diff --git a/pd/nw/index.js b/pd/nw/index.js
index e0b0039d03a5a8de8b00d99b19dd692f32943cf4..d734d47f31a18acd92597c87261446097f2d60af 100644
--- a/pd/nw/index.js
+++ b/pd/nw/index.js
@@ -705,7 +705,9 @@ function nw_create_pd_window_menus(gui, w) {
         }
     });
     minit(m.help.irc, {
-        click: function() { alert("Please link to the irc page") }
+        click: function() {
+            pdgui.external_doc_open("http://puredata.info/community/IRC");
+        }
     });
     minit(m.help.devtools, {
         click: function () {
diff --git a/pd/nw/pd_canvas.js b/pd/nw/pd_canvas.js
index d0a4e8c6e2ebdd78a27523b6504fd517a4011918..4df582c9c1a2ff07ddf0c2e65c1b8fd6b3582a07 100644
--- a/pd/nw/pd_canvas.js
+++ b/pd/nw/pd_canvas.js
@@ -1453,7 +1453,9 @@ function nw_create_patch_window_menus(gui, w, name) {
         }
     });
     minit(m.help.irc, {
-        click: menu_generic
+        click: function() {
+            pdgui.external_doc_open("http://puredata.info/community/IRC");
+        }
     });
     minit(m.help.devtools, {
         click: function () {