diff --git a/src/excmds.ts b/src/excmds.ts
index c7a1ab54..7ac93837 100644
--- a/src/excmds.ts
+++ b/src/excmds.ts
@@ -1326,14 +1326,8 @@ export async function open(...urlarr: string[]) {
         // Open URLs that firefox won't let us by running `firefox <URL>` on the command line
         return nativeopen(url)
     } else if (/^javascript:/.exec(url)) {
-        const bookmarklet = url.replace(/^javascript:/, "")
-        document.body.append(
-            html`
-                <script>
-                    ${bookmarklet}
-                </script>
-            `,
-        )
+        const escapeUrl = url.replace(/[\\"]/g, "\\$&")
+        window.eval(`window.location.href = "${escapeUrl}"`)
     } else {
         const tab = await ownTab()
         return openInTab(tab, {}, urlarr)