diff --git a/src/tools/launcher/applauncherwidget.cpp b/src/tools/launcher/applauncherwidget.cpp
index 0e3a472a67..d348b1c92c 100644
--- a/src/tools/launcher/applauncherwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/launcher/applauncherwidget.cpp
@@ -96,11 +96,22 @@ void AppLauncherWidget::launch(const QModelIndex& index)
             return;
         }
     }
-    QString command = index.data(Qt::UserRole)
-                        .toString()
-                        .replace(QRegExp("(\\%.)"), '"' + m_tempFile + '"');
-
-    QString app_name = index.data(Qt::UserRole).toString().split(" ").at(0);
+    // Heuristically, if there is a % in the command we assume it is the file
+    // name slot
+    QString command = index.data(Qt::UserRole).toString();
+    QStringList prog_args = command.split(" ");
+    // no quotes because it is going in an array!
+    if (command.contains("%")) {
+        // but that means we need to substitute IN the array not the string!
+        for (auto& i : prog_args) {
+            if (i.contains("%"))
+                i.replace(QRegExp("(\\%.)"), m_tempFile);
+        }
+    } else {
+        // we really should append the file name if there
+        prog_args.append(m_tempFile); // were no replacements
+    }
+    QString app_name = prog_args.at(0);
     bool inTerminal =
       index.data(Qt::UserRole + 1).toBool() || m_terminalCheckbox->isChecked();
     if (inTerminal) {
@@ -110,7 +121,8 @@ void AppLauncherWidget::launch(const QModelIndex& index)
               this, tr("Error"), tr("Unable to launch in terminal."));
         }
     } else {
-        QProcess::startDetached(app_name, { m_tempFile });
+        prog_args.removeAt(0); // strip program name out
+        QProcess::startDetached(app_name, prog_args);
     }
     if (!m_keepOpen) {
         close();
diff --git a/src/utils/desktopfileparse.cpp b/src/utils/desktopfileparse.cpp
index 7e6fec8bd7..e095ded0f8 100644
--- a/src/utils/desktopfileparse.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/desktopfileparse.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,13 @@ DesktopAppData DesktopFileParser::parseDesktopFile(const QString& fileName,
 
 int DesktopFileParser::processDirectory(const QDir& dir)
 {
-    QStringList entries = dir.entryList(QDir::NoDotAndDotDot | QDir::Files);
+    // Note that
+    // https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html
+    // says files must end in .desktop or .directory
+    // So filtering by .desktop stops us reading things like editor backups
+    // .kdelnk is long deprecated
+    QStringList entries =
+      dir.entryList({ "*.desktop" }, QDir::NoDotAndDotDot | QDir::Files);
     bool ok;
     int length = m_appList.length();
     for (QString file : entries) {