diff --git a/desktop/src/mindustry/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java b/desktop/src/mindustry/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
index df11bfa846..49b4012ea1 100644
--- a/desktop/src/mindustry/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
+++ b/desktop/src/mindustry/desktop/DesktopLauncher.java
@@ -342,6 +342,11 @@ public class DesktopLauncher extends ClientLauncher{
         //this should never happen unless someone is being dumb with the parameters
         String[] ext = shownExtensions == null || shownExtensions.length == 0 ? new String[]{""} : shownExtensions;
 
+        if(OS.isLinux){
+            showZenity(open, formatted, shownExtensions, cons, () -> Platform.defaultFileDialog(open, title, ext[0], cons));
+            return;
+        }
+
         //native file dialog
         Threads.daemon(() -> {
             try{
@@ -398,6 +403,61 @@ public class DesktopLauncher extends ClientLauncher{
         });
     }
 
+
+    /** attempt to use the native file picker with zenity, or runs the fallback Runnable if the operation fails */
+    static void showZenity(boolean open, String title, String[] extensions, Cons<Fi> cons, Runnable fallback){
+        Threads.daemon(() -> {
+            try{
+                String formatted = (title.startsWith("@") ? Core.bundle.get(title.substring(1)) : title).replaceAll("\"", "'");
+
+                String last = FileChooser.getLastDirectory().absolutePath();
+                if(!last.endsWith("/")) last += "/";
+
+                //zenity doesn't support filtering by extension
+                Seq<String> args = Seq.with("zenity",
+                "--file-selection",
+                "--title=" + formatted,
+                "--filename=" + last,
+                "--confirm-overwrite",
+                "--file-filter=" + Seq.with(extensions).toString(" ", s -> "*." + s),
+                "--file-filter=All files | *" //allow anything if the user wants
+                );
+
+                if(!open){
+                    args.add("--save");
+                }
+
+                String result = OS.exec(args.toArray(String.class));
+                //first line.
+                if(result.length() > 1 && result.contains("\n")){
+                    result = result.split("\n")[0];
+                }
+
+                //cancelled selection, ignore result
+                if(result.isEmpty() || result.equals("\n")) return;
+
+                if(result.endsWith("\n")) result = result.substring(0, result.length() - 1);
+                if(result.contains("\n")) throw new IOException("invalid input: \"" + result + "\"");
+
+                Fi file = Core.files.absolute(result);
+                Core.app.post(() -> {
+                    FileChooser.setLastDirectory(file.isDirectory() ? file : file.parent());
+
+                    if(!open){
+                        cons.get(file.parent().child(file.nameWithoutExtension() + "." + extensions[0]));
+                    }else{
+                        cons.get(file);
+                    }
+                });
+            }catch(Exception e){
+                Log.err(e);
+                Log.warn("zenity not found, using non-native file dialog. Consider installing `zenity` for native file dialogs.");
+                Core.app.post(fallback);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+
     @Override
     public Seq<Fi> getWorkshopContent(Class<? extends Publishable> type){
         return !steam ? super.getWorkshopContent(type) : SVars.workshop.getWorkshopFiles(type);