diff --git a/src/HtmlUtils.js b/src/HtmlUtils.js
index 18de137634..3dc463a3d7 100644
--- a/src/HtmlUtils.js
+++ b/src/HtmlUtils.js
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@ var sanitizeHtmlParams = {
     transformTags: { // custom to matrix
         // add blank targets to all hyperlinks except vector URLs
         'a': function(tagName, attribs) {
-            var m = attribs.href.match(linkifyMatrix.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN);
+            var m = attribs.href ? attribs.href.match(linkifyMatrix.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN) : null;
             if (m) {
-                return { tagName: 'a', attribs: { href: attribs.href } };
+                return { tagName: 'a', attribs: { href: attribs.href, name: attribs.name } };
             }
             else {
-                return { tagName: 'a', attribs: { href: attribs.href, target: '_blank'} };
+                return { tagName: 'a', attribs: { href: attribs.href, name: attribs.name, target: '_blank' } };
             }
         },
     },
diff --git a/src/linkify-matrix.js b/src/linkify-matrix.js
index bb9b7d5c81..a12ef8eaf5 100644
--- a/src/linkify-matrix.js
+++ b/src/linkify-matrix.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ var escapeRegExp = function(string) {
 // as if someone explicitly links to vector.im/develop and we're on vector.im/beta
 // they may well be trying to get us to explicitly go to develop.
 // FIXME: intercept matrix.to URLs as well.
-matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN = "(https?:\/\/)?" + escapeRegExp(window.location.host + window.location.pathname);
+matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN = "^(https?:\/\/)?" + escapeRegExp(window.location.host + window.location.pathname);
 
 matrixLinkify.options = {
     events: function (href, type) {
@@ -146,9 +146,7 @@ matrixLinkify.options = {
                 return '_blank';
             }
         }
-        else {
-            return '_blank';
-        }
+        return null;
     },
 };