diff --git a/src/actions/actions-element-image.cpp b/src/actions/actions-element-image.cpp
index bafc060f18eec2436f90092e6c0cd184318bf645..519be07c1bf9152348cd0096c67b1c6abbfc5a0f 100644
--- a/src/actions/actions-element-image.cpp
+++ b/src/actions/actions-element-image.cpp
@@ -10,21 +10,20 @@
 
 #include "actions-element-image.h"
 
-#include <iostream>
-
-#include <giomm.h>  // Not <gtkmm.h>! To eventually allow a headless version!
-#include <gtkmm.h>  // OK, we lied. We pop-up an message dialog if external editor not found and if we have a GUI.
+#include <giomm.h> // Not <gtkmm.h>! To eventually allow a headless version!
 #include <glibmm/i18n.h>
+#include <gtkmm.h> // OK, we lied. We pop-up an message dialog if external editor not found and if we have a GUI.
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include "inkscape-application.h"
 #include "inkscape-window.h"
 #include "message-stack.h"
-#include "preferences.h"
-
-#include "selection.h"            // Selection
-#include "object/sp-image.h"
 #include "object/sp-clippath.h"
+#include "object/sp-image.h"
 #include "object/sp-rect.h"
+#include "object/uri.h"
+#include "preferences.h"
+#include "selection.h"
 #include "ui/tools/select-tool.h"
 #include "util/format_size.h"
 
@@ -55,7 +54,6 @@ void image_edit(InkscapeApplication *app)
     for (auto item : selection->items()) {
         auto image = dynamic_cast<SPImage *>(item);
         if (image) {
-
             Inkscape::XML::Node *node = item->getRepr();
             const gchar *href = node->attribute("xlink:href");
             if (!href) {
@@ -63,24 +61,25 @@ void image_edit(InkscapeApplication *app)
                 continue;
             }
 
-            if (strncmp (href, "data", 4) == 0) {
+            const gchar *base_path =
+                document->getDocumentBase() ? document->getDocumentBase() : Glib::get_current_dir().c_str();
+
+            Inkscape::URI uri = Inkscape::URI(href, Inkscape::URI::from_dirname(base_path));
+
+            if (uri.hasScheme("data")) {
+                // data URL scheme, see https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2397.txt
                 std::cerr << "image_edit: cannot edit embedded image" << std::endl;
                 continue;
             }
 
-            // Find filename.
-            std::string filename = href;
-            if (strncmp (href, "file", 4) == 0) {
-                filename = Glib::filename_from_uri(href);
+            if (uri.getScheme() != nullptr && !uri.hasScheme("file")) {
+                // any other scheme than 'file'
+                std::cerr << "image_edit: cannot edit image (scheme '" << uri.getScheme() << "' not supported)"
+                          << std::endl;
+                continue;
             }
 
-            if (Glib::path_is_absolute(filename)) {
-                // Do nothing
-            } else if (document->getDocumentBase()) {
-                filename = Glib::build_filename(document->getDocumentBase(), filename);
-            } else {
-                filename = Glib::build_filename(Glib::get_current_dir(), filename);
-            }
+            std::string filename = uri.toNativeFilename();
 
             // Bitmap or SVG?
             bool is_svg = false;
@@ -89,40 +88,29 @@ void image_edit(InkscapeApplication *app)
                 is_svg = true;
             }
 
-            // Get editor.
-            auto editor = image_get_editor_name(is_svg);
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-            // Parsing is done according to Unix shell rules, need to enclose editor path by single
-            // quotes (everything before file extension).
-            int            index = editor.find(".exe");
-            if (index < 0) index = editor.find(".bat");
-            if (index < 0) index = editor.find(".com");
-            if (index < 0) index = editor.length();
-
-            editor.insert(index, "'");
-            editor.insert(0, "'");
-#endif
-            Glib::ustring command = editor + " '" + filename + "'";
-
-            GError* error = nullptr;
-            g_spawn_command_line_async(command.c_str(), &error);
-            if (error) {
-                Glib::ustring message = _("Failed to edit external image.\n<small>Note: Path to editor can be set in Preferences dialog.</small>");
-                Glib::ustring message2 = Glib::ustring::compose(_("System error message: %1"), error->message);
+            std::string command =
+                Glib::shell_quote(image_get_editor_name(is_svg)) + " " + Glib::shell_quote(filename.c_str());
+
+            Glib::ustring message = _("Failed to edit external image.\n<small>Note: Path to editor can be set in "
+                                      "Preferences dialog.</small>");
+            try {
+                Glib::spawn_command_line_async(command);
+            } catch (Glib::SpawnError &error) {
                 auto window = app->get_active_window();
                 if (window) {
                     Gtk::MessageDialog dialog(*window, message, true, Gtk::MESSAGE_WARNING, Gtk::BUTTONS_OK);
                     dialog.property_destroy_with_parent() = true;
                     dialog.set_name("SetEditorDialog");
                     dialog.set_title(_("External Edit Image:"));
-                    dialog.set_secondary_text(message2);
+                    dialog.set_secondary_text(
+                        Glib::ustring::compose(_("System error message: %1"), error.what().raw()));
                     dialog.run();
                 } else {
                     std::cerr << "image_edit: " << message.raw() << std::endl;
                 }
-                g_error_free(error);
-                error = nullptr;
+            } catch (Glib::ShellError &error) {
+                Glib::ustring message2 = Glib::ustring::compose(_("System error message: %1"), error.what().raw());
+                std::cerr << "image_edit: " << message.raw() << "\n" << message2.raw() << std::endl;
             }
         }
     }