diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.test.ts
index 05d33e333ef..c06dc8588f1 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.test.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,65 @@
 import { locationUtil } from './location';
 
 describe('locationUtil', () => {
+  const { location } = window;
+
   beforeAll(() => {
-    locationUtil.initialize({
-      config: { appSubUrl: '/subUrl' } as any,
-      getVariablesUrlParams: (() => {}) as any,
-      getTimeRangeForUrl: (() => {}) as any,
-    });
+    // @ts-ignore
+    delete window.location;
+
+    window.location = {
+      ...location,
+      hash: '#hash',
+      host: 'www.domain.com:9877',
+      hostname: 'www.domain.com',
+      href: 'http://www.domain.com:9877/path/b?search=a&b=c&d#hash',
+      origin: 'http://www.domain.com:9877',
+      pathname: '/path/b',
+      port: '9877',
+      protocol: 'http:',
+      search: '?search=a&b=c&d',
+    };
   });
 
-  describe('With /subUrl as appSubUrl', () => {
-    it('/subUrl should be stripped', () => {
+  afterAll(() => {
+    window.location = location;
+  });
+
+  describe('strip base when appSubUrl configured', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      locationUtil.initialize({
+        config: { appSubUrl: '/subUrl' } as any,
+        getVariablesUrlParams: (() => {}) as any,
+        getTimeRangeForUrl: (() => {}) as any,
+      });
+    });
+    test('relative url', () => {
       const urlWithoutMaster = locationUtil.stripBaseFromUrl('/subUrl/grafana/');
       expect(urlWithoutMaster).toBe('/grafana/');
     });
+    test('absolute url url', () => {
+      const urlWithoutMaster = locationUtil.stripBaseFromUrl('http://www.domain.com:9877/subUrl/grafana/');
+      expect(urlWithoutMaster).toBe('/grafana/');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('strip base when appSubUrl not configured', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      locationUtil.initialize({
+        config: {} as any,
+        getVariablesUrlParams: (() => {}) as any,
+        getTimeRangeForUrl: (() => {}) as any,
+      });
+    });
+
+    test('relative url', () => {
+      const urlWithoutMaster = locationUtil.stripBaseFromUrl('/subUrl/grafana/');
+      expect(urlWithoutMaster).toBe('/subUrl/grafana/');
+    });
+
+    test('absolute url', () => {
+      const urlWithoutMaster = locationUtil.stripBaseFromUrl('http://www.domain.com:9877/subUrl/grafana/');
+      expect(urlWithoutMaster).toBe('/subUrl/grafana/');
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.ts
index 29e982646e8..9d3d61048d0 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/utils/location.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,16 @@ let getVariablesUrlParams: (scopedVars?: ScopedVars) => UrlQueryMap;
 const stripBaseFromUrl = (url: string): string => {
   const appSubUrl = grafanaConfig.appSubUrl ?? '';
   const stripExtraChars = appSubUrl.endsWith('/') ? 1 : 0;
-  const urlWithoutBase =
-    url.length > 0 && url.indexOf(appSubUrl) === 0 ? url.slice(appSubUrl.length - stripExtraChars) : url;
+  const isAbsoluteUrl = url.startsWith('http');
+  let segmentToStrip = appSubUrl;
 
-  return urlWithoutBase;
+  if (isAbsoluteUrl || !url.startsWith('/')) {
+    segmentToStrip = `${window.location.origin}${appSubUrl}`;
+  }
+
+  return url.length > 0 && url.indexOf(segmentToStrip) !== -1
+    ? url.slice(segmentToStrip.length - stripExtraChars)
+    : url;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/public/app/core/navigation/patch/interceptLinkClicks.ts b/public/app/core/navigation/patch/interceptLinkClicks.ts
index 164084763a6..bbb509df3f3 100644
--- a/public/app/core/navigation/patch/interceptLinkClicks.ts
+++ b/public/app/core/navigation/patch/interceptLinkClicks.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,20 @@ export function interceptLinkClicks(e: MouseEvent) {
 
       href = locationUtil.stripBaseFromUrl(href);
       // Ensure old angular urls with no starting '/' are handled the same as before
+      // Make sure external links are handled correctly
       // That is they where seen as being absolute from app root
       if (href[0] !== '/') {
+        try {
+          const external = new URL(href);
+          if (external.origin !== window.location.origin) {
+            window.location.href = external.toString();
+            return;
+          }
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.warn(e);
+        }
         href = `/${href}`;
       }
-
       locationService.push(href);
     }
   }