diff --git a/lib/html_sanitizer.rb b/lib/html_sanitizer.rb
index ae37b9a2b..65bcccff4 100644
--- a/lib/html_sanitizer.rb
+++ b/lib/html_sanitizer.rb
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ satinize html string based on whiltelist
       # prepare links
       if node['href']
         href = cleanup_target(node['href'])
+        if external && !href.downcase.start_with?('//') && href.downcase !~ %r{^.{1,6}://.+?}
+          node['href'] = "http://#{node['href']}"
+          href = node['href']
+        end
         next if !href.downcase.start_with?('http', 'ftp', '//')
         node.set_attribute('href', href)
         node.set_attribute('rel', 'nofollow')
diff --git a/test/unit/aaa_string_test.rb b/test/unit/aaa_string_test.rb
index 8641ffd59..eb34a3dcd 100644
--- a/test/unit/aaa_string_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/aaa_string_test.rb
@@ -663,6 +663,15 @@ Men-----------------------'
     result = "<a href=\"http://facebook.de/examplesrbog\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">http://facebook.de/examplesrbog</a>"
     assert_equal(result, html.html2html_strict)
 
+    html   = "<span style=\"font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Cambria&quot;,serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DE\">web&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
+<a href=\"http://www.example.de\"><span style=\"color:blue\">www.example.de</span></a><o:p></o:p></span>"
+    result = "web <a href=\"http://www.example.de\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">www.example.de</a>"
+    assert_equal(result, html.html2html_strict)
+
+    html   = "web <a href=\"www.example.de\"><span style=\"color:blue\">www.example.de</span></a>"
+    result = "web <a href=\"http://www.example.de\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">www.example.de</a>"
+    assert_equal(result, html.html2html_strict)
+
     html   = "Damit Sie keinen Tag versäumen, empfehlen wir Ihnen den <a href=\"http://newsletters.cylex.de/\" class=\"\">Link des Adventkalenders</a> in<br class=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ihrer Lesezeichen-Symbolleiste zu ergänzen.</p><div class=\"\">&nbsp;"
     result = "Damit Sie keinen Tag versäumen, empfehlen wir Ihnen den Link des Adventkalenders (<a href=\"http://newsletters.cylex.de/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">http://newsletters.cylex.de/</a>) in<br> Ihrer Lesezeichen-Symbolleiste zu ergänzen.<div> </div>"
     assert_equal(result, html.html2html_strict)
diff --git a/test/unit/email_parser_test.rb b/test/unit/email_parser_test.rb
index 1864caa97..5eafbdd64 100644
--- a/test/unit/email_parser_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/email_parser_test.rb
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ Managing Director: Martin Edenhofer
       },
       {
         data: IO.binread('test/fixtures/mail8.box'),
-        body_md5: '630aa1cc84fcaee8a0f232908c454c5f',
+        body_md5: 'ec01ac06deb1997b09b0afbbe49e316f',
         attachments: [
           {
             md5: 'c3ca4aab222eed8a148a716371b70129',
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ Düsseldorfer Landstraße 395
 <br>
 D-00000 Hof
 <br>
-<a href="www.example.com"><u><a href="http://www.example.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.example.com</a></u></a> <br>
+<a href="http://www.example.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u><a href="http://www.example.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.example.com</a></u></a> <br>
 <br> <hr>
 <br>
 Geschäftsführung/Management Board: Jan Bauer (Vorsitzender/Chairman), Oliver Bauer, Heiko Bauer, Boudewijn Bauer