diff --git a/atom/common/api/atom_api_shell.cc b/atom/common/api/atom_api_shell.cc
index d479911fbe32..d0e795e87455 100644
--- a/atom/common/api/atom_api_shell.cc
+++ b/atom/common/api/atom_api_shell.cc
@@ -12,22 +12,12 @@
 
 namespace {
 
-bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, mate::Arguments* args) {
-  bool without_activation = false;
-  if (args->Length() == 2) {
-    mate::Dictionary options;
-    args->GetNext(&options);
-    options.Get("withoutActivation", &without_activation);
-  }
-  return platform_util::OpenExternal(url, without_activation);
-}
-
 void Initialize(v8::Local<v8::Object> exports, v8::Local<v8::Value> unused,
                 v8::Local<v8::Context> context, void* priv) {
   mate::Dictionary dict(context->GetIsolate(), exports);
   dict.SetMethod("showItemInFolder", &platform_util::ShowItemInFolder);
   dict.SetMethod("openItem", &platform_util::OpenItem);
-  dict.SetMethod("openExternal", &OpenExternal);
+  dict.SetMethod("_openExternal", &platform_util::OpenExternal);
   dict.SetMethod("moveItemToTrash", &platform_util::MoveItemToTrash);
   dict.SetMethod("beep", &platform_util::Beep);
 }
diff --git a/atom/common/api/lib/shell.js b/atom/common/api/lib/shell.js
index 08cc4e8eb41c..e032a7370762 100644
--- a/atom/common/api/lib/shell.js
+++ b/atom/common/api/lib/shell.js
@@ -1 +1,17 @@
-module.exports = process.atomBinding('shell');
+'use strict';
+
+const bindings = process.atomBinding('shell');
+
+exports.beep = bindings.beep;
+exports.moveItemToTrash = bindings.moveItemToTrash;
+exports.openItem = bindings.openItem;
+exports.showItemInFolder = bindings.showItemInFolder;
+
+exports.openExternal = (url, options) => {
+  var activate = true;
+  if (options != null && options.activate != null) {
+    activate = !!options.activate;
+  }
+
+  bindings._openExternal(url, activate);
+}
diff --git a/atom/common/platform_util.h b/atom/common/platform_util.h
index 3550c243bb68..4565221e9d84 100644
--- a/atom/common/platform_util.h
+++ b/atom/common/platform_util.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ void OpenItem(const base::FilePath& full_path);
 
 // Open the given external protocol URL in the desktop's default manner.
 // (For example, mailto: URLs in the default mail user agent.)
-bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, const bool without_activation);
+bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, bool activate);
 
 // Move a file to trash.
 bool MoveItemToTrash(const base::FilePath& full_path);
diff --git a/atom/common/platform_util_linux.cc b/atom/common/platform_util_linux.cc
index fd4dcba6973b..1e437b866cc0 100644
--- a/atom/common/platform_util_linux.cc
+++ b/atom/common/platform_util_linux.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void OpenItem(const base::FilePath& full_path) {
   XDGOpen(full_path.value());
 }
 
-bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, const bool without_activation) {
+bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, bool activate) {
   if (url.SchemeIs("mailto"))
     return XDGEmail(url.spec());
   else
diff --git a/atom/common/platform_util_mac.mm b/atom/common/platform_util_mac.mm
index e84b3fbec307..98bc4e537d89 100644
--- a/atom/common/platform_util_mac.mm
+++ b/atom/common/platform_util_mac.mm
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ void OpenItem(const base::FilePath& full_path) {
   }
 }
 
-bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, const bool without_activation) {
+bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, bool activate) {
   DCHECK([NSThread isMainThread]);
   NSURL* ns_url = net::NSURLWithGURL(url);
   if (!ns_url) {
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, const bool without_activation) {
   CFRelease(openingApp);  // NOT A BUG; LSGetApplicationForURL retains for us
 
   NSUInteger launchOptions = NSWorkspaceLaunchDefault;
-  if (without_activation)
-    launchOptions = launchOptions | NSWorkspaceLaunchWithoutActivation;
+  if (!activate)
+    launchOptions |= NSWorkspaceLaunchWithoutActivation;
 
   return [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] openURLs: @[ns_url]
                                         withAppBundleIdentifier: nil
diff --git a/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc b/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
index 76b71cb7f702..12591a94d569 100644
--- a/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
+++ b/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ void OpenItem(const base::FilePath& full_path) {
     ui::win::OpenFileViaShell(full_path);
 }
 
-bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, const bool without_activation) {
+bool OpenExternal(const GURL& url, bool activate) {
   // Quote the input scheme to be sure that the command does not have
   // parameters unexpected by the external program. This url should already
   // have been escaped.