diff --git a/src/bin/e.h b/src/bin/e.h
index ac1dfbc39..58b7d48f9 100644
--- a/src/bin/e.h
+++ b/src/bin/e.h
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ extern EAPI E_Path *path_icons;
 extern EAPI E_Path *path_init;
 extern EAPI E_Path *path_modules;
 extern EAPI E_Path *path_backgrounds;
+extern EAPI E_Path *path_bin;
 extern EAPI int     restart;
 extern EAPI int     good;
 extern EAPI int     evil;
diff --git a/src/bin/e_main.c b/src/bin/e_main.c
index faca26b15..755ff866e 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_main.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_main.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ E_Path *path_init    = NULL;
 E_Path *path_icons   = NULL;
 E_Path *path_modules = NULL;
 E_Path *path_backgrounds = NULL;
+E_Path *path_bin     = NULL;
 int     restart      = 0;
 int     good         = 0;
 int     evil         = 0;
@@ -786,6 +787,14 @@ _e_main_path_init(void)
    e_path_default_path_append(path_backgrounds, "~/.e/e/backgrounds");
    e_path_user_path_set(path_backgrounds, &(e_config->path_append_backgrounds));
 
+   /* setup PATH path */
+   path_bin = e_path_from_env("PATH");
+   if (!path_bin)
+     {
+	e_error_message_show("Cannot allocate path for path_bin\n");
+	return 0;
+     }
+
    return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bin/e_path.c b/src/bin/e_path.c
index b67eea3fe..e3a16d280 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_path.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_path.c
@@ -18,6 +18,40 @@ e_path_new(void)
    return ep;
 }
 
+E_Path *
+e_path_from_env(char *env)
+{
+   E_Path *ep;
+   char *env_path, *p, *last;
+
+   ep = e_path_new();
+   env_path = getenv(env);
+
+   if (!env_path)
+     return ep;
+   printf("need to add all parts of %s\n", env_path);
+
+   env_path = strdup(env_path);
+   last = env_path;
+   for (p = env_path; *p; p++)
+     {
+	if (*p == ':')
+	  *p = '\0';
+
+	if (!*p)
+	  {
+	     e_path_default_path_append(ep, last);
+	     last = p+1;
+	  }
+
+     }
+   if (p > last)
+     e_path_default_path_append(ep, last);
+
+   free(env_path);
+   return ep;
+}
+
 void
 e_path_default_path_append(E_Path *ep, const char *path)
 {
@@ -352,12 +386,16 @@ e_path_dir_list_get(E_Path *ep)
 	new_epd->dir = strdup(epd->dir);
 	dir_list = evas_list_append(dir_list, new_epd);
      }
-   for (l = *(ep->user_dir_list); l; l = l->next)
+
+   if (ep->user_dir_list)
      {
-	epd = l->data;
-	new_epd = malloc(sizeof(E_Path_Dir));
-	new_epd->dir = strdup(epd->dir);
-	dir_list = evas_list_append(dir_list, new_epd);
+	for (l = *(ep->user_dir_list); l; l = l->next)
+	  {
+	     epd = l->data;
+	     new_epd = malloc(sizeof(E_Path_Dir));
+	     new_epd->dir = strdup(epd->dir);
+	     dir_list = evas_list_append(dir_list, new_epd);
+	  }
      }
 
    return dir_list;
diff --git a/src/bin/e_path.h b/src/bin/e_path.h
index a2a1a6f77..d3ac9c535 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_path.h
+++ b/src/bin/e_path.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ struct _E_Path
 
 /* init and setup */
 EAPI E_Path     *e_path_new(void);
+EAPI E_Path     *e_path_from_env(char *env);
 EAPI void        e_path_user_path_set(E_Path *ep, Evas_List **user_dir_list);
 EAPI void        e_path_inherit_path_set(E_Path *ep, E_Path *path_inherit);
 /* append a hardcoded path */
diff --git a/src/bin/e_utils.c b/src/bin/e_utils.c
index cf60076e0..fe30de475 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_utils.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_utils.c
@@ -123,19 +123,29 @@ e_util_utils_installed(void)
 int
 e_util_app_installed(char *app)
 {
-   char *cmd, *tmp;
-   int   ret, len;
+   char buf[PATH_MAX];
+   Evas_List *list, *l;
+   E_Path_Dir *dir;
+   int found;
 
    if (!app)
      return 0;
 
-   cmd = "which %s > /dev/null 2>&1";
-   len = strlen(cmd) + strlen(app) - 1; // -1 is -2 for "%s" and +1 for "\0"
-   tmp = malloc(len);
-   snprintf(tmp, len, cmd, app);
+   found = 0;
+   list = e_path_dir_list_get(path_bin);
+   for (l = list; l; l = l->next)
+     {
+	dir = l->data;
+	snprintf(buf, strlen(dir->dir) + strlen(app) + 2, "%s/%s", dir->dir,
+		 app); // 2 = "/" + "\0"
+	if (ecore_file_exists(buf) && ecore_file_can_exec(buf))
+	  {
+	     found = 1;
+	     break;
+	  }
+     }
    
-   ret = system(tmp);
-   free(tmp);
-   return (ret == 0);
+   e_path_dir_list_free(list);
+   return found;
 }