diff --git a/phpBB/includes/message_parser.php b/phpBB/includes/message_parser.php
index 7caadd123e..aaa6c18268 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/message_parser.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/message_parser.php
@@ -825,11 +825,11 @@ class parse_message extends bbcode_firstpass
 	
 			// matches a xxxx://aaaaa.bbb.cccc. ...
 			$match[] = '#(^|[\n ]|\()([\w]+?://.*?([^ \t\n\r<"\'\)]*)?)#ie';
-			$replace[] = "'\$1<!-- m --><a href=\"\$2\" target=\"_blank\">' . ((strlen('\$2') > 55) ? substr('\$2', 0, 39) . ' ... ' . substr('\$2', -10) : '\$2') . '</a><!-- m -->'";
+			$replace[] = "'\$1<!-- m --><a href=\"\$2\" target=\"_blank\">' . ((strlen('\$2') > 55) ? substr(str_replace('&amp;', '&', '\$2'), 0, 39) . ' ... ' . substr(str_replace('&amp;', '&', '\$2'), -10) : '\$2') . '</a><!-- m -->'";
 	
 			// matches a "www.xxxx.yyyy[/zzzz]" kinda lazy URL thing
 			$match[] = '#(^|[\n ]|\()(www\.[\w\-]+\.[\w\-.\~]+(?:/[^ \t\n\r<"\'\)]*)?)#ie';
-			$replace[] = "'\$1<!-- w --><a href=\"http://\$2\" target=\"_blank\">' . ((strlen('\$2') > 55) ? substr(str_replace(' ', '%20', '\$2'), 0, 39) . ' ... ' . substr('\$2', -10) : '\$2') . '</a><!-- w -->'";
+			$replace[] = "'\$1<!-- w --><a href=\"http://\$2\" target=\"_blank\">' . ((strlen('\$2') > 55) ? substr(str_replace('&amp;', '&', '\$2'), 0, 39) . ' ... ' . substr(str_replace('&amp;', '&', '\$2'), -10) : '\$2') . '</a><!-- w -->'";
 	
 			// matches an email@domain type address at the start of a line, or after a space.
 			$match[] = '#(^|[\n ]|\()([a-z0-9&\-_.]+?@[\w\-]+\.([\w\-\.]+\.)?[\w]+)#ie';