diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index 385f42e97..4ee5b8d26 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ Added
   for hints instead of single characters.
 - New `--all` argument for `:download-cancel` to cancel all running downloads.
 - New `password_fill` userscript to fill passwords using the `pass` executable.
+- New `current` hinting mode which forces opening hints in the current tab
+  (even with `target="_blank"`)
 
 Changed
 ~~~~~~~
diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 6cb17e248..11c0783b9 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ Contributors, sorted by the number of commits in descending order:
 * Thorsten Wißmann
 * Philipp Hansch
 * Austin Anderson
+* Kevin Velghe
 * Alexey "Averrin" Nabrodov
 * avk
 * ZDarian
@@ -216,7 +217,6 @@ Contributors, sorted by the number of commits in descending order:
 * Samuel Loury
 * Matthias Lisin
 * Marcel Schilling
-* Kevin Velghe
 * Jean-Christophe Petkovich
 * Helen Sherwood-Taylor
 * HalosGhost
diff --git a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
index ae7b597d3..d3819741e 100644
--- a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ Start hinting.
 
 * +'target'+: What to do with the selected element. 
 
- - `normal`: Open the link in the current tab.
+ - `normal`: Open the link.
+ - `current`: Open the link in the current tab.
  - `tab`: Open the link in a new tab (honoring the
  background-tabs setting).
  - `tab-fg`: Open the link in a new foreground tab.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
index 26fd02fbc..3b71c0266 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ from qutebrowser.misc import guiprocess
 ElemTuple = collections.namedtuple('ElemTuple', ['elem', 'label'])
 
 
-Target = usertypes.enum('Target', ['normal', 'tab', 'tab_fg', 'tab_bg',
-                                   'window', 'yank', 'yank_primary', 'run',
-                                   'fill', 'hover', 'download', 'userscript',
-                                   'spawn'])
+Target = usertypes.enum('Target', ['normal', 'current', 'tab', 'tab_fg',
+                                   'tab_bg', 'window', 'yank', 'yank_primary',
+                                   'run', 'fill', 'hover', 'download',
+                                   'userscript', 'spawn'])
 
 
 class WordHintingError(Exception):
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ class HintContext:
         elems: A mapping from key strings to (elem, label) namedtuples.
         baseurl: The URL of the current page.
         target: What to do with the opened links.
-                normal/tab/tab_fg/tab_bg/window: Get passed to BrowserTab.
+                normal/current/tab/tab_fg/tab_bg/window: Get passed to
+                                                         BrowserTab.
                 yank/yank_primary: Yank to clipboard/primary selection.
                 run: Run a command.
                 fill: Fill commandline with link.
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
 
     HINT_TEXTS = {
         Target.normal: "Follow hint",
+        Target.current: "Follow hint in current tab",
         Target.tab: "Follow hint in new tab",
         Target.tab_fg: "Follow hint in foreground tab",
         Target.tab_bg: "Follow hint in background tab",
@@ -429,6 +431,7 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
         """
         target_mapping = {
             Target.normal: usertypes.ClickTarget.normal,
+            Target.current: usertypes.ClickTarget.normal,
             Target.tab_fg: usertypes.ClickTarget.tab,
             Target.tab_bg: usertypes.ClickTarget.tab_bg,
             Target.window: usertypes.ClickTarget.window,
@@ -463,6 +466,8 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
                 QMouseEvent(QEvent.MouseButtonRelease, pos, Qt.LeftButton,
                             Qt.NoButton, modifiers),
             ]
+        if context.target == Target.current:
+            elem.remove_blank_target()
         for evt in events:
             self.mouse_event.emit(evt)
         if elem.is_text_input() and elem.is_editable():
@@ -741,7 +746,8 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
 
             target: What to do with the selected element.
 
-                - `normal`: Open the link in the current tab.
+                - `normal`: Open the link.
+                - `current`: Open the link in the current tab.
                 - `tab`: Open the link in a new tab (honoring the
                          background-tabs setting).
                 - `tab-fg`: Open the link in a new foreground tab.
@@ -891,6 +897,7 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
         # Handlers which take a QWebElement
         elem_handlers = {
             Target.normal: self._click,
+            Target.current: self._click,
             Target.tab: self._click,
             Target.tab_fg: self._click,
             Target.tab_bg: self._click,
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webelem.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webelem.py
index 49f4bfc27..df481b98c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webelem.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webelem.py
@@ -285,6 +285,19 @@ class WebElementWrapper(collections.abc.MutableMapping):
         tag = self._elem.tagName().lower()
         return self.get('role', None) in roles or tag in ('input', 'textarea')
 
+    def remove_blank_target(self):
+        """Remove target from link."""
+        elem = self._elem
+        for _ in range(5):
+            if elem is None:
+                break
+            tag = elem.tagName().lower()
+            if tag == 'a' or tag == 'area':
+                if elem.attribute('target') == '_blank':
+                    elem.setAttribute('target', '_top')
+                break
+            elem = elem.parent()
+
     def debug_text(self):
         """Get a text based on an element suitable for debug output."""
         self._check_vanished()
diff --git a/tests/integration/data/hints/link_blank.html b/tests/integration/data/hints/link_blank.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f738e61dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/data/hints/link_blank.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+    <head>
+        <meta charset="utf-8">
+        <title>A link to use hints on</title>
+    </head>
+    <body>
+        <a href="/data/hello.txt" target="_blank">Follow me!</a>
+    </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/tests/integration/data/hints/link_span.html b/tests/integration/data/hints/link_span.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a5bbfdfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/data/hints/link_span.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+    <head>
+        <meta charset="utf-8">
+        <title>A link to use hints on</title>
+    </head>
+    <body>
+        <a href="/data/hello.txt" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large">Follow me!</span></a>
+    </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/tests/integration/features/hints.feature b/tests/integration/features/hints.feature
index d95cdf868..3f6fab924 100644
--- a/tests/integration/features/hints.feature
+++ b/tests/integration/features/hints.feature
@@ -18,3 +18,29 @@ Feature: Using hints
         And I run :hint links normal
         And I run :follow-hint xyz
         Then the error "No hint xyz!" should be shown
+
+    Scenario: Following a hint and force to open in current tab.
+        When I open data/hints/link_blank.html
+        And I run :hint links current
+        And I run :follow-hint a
+        And I wait until data/hello.txt is loaded
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            - data/hello.txt (active)
+
+    Scenario: Following a hint and allow to open in new tab.
+        When I open data/hints/link_blank.html
+        And I run :hint links normal
+        And I run :follow-hint a
+        And I wait until data/hello.txt is loaded
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            - data/hints/link_blank.html
+            - data/hello.txt (active)
+
+    Scenario: Following a hint to link with sub-element and force to open in current tab.
+        When I open data/hints/link_span.html
+        And I run :tab-close
+        And I run :hint links current
+        And I run :follow-hint a
+        And I wait until data/hello.txt is loaded
+        Then the following tabs should be open:
+            - data/hello.txt (active)
diff --git a/tests/unit/browser/test_webelem.py b/tests/unit/browser/test_webelem.py
index 1457e08ef..459a8b1b1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/browser/test_webelem.py
+++ b/tests/unit/browser/test_webelem.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ from qutebrowser.browser import webelem
 
 
 def get_webelem(geometry=None, frame=None, null=False, style=None,
-                display='', attributes=None, tagname=None, classes=None):
+                display='', attributes=None, tagname=None, classes=None,
+                parent=None):
     """Factory for WebElementWrapper objects based on a mock.
 
     Args:
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ def get_webelem(geometry=None, frame=None, null=False, style=None,
     elem.tagName.return_value = tagname
     elem.toOuterXml.return_value = '<fakeelem/>'
     elem.toPlainText.return_value = 'text'
+    elem.parent.return_value = parent
 
     attribute_dict = {}
     if attributes is None:
@@ -326,6 +328,47 @@ class TestWebElementWrapper:
         assert elem.debug_text() == expected
 
 
+class TestRemoveBlankTarget:
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('tagname', ['a', 'area'])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('target', ['_self', '_parent', '_top', ''])
+    def test_keep_target(self, tagname, target):
+        elem = get_webelem(tagname=tagname, attributes={'target': target})
+        elem.remove_blank_target()
+        assert elem['target'] == target
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('tagname', ['a', 'area'])
+    def test_no_target(self, tagname):
+        elem = get_webelem(tagname=tagname)
+        elem.remove_blank_target()
+        assert 'target' not in elem
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('tagname', ['a', 'area'])
+    def test_blank_target(self, tagname):
+        elem = get_webelem(tagname=tagname, attributes={'target': '_blank'})
+        elem.remove_blank_target()
+        assert elem['target'] == '_top'
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('tagname', ['a', 'area'])
+    def test_ancestor_blank_target(self, tagname):
+        elem = get_webelem(tagname=tagname, attributes={'target': '_blank'})
+        elem_child = get_webelem(tagname='img', parent=elem._elem)
+        elem_child._elem.encloseWith(elem._elem)
+        elem_child.remove_blank_target()
+        assert elem['target'] == '_top'
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('depth', [1, 5, 10])
+    def test_no_link(self, depth):
+        elem = [None] * depth
+        elem[0] = get_webelem(tagname='div')
+        for i in range(1, depth):
+            elem[i] = get_webelem(tagname='div', parent=elem[i-1])
+            elem[i]._elem.encloseWith(elem[i-1]._elem)
+        elem[-1].remove_blank_target()
+        for i in range(depth):
+            assert 'target' not in elem[i]
+
+
 class TestIsVisible:
 
     @pytest.fixture