diff --git a/runtime/doc/news.txt b/runtime/doc/news.txt
index 52f88bb621..f4f6ff8fdc 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/news.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/news.txt
@@ -363,6 +363,8 @@ PLUGINS
   unrelated Python virtual environments are activated.
   |provider-python|
 
+• |:checkhealth| now checks for an available |vim.ui.open()| handler.
+
 STARTUP
 
 • todo
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/health/health.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/health/health.lua
index 9fab85582f..855ba075a6 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/health/health.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/health/health.lua
@@ -418,6 +418,14 @@ local function check_external_tools()
     health.warn('ripgrep not available')
   end
 
+  local open_cmd, err = vim.ui._get_open_cmd()
+  if open_cmd then
+    health.ok(('vim.ui.open: handler found (%s)'):format(open_cmd[1]))
+  else
+    --- @cast err string
+    health.warn(err)
+  end
+
   -- `vim.pack` prefers git 2.36 but tries to work with 2.x.
   if vim.fn.executable('git') == 1 then
     local git = vim.fn.exepath('git')
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/ui.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/ui.lua
index abcf7f8ba0..5a2cb662ef 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/ui.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/ui.lua
@@ -166,27 +166,44 @@ function M.open(path, opt)
 
   if opt.cmd then
     cmd = vim.list_extend(opt.cmd --[[@as string[] ]], { path })
-  elseif vim.fn.has('mac') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'open', path }
-  elseif vim.fn.has('win32') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'cmd.exe', '/c', 'start', '', path }
-  elseif vim.fn.executable('xdg-open') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'xdg-open', path }
-    job_opt.stdout = false
-    job_opt.stderr = false
-  elseif vim.fn.executable('wslview') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'wslview', path }
-  elseif vim.fn.executable('explorer.exe') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'explorer.exe', path }
-  elseif vim.fn.executable('lemonade') == 1 then
-    cmd = { 'lemonade', 'open', path }
   else
-    return nil, 'vim.ui.open: no handler found (tried: wslview, explorer.exe, xdg-open, lemonade)'
+    local open_cmd, err = M._get_open_cmd()
+    if err then
+      return nil, err
+    end
+    ---@cast open_cmd string[]
+    if open_cmd[1] == 'xdg-open' then
+      job_opt.stdout = false
+      job_opt.stderr = false
+    end
+    cmd = vim.list_extend(open_cmd, { path })
   end
 
   return vim.system(cmd, job_opt), nil
 end
 
+--- Get an available command used to open the path or URL.
+---
+--- @return string[]|nil # Command, or nil if not found.
+--- @return nil|string # Error message on failure, or nil on success.
+function M._get_open_cmd()
+  if vim.fn.has('mac') == 1 then
+    return { 'open' }, nil
+  elseif vim.fn.has('win32') == 1 then
+    return { 'cmd.exe', '/c', 'start', '' }, nil
+  elseif vim.fn.executable('xdg-open') == 1 then
+    return { 'xdg-open' }, nil
+  elseif vim.fn.executable('wslview') == 1 then
+    return { 'wslview' }, nil
+  elseif vim.fn.executable('explorer.exe') == 1 then
+    return { 'explorer.exe' }, nil
+  elseif vim.fn.executable('lemonade') == 1 then
+    return { 'lemonade', 'open' }, nil
+  else
+    return nil, 'vim.ui.open: no handler found (tried: wslview, explorer.exe, xdg-open, lemonade)'
+  end
+end
+
 --- Returns all URLs at cursor, if any.
 --- @return string[]
 function M._get_urls()