diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.dialog.js b/js/jquery.mobile.dialog.js
index 9e3589f1..c288c4bc 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.dialog.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.dialog.js
@@ -2,29 +2,40 @@
 * jQuery Mobile Framework : "dialog" plugin.
 * Copyright (c) jQuery Project
 * Dual licensed under the MIT (MIT-LICENSE.txt) and GPL (GPL-LICENSE.txt) licenses.
-* Note: Code is in draft form and is subject to change 
+* Note: Code is in draft form and is subject to change
 */
 (function($, undefined ) {
 $.widget( "mobile.dialog", $.mobile.widget, {
 	options: {},
-	_create: function(){	
+	_create: function(){
 		var self = this,
 			$el = self.element,
 			$prevPage = $.mobile.activePage,
 			$closeBtn = $('<a href="#" data-icon="delete" data-iconpos="notext">Close</a>');
 
     var dialogClickHandler = function(e){
+			var $target = $(e.target);
+
+			// fixes issues with target links in dialogs breaking
+			// page transitions by reseting the active page below
+			if( $target.attr('target') || $.mobile.isExternalLink($target) ) {
+				return;
+			}
+
 			if( e.type == "click" && ( $(e.target).closest('[data-back]')[0] || this==$closeBtn[0] ) ){
 				self.close();
 				return false;
 			}
+
 			//otherwise, assume we're headed somewhere new. set activepage to dialog so the transition will work
 			$.mobile.activePage = self.element;
 		};
-	
+
+		// NOTE avoid click handler in the case of an external resource
+		// TODO add function in navigation to handle external check
 		$el.delegate("a", "click", dialogClickHandler);
 		$el.delegate("form", "submit", dialogClickHandler);
-	
+
 		this.element
 			.bind("pageshow",function(){
 				return false;
@@ -38,11 +49,11 @@ $.widget( "mobile.dialog", $.mobile.widget, {
 			.end()
 			.find('.ui-content:not([class*="ui-body-"])')
 				.addClass('ui-body-c')
-			.end()	
+			.end()
 			.find('.ui-content,[data-role=footer]')
 				.last()
 				.addClass('ui-corner-bottom ui-overlay-shadow');
-		
+
 		$(window).bind('hashchange',function(){
 			if( $el.is('.ui-page-active') ){
 				self.close();
@@ -50,10 +61,10 @@ $.widget( "mobile.dialog", $.mobile.widget, {
 					$.mobile.updateHash( $prevPage.attr('data-url'), true);
 				});
 			}
-		});		
+		});
 
 	},
-	
+
 	close: function(){
 		$.mobile.changePage([this.element, $.mobile.activePage], undefined, true, true );
 	}
diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js b/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
index 076ad55a..d96a6f65 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@
 	//url stack, useful when plugins need to be aware of previous pages viewed
 	$.mobile.urlStack = urlStack;
 
+	//check for an external resource
+	$.mobile.isExternalLink = function(anchor){
+		var $anchor = $(anchor);
+		return /^(:?\w+:)/.test( $anchor.attr('href') ) || $anchor.is( "[rel=external]" );
+	},
+
 	// changepage function
 	$.mobile.changePage = function( to, transition, back, changeHash){
 
@@ -446,7 +452,7 @@
 			//if target attr is specified, it's external, and we mimic _blank... for now
 			target = $this.is( "[target]" ),
 			//if it still starts with a protocol, it's external, or could be :mailto, etc
-			external = target || /^(:?\w+:)/.test( href ) || $this.is( "[rel=external]" );
+			external = target || $.mobile.isExternalLink(this);
 
 		if( href === '#' ){
 			//for links created purely for interaction - ignore