ans.splitlines()
+    return ans
+
+
+def kdialog_choose_dir(window, name, title, default_dir='~', no_save_dir=False):
+    initial_dir = get_initial_dir(name, title, default_dir, no_save_dir)
+    ans = run_kde(kde_cmd(window, title, '--getexistingdirectory', initial_dir))
+    ans = None if ans is None else ans[0]
+    save_initial_dir(name, title, ans, no_save_dir)
+    return ans
+
+
+def kdialog_filters(filters, all_files=True):
+    # Currently kdialog has no way to specify multiple filters
+    if all_files or not filters:
+        return '*'
+    if len(filters) == 1:
+        text, exts = filters[0]
+        return '{} ({})'.format(text, ' '.join('*.' + x for x in exts))
+    ans = set()
+    for text, exts in filters:
+        ans |= set(exts)
+    return ' '.join('*.' + x for x in ans)
+
+
+def kdialog_choose_files(
+    window,
+    name,
+    title,
+    filters=[],
+    all_files=True,
+    select_only_single_file=False,
+    default_dir=u'~'):
+    initial_dir = get_initial_dir(name, title, default_dir, False)
+    args = ['--getopenfilename']
+    if not select_only_single_file:
+        args += '--multiple --separate-output'.split()
+    args.append(initial_dir)
+    args.append(kdialog_filters(filters, all_files))
+    ans = run_kde(kde_cmd(window, title, *args))
+    save_initial_dir(name, title, ans[0] if ans else None, False, is_file=True)
+    return ans
+
+
+def image_extensions():
+    from calibre.gui2.dnd import image_extensions
+    return image_extensions()
+
+
+def kdialog_choose_save_file(window, name, title, filters=[], all_files=True, initial_path=None, initial_filename=None):
+    if initial_path is not None:
+        initial_dir = initial_path
+    else:
+        initial_dir = get_initial_dir(name, title, '~', False)
+        if initial_filename:
+            initial_dir = os.path.join(initial_dir, initial_filename)
+    args = ['--getsavefilename', initial_dir, kdialog_filters(filters, all_files)]
+    ans = run_kde(kde_cmd(window, title, *args))
+    ans = None if ans is None else ans[0]
+    if initial_path is None:
+        save_initial_dir(name, title, ans, False, is_file=True)
+    return ans
+
+
+def kdialog_choose_images(window, name, title, select_only_single_file=True, formats=None):
+    return kdialog_choose_files(
+        window, name, title, select_only_single_file=select_only_single_file, all_files=False,
+        filters=[(_('Images'), list(formats or image_extensions()))])
+
+
+def show_dialog(func):
+
+    @functools.wraps(func)
+    def looped(window, *args, **kwargs):
+        if window is None:
+            return func(window, *args, **kwargs)
+        ret = [None, None]
+        loop = QEventLoop(window)
+
+        def r():
+            try:
+                ret[0] = func(window, *args, **kwargs)
+            except:
+                ret[1] = sys.exc_info()
+            finally:
+                loop.quit()
+        t = Thread(name='FileDialogHelper', target=r)
+        t.daemon = True
+        t.start()
+        loop.exec_(QEventLoop.ExcludeUserInputEvents)
+        if ret[1] is not None:
+            raise ret[1][0], ret[1][1], ret[1][2]
+        return ret[0]
+    return looped
+
+
+def check_for_linux_native_dialogs():
+    ans = getattr(check_for_linux_native_dialogs, 'ans', None)
+    if ans is None:
+        de = detect_desktop_environment()
+        order = ('kdialog', 'zenity')
+        if de in {'GNOME', 'UNITY', 'MATE', 'XFCE'}:
+            order = ('zenity', 'kdialog')
+        for exe in order:
+            if is_executable_present(exe):
+                ans = exe
+                break
+        else:
+            ans = False
+        check_for_linux_native_dialogs.ans = ans
+    return ans
+
+
+def linux_native_dialog(name):
+    prefix = check_for_linux_native_dialogs()
+    return show_dialog(globals()['{}_choose_{}'.format(prefix, name)])
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # print(repr(kdialog_choose_dir(None, 'testkddcd', 'Testing choose dir...')))
+    # print(repr(kdialog_choose_files(None, 'testkddcf', 'Testing choose files...', select_only_single_file=True, filters=[
+    #     ('moo', 'epub png'.split()), ('boo', 'docx'.split())], all_files=False)))
+    # print(repr(kdialog_choose_images(None, 'testkddci', 'Testing choose images...')))
+    print(repr(kdialog_choose_save_file(None, 'testkddcs', 'Testing choose save file...', initial_filename='moo.x')))