diff --git a/tildes/alembic/versions/de83b8750123_add_setting_to_open_text_links_in_new_.py b/tildes/alembic/versions/de83b8750123_add_setting_to_open_text_links_in_new_.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8705db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/alembic/versions/de83b8750123_add_setting_to_open_text_links_in_new_.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""Add setting to open text links in new tab
+
+Revision ID: de83b8750123
+Revises: 2512581c91b3
+Create Date: 2018-07-24 03:10:59.485645
+
+"""
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = 'de83b8750123'
+down_revision = '2512581c91b3'
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.add_column('users', sa.Column('open_new_tab_text', sa.Boolean(), server_default='false', nullable=False))
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    op.drop_column('users', 'open_new_tab_text')
diff --git a/tildes/static/js/behaviors/external-links-new-tabs.js b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/external-links-new-tabs.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20b90f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/external-links-new-tabs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+$.onmount('[data-js-external-links-new-tabs]', function() {
+    // Open external links in topic, comment, and message text in new tabs
+    $(this).find('a').each(function() {
+        if (this.host !== window.location.host) {
+          $(this).attr('target', '_blank');
+        }
+    });
+});
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
index d4f9f40..af69bf7 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ class User(DatabaseModel):
         Boolean, nullable=False, server_default='false')
     open_new_tab_internal: bool = Column(
         Boolean, nullable=False, server_default='false')
+    open_new_tab_text: bool = Column(
+        Boolean, nullable=False, server_default='false')
     is_banned: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default='false')
     is_admin: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default='false')
     home_default_order: Optional[TopicSortOption] = Column(
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/comments.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/comments.jinja2
index 8fdec2e..4d9b147 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/comments.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/comments.jinja2
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@
         </ul>
       {% endif %}
 
-      <div class="comment-text">
+      <div class="comment-text"
+        {% if request.user and request.user.open_new_tab_text %}
+        data-js-external-links-new-tabs
+        {% endif %}
+      >
         {% if comment.is_removed and 'admin' in request.effective_principals %}
           <p class="text-warning">Comment removed</p>
         {% endif %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/messages.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/messages.jinja2
index f7e8e84..5f95bfa 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/messages.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/messages.jinja2
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
       {{ time_ago(message.created_time) }}
     </header>
 
-    <div class="message-text">{{ message.rendered_html|safe }}</div>
+    <div class="message-text"
+      {% if request.user and request.user.open_new_tab_text %}
+      data-js-external-links-new-tabs
+      {% endif %}
+    >{{ message.rendered_html|safe }}</div>
   </article>
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/topics.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/topics.jinja2
index daa1c06..eb9a5b8 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/topics.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/macros/topics.jinja2
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@
       {% if not topic.get_content_metadata('excerpt').endswith('...') %}
         <p class="topic-text-excerpt">{{ topic.get_content_metadata('excerpt') }}</p>
       {% else %}
-        <details class="topic-text-excerpt">
+        <details class="topic-text-excerpt"
+          {% if request.user and request.user.open_new_tab_text %}
+          data-js-external-links-new-tabs
+          {% endif %}
+        >
           <summary>
             <span>{{ topic.get_content_metadata('excerpt') }}</span>
           </summary>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
index e8264f6..bd16d7e 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
@@ -73,6 +73,20 @@
               </label>
             </div>
           </li>
+          <li>
+            <div class="form-group">
+              <label class="form-checkbox">
+                <input
+                  type="checkbox"
+                  id="open_new_tab_text"
+                  name="open_new_tab_text"
+                  data-js-autosubmit-on-change
+                  {% if request.user.open_new_tab_text %}checked{% endif %}
+                >
+                <i class="form-icon"></i> External links in topic, comment, and message text
+              </label>
+            </div>
+          </li>
         </ul>
       </form>
     </li>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
index 508f15e..78e60a8 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/topic.jinja2
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@
 
 {% if request.has_permission('view_content', topic) %}
   {% if topic.is_text_type %}
-    <div class="topic-full-text">{{ topic.rendered_html|safe }}</div>
+    <div class="topic-full-text"
+      {% if request.user and request.user.open_new_tab_text %}
+      data-js-external-links-new-tabs
+      {% endif %}
+    >{{ topic.rendered_html|safe }}</div>
   {% elif topic.is_link_type %}
     <div class="topic-full-link">
       <div class="topic-icon topic-icon-{{ topic.link_domain.replace('.', '_') }}"></div>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
index 49d0f87..30c2326 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ def change_open_links_new_tab(request: Request) -> Response:
 
     external = bool(request.params.get('open_new_tab_external'))
     internal = bool(request.params.get('open_new_tab_internal'))
+    text = bool(request.params.get('open_new_tab_text'))
     user.open_new_tab_external = external
     user.open_new_tab_internal = internal
+    user.open_new_tab_text = text
 
     return IC_NOOP