diff --git a/tex.el b/tex.el
index 3b530cb..505ce5c 100644
--- a/tex.el
+++ b/tex.el
@@ -1147,10 +1147,10 @@ the requirements are met."
 	       (paper-letter " -paper us")
 	       (paper-legal " -paper legal")
 	       (paper-executive " -paper 7.25x10.5in")
-	       " %d"))
-      ("dvips and gv" "%(o?)dvips %d -o && gv %f")
-      ("gv" "gv %o")
-      ("xpdf" ("xpdf -remote %s -raise %o" (mode-io-correlate " %(outpage)")))
+	       " %d") "%(o?)xdvi")
+      ("dvips and gv" "%(o?)dvips %d -o && gv %f" ,(list "%(o?)dvips" "gv"))
+      ("gv" "gv %o" "gv")
+      ("xpdf" ("xpdf -remote %s -raise %o" (mode-io-correlate " %(outpage)")) "xpdf")
       ("Evince" ,(if (TeX-evince-dbus-p :forward)
 		     'TeX-evince-sync-view
 		   `("evince" (mode-io-correlate
@@ -1159,9 +1159,9 @@ the requirements are met."
 			       ,(if (string-match "--page-index"
 						  (shell-command-to-string "evince --help"))
 				    " -i %(outpage)"
-				  " -p %(outpage)")) " %o")))
-      ("Okular" ("okular --unique %o" (mode-io-correlate "#src:%n%a")))
-      ("xdg-open" "xdg-open %o"))))
+				  " -p %(outpage)")) " %o")) "evince")
+      ("Okular" ("okular --unique %o" (mode-io-correlate "#src:%n%a")) "okular")
+      ("xdg-open" "xdg-open %o"))) "xdg-open")
   "Alist of built-in viewer specifications.
 This variable should not be changed by the user who can use
 `TeX-view-program-list' to add new viewers or overwrite the
@@ -1319,16 +1319,28 @@ predicates are true, nil otherwise."
 (defun TeX-view-command-raw ()
   "Choose a viewer and return its unexpanded command string."
   (let ((selection TeX-view-program-selection)
-	entry viewer spec command)
+	entry viewer item executable spec command)
     ;; Find the appropriate viewer.
     (while (and (setq entry (pop selection)) (not viewer))
       (when (TeX-view-match-predicate (car entry))
 	(setq viewer (cadr entry))))
     (unless viewer
       (error "No matching viewer found"))
-    ;; Get the command line or function spec.
-    (setq spec (cadr (assoc viewer (append TeX-view-program-list
-					   TeX-view-program-list-builtin))))
+    (setq item (assoc viewer (append TeX-view-program-list
+				     TeX-view-program-list-builtin))
+	  ;; Get the command line or function spec.
+	  spec (cadr item)
+	  ;; Get the name of the executable(s) associated to the viewer.
+	  executable (nth 2 item))
+    ;; Check the executable exists.
+    (unless (or (null executable)
+		(cond ((stringp executable)
+		       (executable-find (TeX-command-expand executable nil)))
+		      ((listp executable)
+		       (dolist (exec executable)
+			 (executable-find (TeX-command-expand exec nil))))))
+      (error (format "Cannot find %S viewer.  \
+Select another one in `TeX-view-program-selection'" viewer)))
     (cond ((functionp spec)
 	   ;; Converting the function call to a string is ugly, but
 	   ;; the backend currently only supports strings.
@@ -1337,8 +1349,8 @@ predicates are true, nil otherwise."
 	   spec)
 	  ((null spec)
 	   (error
-	    (format "Unknown %S viewer. \
-Check the `TeX-view-program-selection' variable." viewer)))
+	    (format "Unknown %S viewer.  \
+Check the `TeX-view-program-selection' variable" viewer)))
 	  (t
 	   ;; Build the unexpanded command line.  Pieces with predicates are
 	   ;; only added if the predicate is evaluated positively.