diff --git a/src/services/export/markdown.spec.ts b/src/services/export/markdown.spec.ts
index 17989d5ed..5f14314fd 100644
--- a/src/services/export/markdown.spec.ts
+++ b/src/services/export/markdown.spec.ts
@@ -238,4 +238,10 @@ describe("Markdown export", () => {
         expect(markdownExportService.toMarkdown(html)).toBe(expected);
     });
 
+    it("exports reference links as normal links", () => {
+        const html = /*html*/`<p><a class="reference-link" href="../../Canvas.html">Canvas</a></p>`;
+        const expected = `[Canvas](../../Canvas.html)`;
+        expect(markdownExportService.toMarkdown(html)).toBe(expected);
+    });
+
 });
diff --git a/src/services/import/markdown.spec.ts b/src/services/import/markdown.spec.ts
index b8c0949bc..9ef6233e5 100644
--- a/src/services/import/markdown.spec.ts
+++ b/src/services/import/markdown.spec.ts
@@ -145,4 +145,16 @@ second line 2</code></pre><ul><li>Hello</li><li>world</li></ul><ol><li>Hello</li
         expect(markdownService.renderToHtml(input, "Title")).toStrictEqual(expected);
     });
 
+    it("supports normal links", () => {
+        const input = `[Google](https://www.google.com)`;
+        const expected = /*html*/`<p><a href="https://www.google.com">Google</a></p>`;
+        expect(markdownService.renderToHtml(input, "Title")).toStrictEqual(expected);
+    });
+
+    it("imports back to reference links", () => {
+        const input = `[Canvas](../../Canvas.html)`;
+        const expected = /*html*/`<p><a class="reference-link" href="../../Canvas.html">Canvas</a></p>`;
+        expect(markdownService.renderToHtml(input, "Title")).toStrictEqual(expected);
+    });
+
 });
diff --git a/src/services/import/markdown.ts b/src/services/import/markdown.ts
index 57bf58dd6..3dcd2784c 100644
--- a/src/services/import/markdown.ts
+++ b/src/services/import/markdown.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,17 @@ class CustomMarkdownRenderer extends Renderer {
         return `<blockquote>${body}</blockquote>`;
     }
 
+    link(data: Tokens.Link): string {
+        let html = super.link(data);
+
+        // Rewrite local/relative links back to reference links.
+        if (data.href.indexOf("://") === -1) {
+            html = html.replace(/^<a /, `<a class="reference-link" `);
+        }
+
+        return html;
+    }
+
 }
 
 const renderer = new CustomMarkdownRenderer({ async: false });