diff --git a/indra/newview/growlmanager.cpp b/indra/newview/growlmanager.cpp
index 78729975b0..6da4f620dc 100644
--- a/indra/newview/growlmanager.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/growlmanager.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,24 @@ GrowlManager::GrowlManager() : LLEventTimer(GROWL_THROTTLE_CLEANUP_PERIOD)
 	LL_INFOS("GrowlManagerInit") << "Created generic GrowlNotifier." << LL_ENDL;
 #endif
 	
+#ifdef LL_WINDOWS
+	if (mNotifier)
+	{
+		// Need to call loadConfig for Windows first before we know if
+		// Growl is usable -Ansariel
+		loadConfig();
+		if (!mNotifier->isUsable())
+		{
+			LL_WARNS("GrowlManagerInit") << "Growl is unusable; bailing out." << LL_ENDL;
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		LL_WARNS("GrowlManagerInit") << "Growl is unusable; bailing out." << LL_ENDL;
+		return;
+	}
+#else
 	// Don't do anything more if Growl isn't usable.
 	if( !mNotifier || !mNotifier->isUsable())
 	{
@@ -87,6 +105,9 @@ GrowlManager::GrowlManager() : LLEventTimer(GROWL_THROTTLE_CLEANUP_PERIOD)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	loadConfig();
+#endif
+
 	// Hook into LLNotifications...
 	// We hook into all of them, even though (at the time of writing) nothing uses "alert", so more notifications can be added easily.
 	LLNotificationChannel::buildChannel("GrowlNotifications", "Visible", &filterOldNotifications);
@@ -97,8 +118,6 @@ GrowlManager::GrowlManager() : LLEventTimer(GROWL_THROTTLE_CLEANUP_PERIOD)
 	
 	// Hook into script dialogs
 	LLScriptFloaterManager::instance().addNewObjectCallback(&GrowlManager::onScriptDialog);
-
-	this->loadConfig();
 }
 
 void GrowlManager::loadConfig()
diff --git a/indra/newview/growlnotifierwin.cpp b/indra/newview/growlnotifierwin.cpp
index 0434774879..c1a9105e1f 100644
--- a/indra/newview/growlnotifierwin.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/growlnotifierwin.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@
 #include "growlnotifierwin.h"
 #include "llviewercontrol.h"
 
-GrowlNotifierWin::GrowlNotifierWin():applicationName("")
+GrowlNotifierWin::GrowlNotifierWin() :
+	applicationName(""),
+	growl(NULL)
 {
 	LL_INFOS("GrowlNotifierWin") << "Windows growl notifications initialised." << LL_ENDL;
 	
@@ -67,10 +69,13 @@ void GrowlNotifierWin::showNotification(const std::string& notification_title, c
 										 const std::string& notification_type)
 {
 	//LL_INFOS("GrowlNotifierWin") << std::string(gDirUtilp->getDefaultSkinDir()+gDirUtilp->getDirDelimiter()+"textures"+gDirUtilp->getDirDelimiter()+"phoenixicon.ico").c_str() << LL_ENDL;
-	growl->Notify(notification_type.c_str(),notification_title.c_str(),notification_message.c_str());
+	if (growl)
+	{
+		growl->Notify(notification_type.c_str(),notification_title.c_str(),notification_message.c_str());
+	}
 }
 
 bool GrowlNotifierWin::isUsable()
 {
-	return true;
+	return (growl && growl->isConnected());
 }