Index: /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/help/HelpBrowser.java
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/help/HelpBrowser.java	(revision 16148)
+++ /trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/help/HelpBrowser.java	(revision 16149)
@@ -34,4 +34,5 @@
 
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.actions.JosmAction;
+import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.preferences.BooleanProperty;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.HelpAwareOptionPane;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.MainApplication;
@@ -52,4 +53,6 @@
 public class HelpBrowser extends JFrame implements IHelpBrowser {
 
+    private static final BooleanProperty USE_EXTERNAL_BROWSER = new BooleanProperty("help.use-external-browser", false);
+
     /** the unique instance */
     private static HelpBrowser instance;
@@ -103,4 +106,11 @@
     public static void setUrlForHelpTopic(final String helpTopic) {
         final HelpBrowser browser = getInstance();
+        if (Boolean.TRUE.equals(USE_EXTERNAL_BROWSER.get())) {
+            SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
+                browser.loadRelativeHelpTopic(helpTopic);
+                OpenBrowser.displayUrl(browser.url);
+            });
+            return;
+        }
         SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
             browser.openHelpTopic(helpTopic);