diff --git a/news/4379.feature b/news/4379.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ecc114b1b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/4379.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add open external link in a new tab config option. @robgietema
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/volto-slate/src/editor/plugins/Link/render.jsx b/packages/volto-slate/src/editor/plugins/Link/render.jsx
index 6b2c38bb2b..d5495e2879 100644
--- a/packages/volto-slate/src/editor/plugins/Link/render.jsx
+++ b/packages/volto-slate/src/editor/plugins/Link/render.jsx
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { UniversalLink } from '@plone/volto/components';
+import config from '@plone/volto/registry';
+import { isInternalURL } from '@plone/volto/helpers';
 
 const ViewLink = ({ url, target, download, children }) => {
+  const { openExternalLinkInNewTab } = config.settings;
   return (
     <UniversalLink
       href={url}
-      openLinkInNewTab={target === '_blank'}
+      openLinkInNewTab={
+        (openExternalLinkInNewTab && !isInternalURL(url)) || target === '_blank'
+      }
       download={download}
     >
       {children}
diff --git a/src/config/index.js b/src/config/index.js
index 7116f1b487..a4dee4f99d 100644
--- a/src/config/index.js
+++ b/src/config/index.js
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ let config = {
     downloadableObjects: ['File'], //list of content-types for which the direct download of the file will be carried out if the user is not authenticated
     viewableInBrowserObjects: [], //ex: ['File']. List of content-types for which the file will be displayed in browser if the user is not authenticated
     listingPreviewImageField: 'image', // deprecated from Volto 14 onwards
+    openExternalLinkInNewTab: false,
     notSupportedBrowsers: ['ie'],
     defaultPageSize: 25,
     isMultilingual: false,