diff --git a/static/skin/block_external.js b/static/skin/block_external.js
index 04430670b..ed6b1ba11 100644
--- a/static/skin/block_external.js
+++ b/static/skin/block_external.js
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
 var block_path = "/catch/external";
 // called only on external links
-function capture_event(e) { e.target.setAttribute("href", encodeURI(block_path + "?source=" + e.target.href)); }
+function capture_event(e, target) { target.setAttribute("href", encodeURI(block_path + "?source=" + target.href)); }
 
 // called on all link clicks. filters external and call capture_event
 function on_click_event(e) {
-  if ("target" in e && "href" in e.target) {
-    var href = e.target.href;
+  var target = findParent("a", e.target);
+  if (target !== null && "href" in target) {
+    var href = target.href;
     if (window.location.pathname.indexOf(block_path) == 0) // already in catch page
       return;
     if (href.indexOf(window.location.origin) == 0)
       return;
     if (href.substr(0, 2) == "//")
-      return capture_event(e);
+      return capture_event(e, target);
     if (href.substr(0, 5) == "http:")
-      return capture_event(e);
+      return capture_event(e, target);
     if (href.substr(0, 6) == "https:")
-      return capture_event(e);
+      return capture_event(e, target);
     return;
   }
 }
@@ -23,6 +24,17 @@ function on_click_event(e) {
 // script entrypoint (called on document ready)
 function run() { live('a', 'click', on_click_event); }
 
+// find first parent with tagname
+function findParent(tagname, el) {
+  while (el) {
+    if ((el.nodeName || el.tagName).toLowerCase() === tagname.toLowerCase()) {
+      return el;
+    }
+    el = el.parentNode;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 // matches polyfill
 this.Element && function(ElementPrototype) {
     ElementPrototype.matches = ElementPrototype.matches ||