diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 35284578e..b9f5f067f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - Fix tab selection when closing a new tab not correct in some scenarios (:iss:`4987`)
 
+- A new action :ac:`open_url` to open the specified URL (:pull:`5004`)
 
 0.25.0 [2022-04-11]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 9979d99a3..8de17eb2b 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -1513,6 +1513,7 @@ class Boss:
         if tab:
             tab.set_active_window(window_id)
 
+    @ac('misc', 'Open the specified URL')
     def open_url(self, url: str, program: Optional[Union[str, List[str]]] = None, cwd: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         if not url:
             return
diff --git a/kitty/options/utils.py b/kitty/options/utils.py
index 87916f39c..fdb5b45ee 100644
--- a/kitty/options/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/options/utils.py
@@ -91,6 +91,20 @@ def kitten_parse(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
     return func, [args[0]] + (to_cmdline(args[1]) if len(args) > 1 else [])
 
 
+@func_with_args('open_url')
+def open_url_parse(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
+    from urllib.parse import urlparse
+    url = ''
+    try:
+        url = python_string(rest)
+        tokens = urlparse(url)
+        if not all((tokens.scheme, tokens.netloc,)):
+            raise ValueError('Invalid URL')
+    except Exception:
+        log_error('Ignoring invalid URL string: ' + rest)
+    return func, (url,)
+
+
 @func_with_args('goto_tab')
 def goto_tab_parse(func: str, rest: str) -> FuncArgsType:
     args = (max(0, int(rest)), )