diff --git a/app/services/question_markdown.rb b/app/services/question_markdown.rb
index 51d144a9..6ae585ea 100644
--- a/app/services/question_markdown.rb
+++ b/app/services/question_markdown.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
-require 'uri'
+# frozen_string_literal: true
 
-class QuestionMarkdown < Redcarpet::Render::Base
+require "uri"
+
+class QuestionMarkdown < Redcarpet::Render::StripDown
   include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
   include SharedMarkers
 
   def paragraph(text)
     "<p>#{text}</p>"
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+
+  def link(link, _title, _content)
+    process_link(link)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/services/shared_markers.rb b/app/services/shared_markers.rb
index c29e05c0..e127d43d 100644
--- a/app/services/shared_markers.rb
+++ b/app/services/shared_markers.rb
@@ -1,15 +1,34 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 module SharedMarkers
   include ActionView::Helpers::TagHelper
 
-  def autolink(link, _link_type)
-    href = if ALLOWED_HOSTS_IN_MARKDOWN.include?(URI(link).host)
+  def process_link(link, text = nil)
+    href = if ALLOWED_HOSTS_IN_MARKDOWN.include?(URI(link).host) || URI(link).relative?
              link
            else
              linkfilter_path(url: link)
            end
 
-    content_tag(:a, link, href: href, target: "_blank", rel: "nofollow")
+    options = { href: href }
+
+    unless URI(link).relative?
+      options = options.merge({
+                                target: "_blank",
+                                rel:    "nofollow"
+                              })
+    end
+
+    content_tag(:a, text.nil? ? link : text, options)
   rescue
     link
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+
+  def autolink(link, _link_type)
+    process_link(link)
+  end
+
+  def link(link, _title, content)
+    process_link(link, content)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/helpers/markdown_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/markdown_helper_spec.rb
index 23674ee3..fe947b59 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/markdown_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/markdown_helper_spec.rb
@@ -1,124 +1,126 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 require "rails_helper"
 
-describe MarkdownHelper, :type => :helper do
+describe MarkdownHelper, type: :helper do
   before do
     stub_const("APP_CONFIG", {
-      'hostname' => 'example.com',
-      'https' => true,
-      'items_per_page' => 5,
-      'allowed_hosts' => [
-        'twitter.com'
-      ]
-    })
+                 "hostname"       => "example.com",
+                 "https"          => true,
+                 "items_per_page" => 5,
+                 "allowed_hosts"  => [
+                   "twitter.com"
+                 ]
+               })
   end
 
-  describe '#markdown' do
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(markdown('**Strong text**')).to eq('<p><strong>Strong text</strong></p>')
+  describe "#markdown" do
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(markdown("**Strong text**")).to eq("<p><strong>Strong text</strong></p>")
     end
 
-    it 'should transform mentions into links' do
-      expect(markdown('@jake_weary')).to eq('<p><a href="/jake_weary">@jake_weary</a></p>')
+    it "should transform mentions into links" do
+      expect(markdown("@jake_weary")).to eq('<p><a href="/jake_weary">@jake_weary</a></p>')
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#strip_markdown' do
-    it 'should not return formatted text' do
-      expect(strip_markdown('**Strong text**')).to eq('Strong text')
+  describe "#strip_markdown" do
+    it "should not return formatted text" do
+      expect(strip_markdown("**Strong text**".dup)).to eq("Strong text")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#twitter_markdown' do
-    context 'mentioned user has Twitter connected' do
+  describe "#twitter_markdown" do
+    context "mentioned user has Twitter connected" do
       let(:user) { FactoryBot.create(:user) }
       let(:service) { Services::Twitter.create(user: user) }
-  
+
       before do
-        service.nickname = 'test'
+        service.nickname = "test"
         service.save!
       end
 
-      it 'should transform a internal mention to a Twitter mention' do
-        expect(twitter_markdown("@#{user.screen_name}")).to eq('@test')
+      it "should transform a internal mention to a Twitter mention" do
+        expect(twitter_markdown("@#{user.screen_name}")).to eq("@test")
       end
     end
 
-    context 'mentioned user doesnt have Twitter connected' do
-      it 'should not transform the mention' do
-        expect(twitter_markdown('@test')).to eq('test')
+    context "mentioned user doesnt have Twitter connected" do
+      it "should not transform the mention" do
+        expect(twitter_markdown("@test")).to eq("test")
       end
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#question_markdown' do
-    it 'should link allowed links without the linkfilter' do
-      expect(question_markdown('https://twitter.com/retrospring')).to eq('<p><a href="https://twitter.com/retrospring" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/retrospring</a></p>')
+  describe "#question_markdown" do
+    it "should link allowed links without the linkfilter" do
+      expect(question_markdown("https://twitter.com/retrospring")).to eq('<p><a href="https://twitter.com/retrospring" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/retrospring</a></p>')
     end
 
-    it 'should link untrusted links with the linkfilter' do
-      expect(question_markdown('https://rrerr.net')).to eq('<p><a href="/linkfilter?url=https%3A%2F%2Frrerr.net" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://rrerr.net</a></p>')
+    it "should link untrusted links with the linkfilter" do
+      expect(question_markdown("https://rrerr.net")).to eq('<p><a href="/linkfilter?url=https%3A%2F%2Frrerr.net" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://rrerr.net</a></p>')
     end
 
-    it 'should not process any markup aside of links' do
-      expect(question_markdown('**your account has been disabled**, [click here to enable it again](https://evil.example.com)')). to eq('<p>**your account has been disabled**, [click here to enable it again](<a href="/linkfilter?url=https%3A%2F%2Fevil.example.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://evil.example.com</a>)</p>')
+    it "should not process any markup aside of links" do
+      expect(question_markdown("**your account has been disabled**, [click here to enable it again](https://evil.example.com)")).to eq('<p>your account has been disabled, <a href="/linkfilter?url=https%3A%2F%2Fevil.example.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://evil.example.com</a></p>')
     end
 
-    it 'should not raise an exception if an invalid link is processed' do
-      expect{ question_markdown('https://example.com/example.質問') }.not_to raise_error
+    it "should not raise an exception if an invalid link is processed" do
+      expect { question_markdown("https://example.com/example.質問") }.not_to raise_error
     end
 
-    it 'should not process invalid links' do
-      expect(question_markdown('https://example.com/example.質問')).to eq('<p>https://example.com/example.質問</p>')
+    it "should not process invalid links" do
+      expect(question_markdown("https://example.com/example.質問")).to eq("<p>https://example.com/example.質問</p>")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#raw_markdown' do
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(raw_markdown('# Heading')).to eq("<h1>Heading</h1>\n")
+  describe "#raw_markdown" do
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(raw_markdown("# Heading")).to eq("<h1>Heading</h1>\n")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#get_markdown' do
-    it 'should return the contents of the specified file' do
-      expect(get_markdown('spec/fixtures/markdown/test.md')).to eq("# Heading")
+  describe "#get_markdown" do
+    it "should return the contents of the specified file" do
+      expect(get_markdown("spec/fixtures/markdown/test.md")).to eq("# Heading")
     end
 
-    it 'should return an error message on error' do
-      expect(get_markdown('non/existant/path.md')).to eq("# Error reading #{Rails.root}/non/existant/path.md")
+    it "should return an error message on error" do
+      expect(get_markdown("non/existant/path.md")).to eq("# Error reading #{Rails.root.join('non/existant/path.md')}")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#markdown_io' do
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(markdown_io('spec/fixtures/markdown/io.md')).to eq('<p><strong>Strong text</strong></p>')
+  describe "#markdown_io" do
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(markdown_io("spec/fixtures/markdown/io.md")).to eq("<p><strong>Strong text</strong></p>")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#strip_markdown_io' do
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(strip_markdown_io('spec/fixtures/markdown/io.md')).to eq('Strong text')
+  describe "#strip_markdown_io" do
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(strip_markdown_io("spec/fixtures/markdown/io.md")).to eq("Strong text")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#twitter_markdown_io' do
+  describe "#twitter_markdown_io" do
     let(:user) { FactoryBot.create(:user) }
     let(:service) { Services::Twitter.create(user: user) }
 
     before do
-      user.screen_name = 'test'
+      user.screen_name = "test"
       user.save!
-      service.nickname = 'ObamaGaming'
+      service.nickname = "ObamaGaming"
       service.save!
     end
 
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(twitter_markdown_io('spec/fixtures/markdown/twitter.md')).to eq('@ObamaGaming')
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(twitter_markdown_io("spec/fixtures/markdown/twitter.md")).to eq("@ObamaGaming")
     end
   end
 
-  describe '#raw_markdown_io' do
-    it 'should return the expected text' do
-      expect(raw_markdown_io('spec/fixtures/markdown/test.md')).to eq("<h1>Heading</h1>\n")
+  describe "#raw_markdown_io" do
+    it "should return the expected text" do
+      expect(raw_markdown_io("spec/fixtures/markdown/test.md")).to eq("<h1>Heading</h1>\n")
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end