diff --git a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.cpp b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.cpp
index 22c8eb05f6..5b60e09a66 100644
--- a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ void LauncherApp::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
 			break;
     	BString url;
 		message->FindString("url", &url);
-    	newTab(window, url);
+    	bool select = false;
+		message->FindBool("select", &select);
+    	newTab(window, url, select);
         break;
     }
     case WINDOW_OPENED:
@@ -279,15 +281,12 @@ void LauncherApp::newWindow(const BString& url)
 	    window->currentWebView()->loadRequest(url.String());
 }
 
-void LauncherApp::newTab(LauncherWindow* window, const BString& url)
+void LauncherApp::newTab(LauncherWindow* window, const BString& url, bool select)
 {
     if (!window->Lock())
         return;
-    window->newTab();
+    window->newTab(url, select);
     window->Unlock();
-
-	if (url.Length())
-	    window->currentWebView()->loadRequest(url.String());
 }
 
 // #pragma mark -
diff --git a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.h b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.h
index 69b60bcc78..15dabba6a2 100644
--- a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.h
+++ b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherApp.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 private:
 	bool openSettingsFile(BFile& file, uint32 mode);
 	void newWindow(const BString& url);
-	void newTab(LauncherWindow* window, const BString& url);
+	void newTab(LauncherWindow* window, const BString& url, bool select);
 
     int m_windowCount;
     BRect m_lastWindowFrame;
diff --git a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.cpp b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.cpp
index d434b7934a..d1ef7f15eb 100644
--- a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.cpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ LauncherWindow::LauncherWindow(BRect frame, const BMessenger& downloadListener,
         );
     }
 
-    newTab();
+    newTab("", true);
     currentWebView()->webPage()->SetDownloadListener(downloadListener);
 
     m_findGroup->SetVisible(false);
@@ -406,17 +406,23 @@ void LauncherWindow::MenusBeginning()
     history->Unlock();
 }
 
-void LauncherWindow::newTab()
+void LauncherWindow::newTab(const BString& url, bool select)
 {
 	// Executed in app thread (new BWebPage needs to be created in app thread).
     WebView* webView = new WebView("web_view");
     m_tabView->AddTab(webView);
     m_tabView->TabAt(m_tabView->CountTabs() - 1)->SetLabel("New tab");
-    m_tabView->Select(m_tabView->CountTabs() - 1);
-	setCurrentWebView(webView);
-    navigationCapabilitiesChanged(false, false, false, webView);
-    if (m_url)
-        m_url->MakeFocus(true);
+
+	if (url.Length())
+	    webView->loadRequest(url.String());
+
+    if (select) {
+	    m_tabView->Select(m_tabView->CountTabs() - 1);
+		setCurrentWebView(webView);
+        navigationCapabilitiesChanged(false, false, false, webView);
+        if (m_url)
+            m_url->MakeFocus(true);
+    }
 }
 
 // #pragma mark - Notification API
@@ -434,9 +440,12 @@ void LauncherWindow::newWindowRequested(const BString& url)
     // Always open new windows in the application thread, since
     // creating a WebView will try to grab the application lock.
     // But our own WebPage may already try to lock us from within
-    // the application thread -> dead-lock.
-    BMessage message(NEW_WINDOW);
+    // the application thread -> dead-lock. Thus we can't wait for
+    // a reply here.
+    BMessage message(NEW_TAB);
+    message.AddPointer("window", this);
     message.AddString("url", url);
+    message.AddBool("select", false);
     be_app->PostMessage(&message);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.h b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.h
index b113541683..e660d8d1df 100644
--- a/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.h
+++ b/src/apps/webpositive/LauncherWindow.h
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public:
     virtual bool QuitRequested();
     virtual void MenusBeginning();
 
-    void newTab();
+    void newTab(const BString& url, bool select);
 
 private:
     // WebPage notification API implementations