diff --git a/libs/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php b/libs/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
index af49138..d25bf74 100644
--- a/libs/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
+++ b/libs/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ class LinkRenderer extends \League\CommonMark\Inline\Renderer\LinkRenderer
         throw new LinkNotFoundException("Could not locate file '$url'");
     }
 
+    protected function isValidUrl($url) {
+        return !empty($url) && $url[0] != '#';
+    }
+
+    protected function isExternalUrl($url) {
+        return preg_match('|^(?:[a-z]+:)?//|', $url);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param AbstractInline|Link $inline
      * @param ElementRendererInterface $htmlRenderer
@@ -83,12 +91,12 @@ class LinkRenderer extends \League\CommonMark\Inline\Renderer\LinkRenderer
 
         // empty urls and anchors should
         // not go through the url resolver
-        if (empty($url) || $url[0] == '#') {
+        if (!$this->isValidUrl($url)) {
             return $element;
         }
 
         // Absolute urls, shouldn't either
-        if (preg_match('|^(?:[a-z]+:)?//|', $url)) {
+        if ($this->isExternalUrl($url)) {
             $element->setAttribute('class', 'external');
             return $element;
         }
diff --git a/libs/Format/Confluence/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php b/libs/Format/Confluence/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
index e8896ef..41f0cac 100644
--- a/libs/Format/Confluence/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
+++ b/libs/Format/Confluence/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRenderer.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use League\CommonMark\Inline\Element\Link;
 class LinkRenderer extends \Todaymade\Daux\ContentTypes\Markdown\LinkRenderer
 {
     /**
-     * @param Link $inline
+     * @param AbstractInline|Link $inline
      * @param ElementRendererInterface $htmlRenderer
      *
      * @return HtmlElement
@@ -28,13 +28,17 @@ class LinkRenderer extends \Todaymade\Daux\ContentTypes\Markdown\LinkRenderer
 
         // Default handling
         $element = parent::render($inline, $htmlRenderer);
+
         $url = $inline->getUrl();
-        if (empty($url) || $url[0] != '!') {
+
+        // empty urls, anchors and absolute urls
+        // should not go through the url resolver
+        if (!$this->isValidUrl($url) || $this->isExternalUrl($url)) {
             return $element;
         }
 
         //Internal links
-        $file = $this->resolveInternalFile(ltrim($url, '!'));
+        $file = $this->resolveInternalFile($url);
 
         $link_props = [
             'ri:content-title' => trim($this->daux['confluence']['prefix']) . ' ' . $file->getTitle(),
diff --git a/tests/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRendererTest.php b/tests/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRendererTest.php
index 9941cfa..8c5fa3b 100644
--- a/tests/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRendererTest.php
+++ b/tests/ContentTypes/Markdown/LinkRendererTest.php
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class LinkRendererTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
     {
         return [
             // /Widgets/Page
-            ['<a href="http://google.ch">Link</a>', '[Link](http://google.ch)', 'Widgets/Page.html'],
+            ['<a href="http://google.ch" class="external">Link</a>', '[Link](http://google.ch)', 'Widgets/Page.html'],
             ['<a href="#features">Link</a>', '[Link](#features)', 'Widgets/Page.html'],
             ['<a href="Button.html">Link</a>', '[Link](Button.md)', 'Widgets/Page.html'],
             ['<a href="Button.html">Link</a>', '[Link](./Button.md)', 'Widgets/Page.html'],