diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions.php b/phpBB/includes/functions.php
index c4f285c905..10788d0d6a 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions.php
@@ -2746,7 +2746,8 @@ function get_preg_expression($mode)
 			return array(
 				'#<!\-\- e \-\-><a href="mailto:(.*?)">.*?</a><!\-\- e \-\->#',
 				'#<!\-\- l \-\-><a (?:class="[\w-]+" )?href="(.*?)(?:(&amp;|\?)sid=[0-9a-f]{32})?">.*?</a><!\-\- l \-\->#',
-				'#<!\-\- ([mw]) \-\-><a (?:class="[\w-]+" )?href="(.*?)">(.*?)</a><!\-\- \1 \-\->#',
+				'#<!\-\- ([mw]) \-\-><a (?:class="[\w-]+" )?href="http://(.*?)">\2</a><!\-\- \1 \-\->#',
+				'#<!\-\- ([mw]) \-\-><a (?:class="[\w-]+" )?href="(.*?)">.*?</a><!\-\- \1 \-\->#',
 				'#<!\-\- s(.*?) \-\-><img src="\{SMILIES_PATH\}\/.*? \/><!\-\- s\1 \-\->#',
 				'#<!\-\- .*? \-\->#s',
 				'#<.*?>#s',
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
index 39a3f0352f..df4a51db98 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ function decode_message(&$message, $bbcode_uid = '')
 		$message = str_replace($match, $replace, $message);
 
 		$match = get_preg_expression('bbcode_htm');
-		$replace = array('\1', '\1', '\3', '\1', '', '');
+		$replace = array('\1', '\1', '\2', '\2', '\1', '', '');
 
 		$message = preg_replace($match, $replace, $message);
 	}
diff --git a/tests/text_processing/decode_message_test.php b/tests/text_processing/decode_message_test.php
index 7de599f2b1..fd1719fedc 100644
--- a/tests/text_processing/decode_message_test.php
+++ b/tests/text_processing/decode_message_test.php
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../../phpBB/includes/functions_content.php';
 
 class phpbb_text_processing_decode_message_test extends phpbb_test_case
 {
+	public function setUp()
+	{
+		parent::setUp();
+
+		global $phpbb_dispatcher;
+
+		$phpbb_dispatcher = new phpbb_mock_event_dispatcher();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	* @dataProvider get_legacy_tests
 	*/
@@ -46,6 +55,14 @@ class phpbb_text_processing_decode_message_test extends phpbb_test_case
 				'<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.phpbb.com">http://www.phpbb.com</a><!-- m -->',
 				'http://www.phpbb.com'
 			),
+			array(
+				'<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.phpbb.com">this is just text</a><!-- m -->',
+				'http://www.phpbb.com'
+			),
+			array(
+				'<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.phpbb.com/some/more/link/that/is/shortened">http://www.phpbb.com/some/ ... /shortened</a><!-- m -->',
+				'http://www.phpbb.com/some/more/link/that/is/shortened'
+			),
 			/**
 			* Fails as per PHPBB3-8420
 			* @link http://tracker.phpbb.com/browse/PHPBB3-8420