diff -up gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-menu-items.c.tryexec gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-menu-items.c
--- gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-menu-items.c.tryexec	2008-10-09 13:31:01.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-panel-2.24.0/gnome-panel/panel-menu-items.c	2008-10-09 13:36:29.000000000 -0400
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ panel_menu_items_append_from_desktop (Gt
 	char      *icon;
 	char      *name;
 	char      *comment;
+	char      *tryexec;
+	char      *prog;
 
 	path_freeme = NULL;
 
@@ -189,6 +191,16 @@ panel_menu_items_append_from_desktop (Gt
 			g_free (path_freeme);
 		return;
 	}
+	tryexec = panel_key_file_get_string (key_file, "TryExec");
+	if (tryexec) {
+		prog = g_find_program_in_path (tryexec);
+		g_free (tryexec);
+		if (!prog) {
+			g_key_file_free (key_file);
+			return;
+		}
+		g_free (prog);
+	}
 
 	icon    = panel_key_file_get_locale_string (key_file, "Icon");
 	comment = panel_key_file_get_locale_string (key_file, "Comment");