diff --git a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.html b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.html
index 44a3657fa5..4fc0b41136 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.html
+++ b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.html
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 
 <!-- Render value as a link (href and label) -->
 <ng-template #link let-value="value">
-    <a class="dont-break-out ds-simple-metadata-link" target="_blank" [href]="value">
+    <a class="dont-break-out ds-simple-metadata-link"
+      [href]="value"
+      [attr.target]="getLinkAttributes(value).target"
+      [attr.rel]="getLinkAttributes(value).rel">
       {{value}}
     </a>
 </ng-template>
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.ts b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.ts
index c6ff454737..7bc91237d1 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/field-components/metadata-values/metadata-values.component.ts
@@ -134,4 +134,16 @@ export class MetadataValuesComponent implements OnChanges {
   hasInternalLink(linkValue: string): boolean {
     return linkValue.startsWith(environment.ui.baseUrl);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * This method performs a validation and determines the target of the url.
+   * @returns - Returns the target url.
+   */
+ getLinkAttributes(urlValue: string): { target: string, rel: string } {
+    if (this.hasInternalLink(urlValue)) {
+      return { target: '_self', rel: '' };
+    } else {
+      return { target: '_blank', rel: 'noopener noreferrer' };
+    }
+  }
 }