diff --git a/src/brackets.js b/src/brackets.js
index 8097116a9..3f598dceb 100644
--- a/src/brackets.js
+++ b/src/brackets.js
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
         QuickFileOpen           = require("search/QuickFileOpen"),
         Menus                   = require("command/Menus"),
         FileUtils               = require("file/FileUtils"),
+        Strings                 = require("strings"),
+        Dialogs                 = require("widgets/Dialogs"),
         ExtensionLoader         = require("utils/ExtensionLoader");
         
     //Load modules the self-register and just need to get included in the main project
@@ -220,6 +222,15 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
 
 
         EditorManager.setEditorHolder($('#editorHolder'));
+
+        // Let the user know Brackets doesn't run in a web browser yet
+        if (brackets.inBrowser) {
+            Dialogs.showModalDialog(
+                Dialogs.DIALOG_ID_ERROR,
+                Strings.ERROR_BRACKETS_IN_BROWSER_TITLE,
+                Strings.ERROR_BRACKETS_IN_BROWSER
+            );
+        }
     
         initListeners();
         initProject();
diff --git a/src/strings.js b/src/strings.js
index 1cc37ba8a..a22c1656e 100644
--- a/src/strings.js
+++ b/src/strings.js
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
     exports.ERROR_CREATING_FILE_TITLE         = "Error creating file";
     exports.ERROR_CREATING_FILE               = "An error occurred when trying to create the file <span class='dialog-filename'>{0}</span>. {1}";
 
+    // Application error strings
+    exports.ERROR_BRACKETS_IN_BROWSER_TITLE   = "Oops! Brackets doesn't run in browsers yet.";
+    exports.ERROR_BRACKETS_IN_BROWSER         = "Brackets is built in HTML, but right now it runs as a desktop app so you can use it to edit local files. Please use the application shell in the <b>github.com/adobe/brackets-app</b> repo to run Brackets.";
+
     // FileIndexManager error string
     exports.ERROR_MAX_FILES_TITLE             = "Error Indexing Files";
     exports.ERROR_MAX_FILES                   = "The maximum number of files have been indexed. Actions that look up files in the index may function incorrectly.";