diff --git a/src/HtmlUtils.js b/src/HtmlUtils.js
index d309ce1950..d4a999a5ac 100644
--- a/src/HtmlUtils.js
+++ b/src/HtmlUtils.js
@@ -85,12 +85,28 @@ var sanitizeHtmlParams = {
     transformTags: { // custom to matrix
         // add blank targets to all hyperlinks except vector URLs
         'a': function(tagName, attribs) {
-            var m = attribs.href ? attribs.href.match(linkifyMatrix.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN) : null;
-            if (m) {
-                delete attribs.target;
-            }
-            else {
-                attribs.target = '_blank';
+            if (attribs.href) {
+                attribs.target = '_blank'; // by default
+
+                var m;
+                // FIXME: horrible duplication with linkify-matrix
+                m = attribs.href.match(linkifyMatrix.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN);
+                if (m) {
+                    attribs.href = m[1];
+                    delete attribs.target;
+                }
+
+                m = attribs.href.match(linkifyMatrix.MATRIXTO_URL_PATTERN);
+                if (m) {
+                    var entity = m[1];
+                    if (entity[0] === '@') {
+                        attribs.href = '#'; // TODO
+                    }
+                    else if (entity[0] === '#') {
+                        attribs.href = '#/room/' + entity;
+                    }
+                    delete attribs.target;
+                }
             }
             attribs.rel = 'noopener'; // https://mathiasbynens.github.io/rel-noopener/
             return { tagName: tagName, attribs : attribs };
diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index 46cad9685b..743f30aa15 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         // this can technically be done anywhere but doing this here keeps all
         // the routing url path logic together.
-        if (this.onAliasClick) {
-            linkifyMatrix.onAliasClick = this.onAliasClick;
-        }
-        if (this.onUserClick) {
-            linkifyMatrix.onUserClick = this.onUserClick;
-        }
+        // if (this.onAliasClick) {
+        //     linkifyMatrix.onAliasClick = this.onAliasClick;
+        // }
+        // if (this.onUserClick) {
+        //     linkifyMatrix.onUserClick = this.onUserClick;
+        // }
 
         window.addEventListener('resize', this.handleResize);
         this.handleResize();
@@ -739,6 +739,16 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             } else {
                 dis.dispatch(payload);
             }
+        } else if (screen.indexOf('user/') == 0) {
+            var userId = screen.substring(5);
+            var member = new Matrix.RoomMember(null, userId);
+            if (member) {
+                // FIXME: this doesn't work yet
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'view_user',
+                    member: member,
+                });
+            }
         }
         else {
             console.info("Ignoring showScreen for '%s'", screen);
@@ -751,31 +761,29 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
     },
 
-    onAliasClick: function(event, alias) {
-        event.preventDefault();
-        dis.dispatch({action: 'view_room', room_alias: alias});
-    },
+    // onAliasClick: function(event, alias) {
+    //     event.preventDefault();
+    //     dis.dispatch({action: 'view_room', room_alias: alias});
+    // },
 
-    onUserClick: function(event, userId) {
-        event.preventDefault();
+    // onUserClick: function(event, userId) {
+    //     event.preventDefault();
 
-        /*
-        var MemberInfo = sdk.getComponent('rooms.MemberInfo');
-        var member = new Matrix.RoomMember(null, userId);
-        ContextualMenu.createMenu(MemberInfo, {
-            member: member,
-            right: window.innerWidth - event.pageX,
-            top: event.pageY
-        });
-        */
+    //     // var MemberInfo = sdk.getComponent('rooms.MemberInfo');
+    //     // var member = new Matrix.RoomMember(null, userId);
+    //     // ContextualMenu.createMenu(MemberInfo, {
+    //     //     member: member,
+    //     //     right: window.innerWidth - event.pageX,
+    //     //     top: event.pageY
+    //     // });
 
-        var member = new Matrix.RoomMember(null, userId);
-        if (!member) { return; }
-        dis.dispatch({
-            action: 'view_user',
-            member: member,
-        });
-    },
+    //     var member = new Matrix.RoomMember(null, userId);
+    //     if (!member) { return; }
+    //     dis.dispatch({
+    //         action: 'view_user',
+    //         member: member,
+    //     });
+    // },
 
     onLogoutClick: function(event) {
         dis.dispatch({
diff --git a/src/linkify-matrix.js b/src/linkify-matrix.js
index 99b7ee5c33..eaddbffebc 100644
--- a/src/linkify-matrix.js
+++ b/src/linkify-matrix.js
@@ -95,20 +95,25 @@ function matrixLinkify(linkify) {
     S_AT_NAME_COLON_DOMAIN_DOT.on(TT.TLD, S_USERID);
 }
 
-matrixLinkify.onUserClick = function(e, userId) { e.preventDefault(); };
-matrixLinkify.onAliasClick = function(e, roomAlias) { e.preventDefault(); };
+// stubs, overwritten in MatrixChat's componentDidMount
+// matrixLinkify.onUserClick = function(e, userId) { e.preventDefault(); };
+// matrixLinkify.onAliasClick = function(e, roomAlias) { e.preventDefault(); };
 
 var escapeRegExp = function(string) {
     return string.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
 };
 
-// we only recognise URLs which match our current URL as being the same app
-// as if someone explicitly links to vector.im/develop and we're on vector.im/beta
-// they may well be trying to get us to explicitly go to develop.
-// FIXME: intercept matrix.to URLs as well.
-matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN = "^(https?:\/\/)?" + escapeRegExp(window.location.host + window.location.pathname);
+// Recognise URLs from both our local vector and official vector as vector.
+// anyone else really should be using matrix.to.
+matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN = "^(?:https?:\/\/)?(?:"
+    + escapeRegExp(window.location.host + window.location.pathname) + "|"
+    + "(?:www\\.)?vector\\.im/(?:beta|staging|develop)/"
+    + ")(#.*)";
+
+matrixLinkify.MATRIXTO_URL_PATTERN = "^(?:https?:\/\/)?(?:www\\.)?matrix\\.to/#/((#|@).*)";
 
 matrixLinkify.options = {
+/*
     events: function (href, type) {
         switch (type) {
             case "userid":
@@ -125,14 +130,31 @@ matrixLinkify.options = {
                 };
         }
     },
-
+*/
     formatHref: function (href, type) {
         switch (type) {
             case 'roomalias':
                 return '#/room/' + href;
             case 'userid':
-                return '#';
+                return '#/user/' + href;
             default:
+                var m;
+                // FIXME: horrible duplication with HtmlUtils' transform tags
+                m = href.match(matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN);
+                if (m) {
+                    return m[1];
+                }
+                m = href.match(matrixLinkify.MATRIXTO_URL_PATTERN);
+                if (m) {
+                    var entity = m[1];
+                    if (entity[0] === '@') {
+                        return '#'; // TODO
+                    }
+                    else if (entity[0] === '#') {
+                        return '#/room/' + entity;
+                    }
+                }
+
                 return href;
         }
     },
@@ -143,7 +165,9 @@ matrixLinkify.options = {
 
     target: function(href, type) {
         if (type === 'url') {
-            if (href.match(matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN)) {
+            if (href.match(matrixLinkify.VECTOR_URL_PATTERN) ||
+                href.match(matrixLinkify.MATRIXTO_URL_PATTERN))
+            {
                 return null;
             }
             else {