diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 89c7fae14d..fab3e92f7c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2005-02-07  Sven Neumann  <sven@gimp.org>
+
+	* plug-ins/help/domain.c
+	* plug-ins/helpbrowser/dialog.c: same trick here; should allow to
+	work with help files installed in an UNC path.
+
 2005-02-07  Sven Neumann  <sven@gimp.org>
 
 	* app/dialogs/file-open-dialog.c
diff --git a/plug-ins/help/domain.c b/plug-ins/help/domain.c
index fb1c9be1b4..1e9c5b2cb4 100644
--- a/plug-ins/help/domain.c
+++ b/plug-ins/help/domain.c
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ static void          domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
                                                const gchar  *format,
                                                const gchar  *filename);
 
+static gchar         help_filename_from_uri   (const gchar  *uri);
+
 
 /*  private variables  */
 
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ domain_locale_parse (HelpDomain  *domain,
     }
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
-    domain->help_root = g_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri, NULL, NULL);
+    domain->help_root = help_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri);
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
     {
@@ -690,3 +692,38 @@ domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
       (*error)->message = msg;
     }
 }
+
+static gchar
+help_filename_from_uri (const gchar *uri)
+{
+  gchar *filename;
+  gchar *hostname;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
+
+  filename = g_filename_from_uri (uri, &hostname, NULL);
+
+  if (!filename)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (hostname)
+    {
+      /*  we have a file: URI with a hostname                           */
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+      /*  on Win32, create a valid UNC path and use it as the filename  */
+
+      gchar *tmp = g_build_filename ("//", hostname, filename, NULL);
+
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = tmp;
+#else
+      /*  otherwise return NULL, caller should use URI then             */
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = NULL;
+#endif
+
+      g_free (hostname);
+    }
+
+  return filename;
+}
diff --git a/plug-ins/help/gimphelp.c b/plug-ins/help/gimphelp.c
index fb1c9be1b4..1e9c5b2cb4 100644
--- a/plug-ins/help/gimphelp.c
+++ b/plug-ins/help/gimphelp.c
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ static void          domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
                                                const gchar  *format,
                                                const gchar  *filename);
 
+static gchar         help_filename_from_uri   (const gchar  *uri);
+
 
 /*  private variables  */
 
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ domain_locale_parse (HelpDomain  *domain,
     }
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
-    domain->help_root = g_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri, NULL, NULL);
+    domain->help_root = help_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri);
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
     {
@@ -690,3 +692,38 @@ domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
       (*error)->message = msg;
     }
 }
+
+static gchar
+help_filename_from_uri (const gchar *uri)
+{
+  gchar *filename;
+  gchar *hostname;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
+
+  filename = g_filename_from_uri (uri, &hostname, NULL);
+
+  if (!filename)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (hostname)
+    {
+      /*  we have a file: URI with a hostname                           */
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+      /*  on Win32, create a valid UNC path and use it as the filename  */
+
+      gchar *tmp = g_build_filename ("//", hostname, filename, NULL);
+
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = tmp;
+#else
+      /*  otherwise return NULL, caller should use URI then             */
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = NULL;
+#endif
+
+      g_free (hostname);
+    }
+
+  return filename;
+}
diff --git a/plug-ins/help/gimphelpdomain.c b/plug-ins/help/gimphelpdomain.c
index fb1c9be1b4..1e9c5b2cb4 100644
--- a/plug-ins/help/gimphelpdomain.c
+++ b/plug-ins/help/gimphelpdomain.c
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ static void          domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
                                                const gchar  *format,
                                                const gchar  *filename);
 
+static gchar         help_filename_from_uri   (const gchar  *uri);
+
 
 /*  private variables  */
 
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ domain_locale_parse (HelpDomain  *domain,
     }
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
-    domain->help_root = g_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri, NULL, NULL);
+    domain->help_root = help_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri);
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
     {
@@ -690,3 +692,38 @@ domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
       (*error)->message = msg;
     }
 }
+
+static gchar
+help_filename_from_uri (const gchar *uri)
+{
+  gchar *filename;
+  gchar *hostname;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
+
+  filename = g_filename_from_uri (uri, &hostname, NULL);
+
+  if (!filename)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (hostname)
+    {
+      /*  we have a file: URI with a hostname                           */
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+      /*  on Win32, create a valid UNC path and use it as the filename  */
+
+      gchar *tmp = g_build_filename ("//", hostname, filename, NULL);
+
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = tmp;
+#else
+      /*  otherwise return NULL, caller should use URI then             */
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = NULL;
+#endif
+
+      g_free (hostname);
+    }
+
+  return filename;
+}
diff --git a/plug-ins/help/gimphelplocale.c b/plug-ins/help/gimphelplocale.c
index fb1c9be1b4..1e9c5b2cb4 100644
--- a/plug-ins/help/gimphelplocale.c
+++ b/plug-ins/help/gimphelplocale.c
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ static void          domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
                                                const gchar  *format,
                                                const gchar  *filename);
 
+static gchar         help_filename_from_uri   (const gchar  *uri);
+
 
 /*  private variables  */
 
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ domain_locale_parse (HelpDomain  *domain,
     }
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
-    domain->help_root = g_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri, NULL, NULL);
+    domain->help_root = help_filename_from_uri (domain->help_uri);
 
   if (! domain->help_root)
     {
@@ -690,3 +692,38 @@ domain_error_set_message (GError      **error,
       (*error)->message = msg;
     }
 }
+
+static gchar
+help_filename_from_uri (const gchar *uri)
+{
+  gchar *filename;
+  gchar *hostname;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
+
+  filename = g_filename_from_uri (uri, &hostname, NULL);
+
+  if (!filename)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (hostname)
+    {
+      /*  we have a file: URI with a hostname                           */
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+      /*  on Win32, create a valid UNC path and use it as the filename  */
+
+      gchar *tmp = g_build_filename ("//", hostname, filename, NULL);
+
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = tmp;
+#else
+      /*  otherwise return NULL, caller should use URI then             */
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = NULL;
+#endif
+
+      g_free (hostname);
+    }
+
+  return filename;
+}
diff --git a/plug-ins/helpbrowser/dialog.c b/plug-ins/helpbrowser/dialog.c
index 7c907d4ea6..4f13b02b00 100644
--- a/plug-ins/helpbrowser/dialog.c
+++ b/plug-ins/helpbrowser/dialog.c
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ static void       history_add        (GtkComboBox      *combo,
 static gboolean   has_case_prefix    (const gchar      *haystack,
                                       const gchar      *needle);
 
+static gchar      filename_from_uri  (const gchar      *uri);
+
 
 /*  private variables  */
 
@@ -548,7 +550,7 @@ request_url (HtmlDocument *doc,
   if (! abs)
     return TRUE;
 
-  filename = g_filename_from_uri (abs, NULL, NULL);
+  filename = filename_from_uri (abs);
   g_free (abs);
 
   if (filename)
@@ -702,3 +704,38 @@ has_case_prefix (const gchar *haystack, const gchar *needle)
 
   return (*n == '\0');
 }
+
+static gchar
+filename_from_uri (const gchar *uri)
+{
+  gchar *filename;
+  gchar *hostname;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
+
+  filename = g_filename_from_uri (uri, &hostname, NULL);
+
+  if (!filename)
+    return NULL;
+
+  if (hostname)
+    {
+      /*  we have a file: URI with a hostname                           */
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+      /*  on Win32, create a valid UNC path and use it as the filename  */
+
+      gchar *tmp = g_build_filename ("//", hostname, filename, NULL);
+
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = tmp;
+#else
+      /*  otherwise return NULL, caller should use URI then             */
+      g_free (filename);
+      filename = NULL;
+#endif
+
+      g_free (hostname);
+    }
+
+  return filename;
+}