diff --git a/krusader/UserAction/kraction.cpp b/krusader/UserAction/kraction.cpp
--- a/krusader/UserAction/kraction.cpp
+++ b/krusader/UserAction/kraction.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,15 @@
     if (! _action->startpath().isEmpty())
         workingDir = _action->startpath();
 
+    if (!_action->user().isEmpty()) {
+        if (!KrServices::isExecutable(KDESU_PATH)) {
+            KMessageBox::sorry(0,
+                i18n("Cannot run user action, %1 not found or not executable. "
+                     "Please verify that kde-cli-tools are installed.", QString(KDESU_PATH)));
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
     if (_action->execType() == KrAction::RunInTE
             && (! MAIN_VIEW->terminalDock()->initialise())) {
         KMessageBox::sorry(0, i18n("Embedded terminal emulator does not work, using output collection instead."));
@@ -262,7 +271,8 @@
         && MAIN_VIEW->terminalDock()->isInitialised()) {  //send the commandline contents to the terminal emulator
             if (!_action->user().isEmpty()) {
                 // "-t" is necessary that kdesu displays the terminal-output of the command
-                cmd = "kdesu -t -u " + _action->user() + " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
+                cmd = KrServices::quote(KDESU_PATH) +
+                      " -t -u " + _action->user() + " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
             }
             MAIN_VIEW->terminalDock()->sendInput(cmd + '\n');
             deleteLater();
@@ -295,7 +305,8 @@
                 cmd = KrServices::quote(termArgs).join(" ");
             }
             if (!_action->user().isEmpty()) {
-                cmd = "kdesu -u " + _action->user() + " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
+                cmd = KrServices::quote(KDESU_PATH) + " -u " + _action->user() +
+                      " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
             }
         }
         else { // collect output
@@ -312,7 +323,9 @@
 
             if (!_action->user().isEmpty()) {
                 // "-t" is necessary that kdesu displays the terminal-output of the command
-                cmd = "kdesu -t -u " + _action->user() + " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
+                cmd = KrServices::quote(KDESU_PATH) +
+                      " -t -u " + _action->user() +
+                      " -c " + KrServices::quote(cmd);
             }
         }
         //printf("cmd: %s\n", cmd.toAscii().data());
@@ -682,4 +695,3 @@
 
                     return availabilityElement;
 } //KrAction::dumpAvailability
-