diff --git a/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.h b/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.h
--- a/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.h
+++ b/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.h
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@
     Custom = 1048576
 };
 
+enum ArchiveError {
+    NoError = 0,
+    NoPlugin,
+    FailedPlugin
+};
+
 typedef QHash<int, QVariant> ArchiveEntry;
 
 /**
@@ -141,6 +147,8 @@
     static Archive *create(const QString &fileName, const QString &fixedMimeType, QObject *parent = 0);
     ~Archive();
 
+    ArchiveError error() const;
+    bool isValid() const;
     QString fileName() const;
     bool isReadOnly() const;
 
@@ -179,6 +187,7 @@
 
 private:
     Archive(ReadOnlyArchiveInterface *archiveInterface, bool isReadOnly, QObject *parent = 0);
+    Archive(ArchiveError errorCode, QObject *parent = 0);
 
     void listIfNotListed();
     ReadOnlyArchiveInterface *m_iface;
@@ -188,6 +197,7 @@
     bool m_isSingleFolderArchive;
     QString m_subfolderName;
     qlonglong m_extractedFilesSize;
+    ArchiveError m_error;
 };
 
 KERFUFFLE_EXPORT QStringList supportedMimeTypes();
diff --git a/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.cpp b/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.cpp
--- a/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.cpp
+++ b/kerfuffle/archive_kerfuffle.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
     const KService::List offers = findPluginOffers(fileName, fixedMimeType);
     if (offers.isEmpty()) {
         qCCritical(ARK) << "Could not find a plugin to handle" << fileName;
-        return Q_NULLPTR;
+        return new Archive(NoPlugin, parent);
     }
 
     KPluginFactory *factory;
@@ -176,16 +176,24 @@
     }
 
     qCCritical(ARK) << "Failed to find a usable plugin for" << fileName;
-    return Q_NULLPTR;
+    return new Archive(FailedPlugin, parent);
+}
+
+Archive::Archive(ArchiveError errorCode, QObject *parent)
+        : QObject(parent)
+        , m_error(errorCode)
+{
+    qCDebug(ARK) << "Created archive instance with error";
 }
 
 Archive::Archive(ReadOnlyArchiveInterface *archiveInterface, bool isReadOnly, QObject *parent)
-        : QObject(parent),
-        m_iface(archiveInterface),
-        m_hasBeenListed(false),
-        m_isReadOnly(isReadOnly),
-        m_isPasswordProtected(false),
-        m_isSingleFolderArchive(false)
+        : QObject(parent)
+        , m_iface(archiveInterface)
+        , m_hasBeenListed(false)
+        , m_isReadOnly(isReadOnly)
+        , m_isPasswordProtected(false)
+        , m_isSingleFolderArchive(false)
+        , m_error(NoError)
 {
     qCDebug(ARK) << "Created archive instance";
 
@@ -200,6 +208,16 @@
 {
 }
 
+bool Archive::isValid() const
+{
+    return (m_error == NoError);
+}
+
+ArchiveError Archive::error() const
+{
+    return m_error;
+}
+
 bool Archive::isReadOnly() const
 {
     return (m_iface->isReadOnly() || m_isReadOnly);
diff --git a/part/part.cpp b/part/part.cpp
--- a/part/part.cpp
+++ b/part/part.cpp
@@ -448,54 +448,27 @@
 
     QScopedPointer<Kerfuffle::Archive> archive(Kerfuffle::Archive::create(localFile, m_model));
 
-    if ((!archive) || ((creatingNewArchive) && (archive->isReadOnly()))) {
-        QStringList mimeTypeList;
-        QHash<QString, QString> mimeTypes;
-
-        if (creatingNewArchive) {
-            mimeTypeList = Kerfuffle::supportedWriteMimeTypes();
-        } else {
-            mimeTypeList = Kerfuffle::supportedMimeTypes();
-        }
-
-        QMimeDatabase db;
-        foreach(const QString& mime, mimeTypeList) {
-            const QMimeType mimeType = db.mimeTypeForName(mime);
-            if (mimeType.isValid()) {
-                // Key = "application/zip", Value = "Zip Archive"
-                mimeTypes[mime] = mimeType.comment();
-            }
-        }
-
-        QStringList mimeComments(mimeTypes.values());
-        mimeComments.sort();
-
-        bool ok;
-        QString item;
-
-        if (creatingNewArchive) {
-            item = QInputDialog::getItem(widget(), i18nc("@title:window", "Invalid Archive Type"),
-                                         i18nc("@info", "Ark cannot create archives of the type you have chosen.<br />Please choose another archive type below."),
-                                         mimeComments, 0, false, &ok);
-        } else {
-            item = QInputDialog::getItem(widget(), i18nc("@title:window", "Unable to Determine Archive Type"),
-                                         i18nc("@info", "Ark was unable to determine the archive type of the filename.<br />Please choose the correct archive type below."),
-                                         mimeComments, 0, false, &ok);
-        }
-
-        if ((!ok) || (item.isEmpty())) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        // Delete archive and point to a new one
-        archive.reset(Kerfuffle::Archive::create(localFile, mimeTypes.key(item), m_model));
-    }
-
-    if (!archive) {
-        KMessageBox::sorry(widget(), xi18nc("@info", "Ark was not able to open the archive <filename>%1</filename>. No plugin capable of handling the file was found.", localFile), i18nc("@title:window", "Error Opening Archive"));
+    Q_ASSERT(archive);
+
+    if (archive->error() == NoPlugin) {
+        KMessageBox::sorry(widget(),
+                           xi18nc("@info", "Ark was not able to open <filename>%1</filename>. No suitable plugin found."
+                                  "<nl/><nl/>Ark does not seem to support this file type.",
+                                  localFile.section(QLatin1Char('/'), -1)),
+                           i18nc("@title:window", "Error Opening Archive"));
+        return false;
+    } else if (archive->error() == FailedPlugin) {
+        KMessageBox::sorry(widget(),
+                           xi18nc("@info", "Ark was not able to open <filename>%1</filename>. Failed to load a suitable plugin."
+                                  "<nl/><nl/>Make sure any executables needed to handle the archive type are installed.",
+                                  localFile.section(QLatin1Char('/'), -1)),
+                           i18nc("@title:window", "Error Opening Archive"));
         return false;
     }
 
+    Q_ASSERT(archive->isValid());
+
+    // Plugin loaded successfully.
     KJob *job = m_model->setArchive(archive.take());
     registerJob(job);
     job->start();